Summary

Bernstein is a deterministic orchestrator for CLI AI coding agents, designed for engineers and power users seeking reproducible and auditable AI-assisted development. It addresses the non-deterministic nature of LLM-driven scheduling by employing a robust Python-based coordination loop, ensuring that complex coding tasks are broken down, executed reliably across multiple agents, and verified before merging.

How It Works

Bernstein's core innovation lies in its deterministic orchestration. A central "manager" decomposes user goals into discrete tasks, assigning them to agents that operate within isolated Git worktrees. This isolation prevents interference and ensures each agent works on a clean slate. A "janitor" component then rigorously verifies task completion through concrete signals like passing tests, linting, and type checks. Only verified code is merged, and the entire process is logged and replayable via HMAC-chained audit trails, offering unparalleled reproducibility and auditability compared to LLM-driven scheduling.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install: curl -fsSL https://bernstein.run/install.sh | sh (macOS/Linux) or irm https://bernstein.run/install.ps1 | iex (Windows). Pip, pipx, uv, brew, and dnf options are also available.
• Prerequisites: Python 3.12+. Optional extras can be installed via pip (e.g., pip install 'bernstein[openai,docker]').
• Links: Website, Documentation, Getting Started.

Highlighted Details

• Supports over 37 CLI AI agent adapters, allowing flexible mixing of local and cloud models.
• Offers pluggable sandboxing backends including Git worktrees (default), Docker, E2B, and Modal.
• Enables cloud execution on Cloudflare Workers with features like Durable Workflows and R2 workspace sync.
• Provides HMAC-chained audit logs for deterministic replayability and an auditable trail.
• Includes autonomous CI repair (bernstein autofix) and a credential vault (bernstein connect).

Maintenance & Community

• Primary contributor: Alex Chernysh.
• Community engagement includes GitHub Sponsors and a contact email (forte@bernstein.run).
• The project is frequently cited in "awesome" lists and developer newsletters, indicating active community interest and adoption.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: Apache License 2.0.
• Compatibility: Permissive license suitable for commercial use and integration into closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

• Experimental features include self-evolution (--evolve), WAL-backed crash recovery, and Workers AI integration.
• SSO/SAML/OIDC support is currently in progress.
• A scaffold for Cloudflare wrangler.toml and bindings is planned.