Abstract

A native macOS app for running several CLI coding agents in parallel, each in its own git worktree, then reviewing and merging what they changed.

The iOS and Android app lives in mobile/. It pairs with a running Mac through Abstract's encrypted remote protocol. Its React Native builds use Xcode Cloud for iOS and GitHub Actions for Google Play.

The internet relay deployment uses a Docker container on Lightsail Micro, deployed manually with GitHub Actions. Client integration is still pending.

Abstract drives agents you already pay for as subscription CLIs (claude, codex), never metered API calls. It never sees your keys and never talks to a model itself.

Build and run

Requires macOS 15+, Xcode 26, and XcodeGen (brew install xcodegen).

xcodegen generate
open Abstract.xcodeproj

Or from the command line:

xcodebuild -project Abstract.xcodeproj -scheme Abstract -configuration Debug -derivedDataPath build/dd build
open build/dd/Build/Products/Debug/Abstract.app

Core tests (fast, no Xcode project needed):

cd Packages/AbstractCore && swift test

Opt-in test against the real claude CLI (needs a signed-in subscription):

cd Packages/AbstractCore && ABSTRACT_E2E=1 swift test --filter RealAgent

Releases

Download the latest signed build from Releases. Abstract updates itself from then on: Settings → General → Updates, where you can also switch to nightly builds. Coming from 0.8.x or earlier? Download 0.9.0 once by hand; those builds had no updater.

Releases are cut on purpose rather than on every merge; AGENTS.md explains cutting and patching them. scripts/package-dmg.sh builds a DMG locally (a dev build, version 0.0.0, signed ad hoc).

Command line

abstract creates and drives chats from scripts and automations, with the app open or closed; they show in Abstract like any other chat. It ships inside the app: Settings → General → Command line → Install links /usr/local/bin/abstract to it.

abstract session list --project <id|path|name> [--include-archived]
abstract session create --project <p> --name <n> --branch <b> --agent claude --prompt-file <path|->
abstract agent find --session <id>
abstract agent send --session <id> --agent <agent id> --text-file <path|->
abstract agent respawn --session <id> --agent claude --prompt-file <path|->

Every command prints one JSON value on stdout; a failure prints {"code","message"} and exits non-zero. session create fetches the project's base branch from origin first and runs the project's setup script before the agent starts, as the app does. With the app open, the app runs the new chat's agent, so the chat is yours there at once; abstract can't send to or respawn a chat the app is showing or running. With the app closed, abstract runs the agent itself; open the chat in the app later and it's handed over once the agent is idle. See CommandLineTool.swift.

Demo mode

Abstract.app/Contents/MacOS/Abstract --demo seeds throwaway repositories and runs a scripted stand-in agent that speaks Claude's real stream format and edits real files, so every screen can be exercised without spending tokens. Add --snapshot <dir> to capture every screen in both themes and quit. scripts/demo-snapshot.sh <Abstract.app> <dir> does the same with a time limit; CI runs it on every pull request and links the PNGs, the "Screenshots" artifact, in a comment.

Layout

project.yml                 XcodeGen spec (the .xcodeproj is generated)
Abstract/                   SwiftUI app
  App/                      AppModel (state + actions), scheduler, notifications, menus
  Theme/                    Graphite (dark gray) and Paper (white) palettes, type scale
  Components/               buttons, status, provider logos, surfaces
  Features/                 sidebar, home, chat, diff, worktrees, automations, settings, palette
  Demo/                     demo mode and screenshot capture
Packages/AbstractCore/      everything that isn't UI, with its own tests
  Providers/                claude + codex definitions and stream parsers
  Process/                  Executor protocol + LocalExecutor (posix_spawn, login-shell PATH)
  Git/                      worktrees, unified diff parsing, partial patches
  Sessions/                 SessionEngine (spawn, stream, log, replay), Timeline, Workspace
  Store/                    SQLite via GRDB
  Automations/              RRULE evaluation
legacy/tauri/               the earlier Tauri build, kept for reference

Adding an agent is one type conforming to ProviderDefinition plus one line in ProviderRegistry. Nothing else names a provider.

Accepting changes applies the selected hunks to the project's main working tree with git apply --3way, unstaged. Rejecting reverse-applies them inside the agent's worktree.

Automations follow superset.sh's model. The scheduler runs inside the app, so closing the window keeps Abstract running; a fire missed while it was quit is skipped unless "catch up on launch" is on.