Practical overview
When it fits
Use Genie when a software request benefits from decomposition, parallel implementation, and a review stage before changes are considered for merging.
Who it is for
- Developers using AI coding agents in Git repositories.
- Teams or individuals seeking repository-local planning and task state.
- Users working on Linux or macOS with a CLI-based workflow.
Documented uses
- Turn a natural-language coding request into a structured plan and acceptance criteria.
- Dispatch independent coding tasks to parallel agents in isolated Git worktrees.
- Review generated code against the planned acceptance criteria.
- Track workflow state with Markdown in Git and a repository-local SQLite file.
Requirements & limits
The documented stable platforms are Linux and macOS. Windows is not supported; WSL2 is described as working but is not on the tested matrix. The project is open source under the MIT license.
- The workflow depends on a command-line interface and Git worktrees.
- State is stored per repository in SQLite alongside Markdown documents.
- The documented integration ecosystem includes Anthropic and Claude Code.
- A hosted database or external API layer would require modification rather than being a documented built-in option.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Install Genie and prepare a repository
Install the signed CLI, initialize repository-local Genie state, and check the installation.
Before you start
- A Linux or macOS environment; WSL2 is described as working but is not on the tested matrix.
- A trusted initialized Git repository.
Steps
Run the documented installation command: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/automagik-dev/genie/main/install.sh | bash
From inside the repository, run genie init.
Run genie doctor to confirm the installation and inspect the skills state.
Expected outcome
The CLI is installed, repository-local state is scaffolded, and the doctor command reports the detected installation and skills status.
Guide limitations
- Windows is not supported.
- The documentation describes genie doctor as a confirmation step; it does not establish that a coding request has been executed successfully.
Compare options for AI coding assistance
These projects document a common task and share a project role. This is a source-based comparison, not an execution benchmark or a guarantee of interchangeability.
| Project | Documented purpose | Platform | Access and requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genie | Turn a natural-language coding request into a structured plan and acceptance criteria. | CLI, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted | The documented stable platforms are Linux and macOS. Windows is not supported; WSL2 is described as working but is not on the tested matrix. The project is open source under the MIT license. |
| Spectra | Clarify requirements and compare approaches before proposing a change. | CLI, Desktop | The README lists a macOS and Windows desktop app, and a Homebrew installation for macOS. The CLI is published through npm and requires Node.js 22.14 or newer. |
| Skills — michaelshimeles | Install reusable task-specific skills into a coding-agent setup. | CLI | The repository README provides an npx installation command for most coding agents and describes automatic or explicit skill invocation in Claude Code. |
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 30 September 2026
- Original website title
- automagik-dev/genie · Official homepage title · retained in its source language