core
Terminal-first infrastructure runtime for operators who want to manage servers, databases, containers, tunnels, and workflows from one place — with AI assistance, not AI dependence.
NAVIG
No Admin Visible In Graveyard
The terminal was never the problem. The chaos around it was.
[!WARNING]
NAVIG is experimental software under active development.
APIs, CLI commands, and config formats may change between releases. Not yet recommended for production-critical environments without review.
What is NAVIG?
NAVIG is a terminal-first infrastructure CLI and runtime for people who are tired of juggling SSH sessions, scattered scripts, disconnected dashboards, and ad-hoc credentials just to keep their systems running.
It was built by one person — a solo founder managing a growing swarm of remote machines, projects, and operational overhead with no platform team to fall back on. The problem wasn't the terminal. The problem was everything fragmented around it: SSH in one place, SFTP in another, databases behind dashboards, secrets pasted into notes, logs spread across providers, and no single coherent surface to operate from.
NAVIG is the result of refusing to accept that reality.
It gives operators direct control over remote hosts, databases, containers, files, tunnels, and workflows — from one place, with structure, memory, and optional AI assistance that stays out of the way until it's actually useful.
One operator surface. For operators.
Why NAVIG?
Most operators already have SSH. What they don't have is everything that should live around it:
| You probably have | NAVIG adds |
|---|---|
| SSH client | Multi-host management with one active context |
| Ad-hoc shell scripts | Named workflows with dry-run and preview |
Secrets in .env files |
Encrypted vault with context-aware resolution |
grep in log files |
Structured log tailing across hosts |
| Copy-paste from Stack Overflow | AI operator layer with your infra as context |
| One terminal per machine | Mesh networking and command delegation |
NAVIG is not a configuration management tool (not Ansible). It is not a deployment platform (not Kubernetes). It is a control plane for humans — the thing you reach for when you need to do something to a real machine, right now, without writing a playbook.
Features
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-host management | Add, switch, test, and operate remote hosts over SSH |
| Remote execution | Run commands, pipe stdin, use base64 encoding for complex scripts |
| Database operations | Query, dump, restore, and maintain MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL |
| File operations | Upload, download, read, edit, and list remote files safely |
| Docker & containers | Inspect containers, restart services, tail logs, manage compose stacks |
| Web server control | Manage nginx/apache configs, test changes, reload safely |
| Encrypted vault | Store credentials without leaving secrets in plaintext config files |
| Workflows | Define repeatable multi-step flows with dry-run and preview support |
| AI operator layer | Natural language assistance for infra tasks — CLI, Telegram, or MCP |
| Mesh networking | LAN peer-to-peer node discovery and command delegation |
| MCP integration | Expose tools and resources to AI editors and compatible clients |
| Daemon & gateway | Background service with Telegram and Matrix channel support |
Install
Linux / macOS / WSL
curl -fsSL https://navig.run/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell)
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://navig.run/install.ps1)))
pipx
pipx install navig
pip
pip install navig
Install options
| Option | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
--version |
bash -s -- --version <release> |
Pin a specific version |
--dev |
bash -s -- --dev |
Include development extras |
--method git |
bash -s -- --method git |
Install from source instead of PyPI |
NAVIG_EXTRAS |
NAVIG_EXTRAS=voice,keyring |
Enable optional extras |
NAVIG_INSTALL_PROFILE |
NAVIG_INSTALL_PROFILE=operator |
Choose the first-run bootstrap profile |
Telegram bootstrap is available through the installer pipeline after install:
NAVIG_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="<your-bot-token>" navig init --profile operator
Development Install
git clone https://github.com/navig-run/core.git navig
cd navig
pip install -e ".[dev]"
With a virtual environment (optional but recommended):
git clone https://github.com/navig-run/core.git navig
cd navig
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
Verify
navig --version
navig --help
No server? Start here (local mode)
If you don't have a remote server available yet, NAVIG works on localhost too:
# Install
pip install navig
# Discover your local machine as a host
navig host discover-local
# Run your first command (on this machine)
navig run "echo hello from NAVIG && uname -a"
# Explore files
navig file list ~ --tree --depth 2
# Ask the AI operator layer something
navig ask "what process is using the most CPU right now?"
That's a complete first run — no remote server required.
Quick start
# 1. Initialize — creates ~/.navig/, runs setup wizard
navig init
# 2. Add a remote host
navig host add
# 3. Test the connection
navig host test
# 4. Set it as active
navig host use <name>
# 5. Run your first remote command
navig run "uname -a"
# 6. Ask the AI operator layer something about it
navig ask "what is consuming the most memory on this host?"
That's it. Everything else builds from here.
