An issue tracker for prolific agents.
One binary. One SQLite file. MCP built in.
Plans and issues live on your server instead of in the context window, so work outlives the session. Agents use it over MCP; you use the web UI.
- 31 MCP tools in 5,781 tokens, about one long file read.
- One 25 to 32 MB binary with SQLite, the web UI and backups built in. No Docker, no Postgres.
lific connectwrites MCP config for 11 AI clients.- Identifiers like
APP-42, never UUIDs.
cargo install lific # or download a binary from Releases
lific init # config, database, admin account, background service on :3456
lific connect # MCP config for your AI clientsRestart your AI client. The web UI is at http://localhost:3456. lific doctor checks config, database, server and an MCP round trip, and exits nonzero if anything is broken.
lific init --herekeeps config and database in the current directory.lific init --no-serviceskips the background service; runlific startyourself.lific service status | restart | stop | uninstallmanages the service.
More: Installation · Quickstart
| Call | What it does |
|---|---|
get_briefing(project="APP") |
Resume a project: plans and next steps, blocked and workable issues, and with since, what changed |
list_issues(project="APP", workable=true) |
Open issues whose blockers are all resolved |
list_issues(members=["me"]) |
Your active work across the projects you belong to |
create_plan / get_plan |
Nested step plans that survive the session; a step and its issue close together |
link_issues(target="APP-9", relation_type="blocks", user="ada") |
Block an issue on a person or a date window, not only another issue |
update_issue(assignees=["human"]) |
Mark work a person must do; agents take unassigned issues |
update_issue(status="done", evidence="cargo test: 412 passed") |
Close with the proof saved as a verification comment |
edit_issue / edit_page |
Change one string without resending the document |
get_activity(identifier="APP", since="2026-10-01") |
Who changed what while you were away |
Each AI tool connects as its own bot under your account. The history says "OpenCode closed APP-42", and you can revoke one tool without touching the others.
| Family | Tools |
|---|---|
| Issues | list_issues · get_issue · create_issue · update_issue · bulk_update · edit_issue · get_board |
| Relations and waits | link_issues · unlink_issues |
| Pages | get_page · create_page · update_page · edit_page |
| Plans | create_plan · get_plan · edit_plan_step · update_plan_step |
| Comments | add_comment · list_comments · edit_comment · delete_comment |
| Attachments | upload_attachment · get_attachment · list_attachments |
| Search and history | get_briefing · search · get_activity |
| Structure | list_resources · manage_resource · delete |
| Export | export |
The 5,781 tokens are the tools/list definitions as compact JSON, counted with tiktoken's o200k_base. Parameters and output: MCP tools.
lific connect supports opencode · claude-code · claude-desktop · cursor · vscode · codex · zed · gemini · windsurf · goose · crush.
lific connect # pick from the clients it finds
lific connect --client opencode --client cursor --yes # no prompts
lific connect --client claude-code --scope project # repo-local .mcp.json
lific connect --client zed --stdio # no server: direct SQLite over stdioIt merges into existing config, and leaves a file it can't parse alone and prints the snippet instead. OAuth sign-in from the client and lific login for headless machines also work: Connect agents.
Manual config for any MCP client
Remote, over Streamable HTTP:
{
"lific": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "http://localhost:3456/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer your-api-key" }
}
}Local, over stdio with no server:
{
"lific": {
"type": "local",
"command": ["lific", "--db", "path/to/lific.db", "mcp"]
}
}Create a key with lific key create --name my-key --user <you>. A stdio session without LIFIC_TOKEN acts as the instance operator.
lific issue list --project APP
lific issue create --project APP --title "Fix login bug" --priority high
lific issue update APP-42 --status done
lific search "authentication" --project APP
lific --backend http --url https://lific.example.com issue list --project APP # after lific loginThe CLI reads the database directly, or a remote server with --backend http. Output is JSON when piped. lific agents-md adds a short Lific section to a repo's AGENTS.md. Full reference: CLI.
- You coordinate a large team and need SSO, sprints or Gantt charts. Use Linear or Plane.
- You want issues stored in the repo itself. Use a git-native tracker such as beads.
- You need several servers syncing with each other. One Lific instance is one SQLite file.
It's built for one person directing several agents.
Access. New installs check project membership on every call, reads included. Add people with lific member add --project APP --user sam --role maintainer. See Self-hosting.
Backups. Lific writes an archive every hour and keeps 24. For a one-off:
lific dump # database plus attachments, safe while running
lific restore lific_20260703_141500.tar.gz # stop the server firstConfig. lific init writes lific.toml. Set server.public_url before exposing the server beyond localhost. See Configuration.
Docker. Optional; the binary needs nothing else.
docker build -t lific .
docker run -p 3456:3456 -v lific-data:/data \
-e LIFIC_INIT_ADMIN_NAME="Your Name" \
-e LIFIC_INIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD="a long password" \
lificBoth variables are required on first boot and ignored after it.
Upgrading. Read Upgrading before you skip versions.
git clone https://github.com/VoidNullable/lific && cd lific
devenv allow && devenv shell
devenv tasks run lific:debug-buildCONTRIBUTING.md covers tests and release builds.
Questions, bug reports and release announcements: Discord. Support questions get answered fastest in #support.
Issues and PRs welcome. For anything large, open an issue first.
Lific publishes server.json to the MCP Registry.
mcp-name: io.github.VoidNullable/lific