Developer infrastructure for <>/br
AI agent containment, telemetry, and workspace governance.

Sprawl CLI

The workspace sandbox and context governance engine.

Website · Docs · Quickstart

The Problem

AI coding agents (Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot, RooCode, Antigravity) operate unconstrained on developer workstations:

They read everything — parent directories, ~/.ssh, .env files, corporate credentials
They burn tokens — stuffing context windows with node_modules, build caches, and irrelevant fixtures
They fragment rules — scattering .cursorrules, .windsurfrules, .clinerules across every repo
They block enterprise adoption — CISOs restrict AI tools because they lack containment and audit trails

The Solution

Sprawl CLI is the local-first, zero-dependency engine that locks this down at the workstation boundary.

Capability	How
Filesystem Sandboxing	Directory-locked MCP servers block path traversal in <2ms
Universal IDE Binding	Single manifest compiles to native settings for Cursor, VS Code, IntelliJ, Claude, Gemini, Copilot
GitOps Rule Sync	Rules, skills, personas version-controlled in Git. Drift detection built in.
Stealth Isolation	Agents operate under constraints they cannot see or modify
Zero Cloud Dependency	100% local. Zero telemetry. Zero network calls.

Quickstart

Install

Linux & macOS:

# Automated bootstrap with pipx isolation
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sprawl-software/sprawl-cli/main/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell 5.1+ / 7+):

# Native PowerShell bootstrap with pipx isolation
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sprawl-software/sprawl-cli/main/install.ps1 | iex

Cross-Platform (direct pipx):

pipx install git+https://github.com/sprawl-software/sprawl-cli.git

Initialize & Govern

# Import your team's global DNA registry
sprawl init https://github.com/your-org/your-dna-repo.git

# Graft onto an existing project (harvests legacy editor rules automatically)
cd my-project/
sprawl graft

# Sync DNA, provision venv, compile IDE bindings
sprawl sync

# Connect to your active editors
sprawl bind

Core Commands

Command	Usage
`sprawl create`	Scaffold a new governance-compliant workspace
`sprawl graft`	Onboard an existing project without losing custom configs
`sprawl sync`	Pull DNA updates, provision venv, compile IDE bindings
`sprawl bind`	Generate native config files for all active editors
`sprawl add`	Inject rules, skills, or workflows from the registry
`sprawl mount`	Grant agents secure access to external directories
`sprawl status`	Inspect workspace identity, DNA health, and telemetry
`sprawl diff`	Detect configuration drift against the central registry
`sprawl doctor`	Run system-wide diagnostics
`sprawl ws`	Manage all tracked workspaces from a single registry
`sprawl demo`	Interactive sandbox demonstration
`sprawl man`	Offline terminal documentation
`sprawl wipe`	Clean uninstall — zero configuration trail

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     DEVELOPER WORKSTATION                       │
│                                                                 │
│   ┌──────────────┐                         ┌─────────────┐      │
│   │  IDE / Agent │───────── HTTPS ────────▶│  Cloud LLM  │      │
│   └──────────────┘                         └─────────────┘      │
│          │                                                      │
│   ┌──────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│   │              SPRAWL SYSTEM BOUNDARY                      │  │
│   │                                                          │  │
│   │  ┌───────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────────┐  │  │
│   │  │  STEALTH SANDBOX  │     │  SCOPED MCP SERVER       │  │  │
│   │  │  ~/.sprawl/       │     │  Path traversal guard    │  │  │
│   │  │  Hidden state     │     │  Directory-locked I/O    │  │  │
│   │  └───────────────────┘     └──────────────────────────┘  │  │
│   │                                                          │  │
│   └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Supported Editors & Agents

Cursor (.cursorrules)
VS Code / GitHub Copilot (.github/copilot-instructions.md, .vscode/settings.json)
Visual Studio
Claude Code (CLAUDE.md, MCP config)
Gemini / Google Antigravity (gemini.json, .agent/)
IntelliJ / JetBrains
Windsurf (.windsurfrules)
RooCode / Cline (.clinerules)

Design Principles

100% Local: Runs entirely on your machine. No cloud, no accounts, zero telemetry.
Cross-Platform: First-class support across Linux, macOS, and Windows 10/11.
Stealth Injection: Agents operate under containment constraints they cannot see or modify.
Agnostic Outputs: One manifest compiles to all editors. Switch tools without reconfiguring.
Zero Heavy Dependencies: Pure Python standard library + Rich. Sub-100ms boot.
Standard Library Only: No dependency bloat. Auditable in 48 hours.

Development & Testing

1. Setup Local Environment

Clone the repository and install Sprawl in editable mode with development dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/sprawl-software/sprawl-cli.git
cd sprawl-cli
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -e ".[dev]"

2. Lint & Code Formatting (Ruff)

Sprawl uses Ruff to enforce fast, consistent code style, import sorting, and quality standards:

# Check code quality and imports
ruff check src/ tests/

# Verify formatting without modifying files
ruff format --check src/ tests/

# Auto-fix safe lint rules and format code
ruff check --fix src/ tests/
ruff format src/ tests/

3. Run Unit & Integration Tests

Execute the full test suite using pytest:

pytest

4. Run E2E Integration Suite (Smoke Test)

Run the automated 26-scenario end-to-end sandbox verification:

python tests/qa_run_verifier.py --ci

Contributing

Sprawl is in active private development. Contribution guidelines will be published at public launch. For early access or partnerships: [email protected].

License

Business Source License 1.1
— Free for non-production use.

Built with zero dependencies in Antwerp 🇧🇪 by Younes Baghor