Where to go next — after that first navig run:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
navig host add |
Add more hosts |
navig vault set KEY=value |
Store secrets encrypted |
navig db query "SELECT 1" |
Connect to a remote database |
navig tunnel 5432 |
Open an SSH tunnel to a port |
navig workflow run deploy.yaml |
Run a multi-step workflow |
navig ask "..." |
Ask the AI operator layer anything |
Command reference
The pattern is consistent across all resources:
navig <resource> <action> [options]
Infrastructure
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
navig host |
Add, switch, test, and inspect remote hosts |
navig run |
Execute commands on remote or local hosts |
navig file |
Upload, download, read, and edit remote files |
navig db |
Query, dump, restore, and maintain databases |
navig docker |
Container and compose operations |
navig web |
Web server config, test, and reload |
navig tunnel |
SSH tunnel management |
navig backup |
Config and data backup / restore |
AI & Automation
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
navig ask |
AI-assisted troubleshooting and command guidance |
navig flow |
Multi-step automation workflows |
navig mcp |
MCP server for AI editor and tool integration |
navig gateway |
Start and manage chat gateway (Telegram, Matrix) |
Organisation
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
navig config |
View, validate, and manage configuration |
navig vault |
Encrypted credential storage |
navig workspace |
Multi-context operator workspace |
navig mesh |
LAN peer discovery and command delegation |
Run navig help or navig help <topic> for detailed usage. Every command also supports --help.
AI and chat interfaces
NAVIG can expose its operator layer through:
- CLI (
navig ask) - Telegram (via
navig gateway) - Matrix
- Any MCP-compatible editor (Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code)
navig ask "Why does this container keep restarting?"
The AI layer assists with reasoning, context, and workflow execution. It does not replace direct operator control — the operator stays responsible, the operator stays in command.
Configuration
Global config lives in ~/.navig/. Override with NAVIG_CONFIG_DIR.
~/.navig/
├── config.yaml ← main config
├── vault/ ← encrypted credentials
├── sessions/
├── workspace/
│ ├── SOUL.md ← persistent operator identity
│ └── HEARTBEAT.md
└── logs/
Project-specific overrides: place a .navig/ directory at your repository root. Project config takes precedence over global config.
See docs/user/CONFIG_SCHEMA.md and docs/user/USAGE_GUIDE.md.
Documentation
| Guide | |
|---|---|
| Installation | docs/user/INSTALLATION.md |
| Quick reference | docs/user/QUICK_REFERENCE.md |
| CLI commands | docs/user/CLI_COMMANDS.md |
| Handbook | docs/user/HANDBOOK.md |
| Troubleshooting | docs/user/troubleshooting.md |
| Telegram setup | docs/features/TELEGRAM.md |
| Production deployment | docs/dev/PRODUCTION_DEPLOYMENT.md |
| Migration guide | docs/dev/MIGRATION_GUIDE.md |
| Plugin / pack development | navig-community |
Development
# Lint
ruff check navig tests
ruff format --check navig tests
# Test
pytest
# Build
python -m build
Quick checks before a PR:
python -c "import navig" # no import errors
navig --help # CLI loads in < 1s
pytest tests/ -q # all green
See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full contribution workflow, branch model, and commit conventions.
Community & support
| Channel | |
|---|---|
| Bug reports & feature requests | GitHub Issues |
| Ideas & discussion | GitHub Discussions |
| Announcements | t.me/navigrun |
| Community group | t.me/+OyFMwN66c3M0NTk0 |
| Security reports | SECURITY.md |
Project structure
navig/
├── navig/ # Main Python package
│ ├── cli/ # CLI app, commands registry, help system
│ ├── commands/ # CLI command modules (one file per resource)
│ ├── agents/ # Specialist agents (inbox router, etc.)
│ ├── memory/ # Conversation store, knowledge base, RAG, embeddings
│ ├── providers/ # AI provider clients, fallback manager, OAuth
│ ├── gateway/ # Chat gateway (Telegram, Matrix) integrations
│ ├── onboarding/ # First-run setup engine and wizard steps
│ ├── daemon/ # Background service entry point
│ ├── core/ # Config loader, migrations, crash handler
│ └── resources/ # Default prompts, personas, assets
├── sdk/ # Python SDK package
├── scripts/ # Install and deployment scripts
├── deploy/ # Docker, systemd, hardening configs
├── docs/ # Documentation
├── packages/ # Optional add-on packages
└── tests/ # pytest test suite
Sponsor
NAVIG is built by one person and released as open-source. If it saves you time, prevents mistakes, or earns a place in your workflow:
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| 📡 Watcher | $5/mo | Simple backing. Badge + optional name in supporters. |
| ⚡ Node Operator | $10/mo | You run this in real workflows. Early betas + dev updates. |
| 🏗️ System Architect | $25/mo | Long-term support. Roadmap input + private changelogs. |
| ⚡ Signal Boost | $10 one-time | Small direct contribution. |
| 🚀 Feature Sprint | $50 one-time | Funds a focused development push. |
| 🌐 Founding Node | $100 one-time | Permanent credit in FOUNDERS.md. Limited. |
See FUNDING.md for full details.
Security
Report vulnerabilities privately. See SECURITY.md.
License
Apache-2.0 — see LICENSE.
Brand usage and official build identity: TRADEMARK.md · GOVERNANCE.md
Forge-coded by @miztizm
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