Forge is an open-source, Rust-based CLI and TUI coding agent developed by NorviaLabs. Built for local developer workflows, it runs directly in the terminal to inspect codebases, execute commands, and apply code edits. Forge operates through an interactive terminal interface backed by LLM integrations. It manages tool calling, file modifications, and command execution while actively optimizing context windows. It features structure-aware output filtering that strips noise from test suites (such as cargo, pytest, go test, jest, and npm/yarn/pnpm) and trims redundant git diff headers before sending payload data to the model. Forge distinguishes itself with explicit governance mechanisms, allowing users to configure human-in-the-loop (HITL) policies. By default, it allows standard file writes while gating arbitrary shell commands behind explicit user approvals, balancing agent autonomy with system security. Forge is open source and hosted on GitHub under an open license. Its native Rust architecture ensures low memory overhead and fast startup times across local development environments.
Command-aware output compression — Filters shell and test outputs (cargo, pytest, go test, jest, npm/yarn/pnpm) by collapsing passing tests and preserving failures verbatim to conserve context. - Human-in-the-loop governance — Configurable permission modes that gate bash commands while enabling uninterrupted file modifications. - Git diff filtering — Strips repetitive bookkeeping headers from git diffs before model processing to minimize token usage. - Interactive TUI and CLI — Terminal-first interface for driving conversational coding workflows and reviewing agent proposals. - Rust-native binary — Lightweight, compiled executable with low latency and minimal system dependencies.
Use cases
Use Case: Automated Test-Driven Debugging Running full project test suites where Forge suppresses passing output, captures failure backtraces, and uses the filtered errors to iterate on file fixes directly.
Use Case: Safe Workspace Refactoring Performing repository-wide refactors where the agent is permitted to write changes across multiple files while prompting the developer before executing system commands or migrations.
Use Case: Token-Constrained Diff Analysis Reviewing large git branch changes where Forge removes redundant index and header metadata to prevent context overflow during automated code audits.
Who it is for
Developers and systems engineers who prefer terminal-first workflows and require granular security permissions over agent shell actions. It is less suitable for users looking for GUI-driven IDE plugins or visual web-based agents.
Install guide
Installation Install Forge from source using Cargo: bash cargo install --git https://github.com/NorviaLabs/forge.git
First Run Set your model API key and initialize Forge in your project directory: bash export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-api-key" forge
Example Session Start an interactive session or prompt Forge directly from the command line: bash forge "Run cargo test, find any failing unit tests, and fix the assertion errors"
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