Problem
The @ file picker respects .gitignore, hiding gitignored files from the UI. For agents with a local knowledge base that is gitignored (e.g., because it contains account data or runtime content that shouldn't be versioned), this creates a painful UX gap:
- The agent can read the files — filesystem tools have no issue accessing them
- But pointing the agent at a specific file via
@ is cumbersome; users must type full paths manually
The .gitignore contract is "don't version-control this" — not "hide from local tools." For an agent operating on the local filesystem, these are orthogonal concerns.
Proposed Solution
Add a --show-gitignored runtime flag to docker agent that controls whether the file picker respects .gitignore:
docker agent run --show-gitignored tampa.yaml
This mirrors the existing ignore_vcs option on filesystem read tools but exposed at the CLI level — no config file changes needed.
Optionally, support an .agentignore file (same syntax as .gitignore) so users can explicitly hide files from the picker without coupling that decision to VCS:
# .agentignore
secrets/
*.key
This keeps agent-visibility concerns separate from VCS concerns — users opt in to showing gitignored content at startup, and opt out of specific paths via .agentignore if needed.
Problem
The
@file picker respects.gitignore, hiding gitignored files from the UI. For agents with a local knowledge base that is gitignored (e.g., because it contains account data or runtime content that shouldn't be versioned), this creates a painful UX gap:@is cumbersome; users must type full paths manuallyThe
.gitignorecontract is "don't version-control this" — not "hide from local tools." For an agent operating on the local filesystem, these are orthogonal concerns.Proposed Solution
Add a
--show-gitignoredruntime flag todocker agentthat controls whether the file picker respects.gitignore:This mirrors the existing
ignore_vcsoption on filesystem read tools but exposed at the CLI level — no config file changes needed.Optionally, support an
.agentignorefile (same syntax as.gitignore) so users can explicitly hide files from the picker without coupling that decision to VCS:This keeps agent-visibility concerns separate from VCS concerns — users opt in to showing gitignored content at startup, and opt out of specific paths via
.agentignoreif needed.