GitHub - chesapeakedev/dn: a non-conversational harness for maximizing productivity

dn is a CLI for working systematically alongside agents. It turns issues and local specifications into durable Markdown plans, routes those plans to your preferred agent, and carries work from implementation through review. We built Denoise because coding got faster, but building software did not.

Use dn with OpenCode, Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex CLI. Plans live in your repository, so work can move between agents and resume across sessions without depending on a chat window.

dn is one half of Denoise. For in-depth documentation, see our docs site.

Install

Homebrew (macOS / Linux)

brew install chesapeakedev/dn/dn

Direct download

Install the latest release on macOS, Linux, or Windows:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chesapeakedev/dn/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

To choose an install directory or version:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chesapeakedev/dn/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --install-dir /usr/local/bin --version v0.1.0

Prebuilt binaries are also available from the latest GitHub release:

macOS release binaries are signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized. This was done recently, so if an older unsigned build is blocked by Gatekeeper, you can approve it under System Settings > Privacy & Security, or remove the quarantine attribute:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine "$(which dn)"

Build from source

Building requires Deno 2.6.3 or later:

git clone https://github.com/chesapeakedev/dn.git
cd dn && make install

Shell completions

# bash — add to ~/.bashrc
eval "$(dn completion bash)"

# zsh — add to ~/.zshrc after compinit
eval "$(dn completion zsh)"

Features

• Automate issue to implementation — Codify and idea into a GitHub issue then working code with dn kickstart, optionally opening a pull request
• Durable, reviewable plans — Create human-reviewable handoffs at each step in the SDLC with dn meld, dn loop, and dn land
• Setup dn runners — Pair a Mac or Linux machine with denoise and run commands against warm checkouts and existing agent logins instead of a remote server
• Streamline PR maintenance — Fetch review comments and implement a focused fix plan with dn fixup
• Build your software factory — Install GitHub Actions workflows for dn in CI; run the cli overnight & review work in the morning

Kickstart a task

dn kickstart is the shortest path from a task to an implementation. It asks an agent to analyze the repository, writes a named plan under plans/, applies the changes, and tracks completion in the plan's acceptance criteria.

# Implement a GitHub issue in the current workspace
dn kickstart 123

# Implement a local specification without fetching GitHub context
dn kickstart docs/spec.md

# Create a branch or bookmark, commit, push, and open a pull request
dn kickstart --awp https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123

In an attended terminal, set EDITOR to review the generated plan before implementation starts. The editor must remain open until you finish reviewing; VS Code therefore needs --wait.

# Review and edit with VS Code
EDITOR="code --wait" dn kickstart 123

# Review and edit with Neovim
EDITOR=nvim dn kickstart 123

# Review and edit with Vim
EDITOR=vim dn kickstart 123

# Review the plan with Hunk (read-only; edit with another editor if needed)
EDITOR="hunk diff --" dn kickstart 123

You can export your preferred editor for repeated runs:

export EDITOR=nvim
dn kickstart 123

Plan review is skipped for unattended, CI, and non-TTY runs. The same $EDITOR gate reviews agent-generated GitHub bodies from dn meld (github:issue:, github:comment:, --update-issue) and dn land --issue-testplan before they are posted.

See the dn kickstart command reference for publishing modes, cross-repository work, milestone queues, and agent selection.

Plan with human checkpoints

When the work is ambiguous or needs consensus on approach, split planning and implementation. dn meld writes a durable Markdown plan from an issue or local sources; dn loop implements an existing plan; dn land closes completed work into VCS commits.

dn meld 123
dn loop --plan-file plans/issue-123.plan.md
dn land plans/issue-123.plan.md

Plans remain useful after the first run. Resume incomplete work by re-running dn loop on the same plan file. See dn meld, dn loop, and dn land.

Loop until the gate passes

dn loop is a single implement pass on a plan. Prefer dn until for goal-shaped work: it repeats a generator/verifier tick until a shell or prompt gate passes, within an iteration bound.

dn until validate .github/dn/gambit.json
dn until run .github/dn/gambit.json

A minimal gambit with a script verifier:

{
  "iterations": 4,
  "gambits": [
    {
      "name": "raise-coverage",
      "generator": {
        "prompt": "Generate or extend tests. Prefer small, focused tests."
      },
      "verifier": {
        "script": "make precommit"
      }
    }
  ]
}

See the dn until command reference for interval gambits, prompt verifiers, timeouts, and sandbox settings.

Use this machine as a denoise runner

Pair an existing macOS or Linux development machine from Settings > Runners in denoise so kickstart jobs run against your warm checkouts, agent logins, and hardware—without uploading source or credentials.

dn runner connect <code> --install
cd ~/src/project
dn runner register
dn runner doctor

The runner accepts typed kickstart jobs over outbound HTTPS. GitHub and agent authentication stay local; repository paths never enter API payloads. See the developer device runner guide for service management, security boundaries, and JSON commands.

Fix PR feedback

dn fixup gathers a pull request's description and review comments, builds a focused remediation plan, and implements the changes in your local workspace. Changes stay uncommitted for your review.

dn fixup https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123

See the dn fixup command reference.

Turn the repo into a software factory

Install canonical dn GitHub Actions workflows so planning and kickstart can run in CI or on a schedule. Score a milestone into a prioritized stack, then let daily kickstart process one ready item at a time.

dn init workflows --agent claude
dn init stack 42
# Commit .github/dn/, .github/workflows/, and the stack file
dn workflows dispatch dn.kickstart_issue --repo owner/repo --json '<payload>'

See dn init workflows, dn init stack, and GitHub Actions.

Choose an agent

OpenCode is the default. Select another supported agent with --agent. The common form is <harness>:<model>; omit the model to use the harness default:

dn --agent claude meld <issue_url>
dn --agent cursor loop --plan-file plans/issue-123.plan.md
dn kickstart --agent codex:gpt-5.4 --awp <issue_url>

Pass extra files into agent prompt context with --context-file (repeatable):

dn --context-file notes.md --context-file src/parser.ts kickstart 123

Install the portable dn skill so an agent can discover and use these workflows directly:

dn init agents --skill --agent codex

Use --scope user for a user-level Codex, OpenCode, or Claude installation. See Outer harness for the shared IDE/TUI contract, and the agent integration guides for nested CLI setup.

In Cursor IDE on this checkout, ask the agent to record local dn or screenshot that this issue is done — that attaches the local-dn skill (.cursor/skills/local-dn/). Proof is a live asciinema cast, not a browser screenshot. Example prompts: Using Cursor.

Connect GitHub

Commands that access GitHub need authentication. Prefer GitHub CLI; dn auth is complementary if you do not use gh:

gh auth login
# or, without gh:
dn auth
dn auth status

Set GITHUB_TOKEN for CI and other unattended environments. See GitHub authentication for token resolution, permissions, and troubleshooting.

Documentation

• Command reference
• Authentication
• Output, environment variables, and exit codes
• GitHub Actions
• Developer device runners
• Contributor guide