Ground Control is an MCP server for the /implement workflow, a gated,
agentic development loop that gives coding agents full codebase context, from
use case to implementation, and keeps the coding agent separated from its
reviewers.
Requirements, ADRs, and use cases live as files in the consuming repo
(docs/requirements/<UID>/requirement.md, architecture/adrs/*.md). There is no
backend, database, or web console: the MCP server is the only running service,
and it reads and writes those files and the GitHub issue thread directly. The
optional Graphify index is available
for code+docs comprehension when an agent wants it, it is not required.
This repository was re-platformed from a graph-native GRC/requirements product to the MCP server alone (issue #1500). The requirements-as-files record is ADR-093; the optional comprehension index is ADR-094.
The surviving tool surface (~27 tools, down from 215) is exactly what the
/implement workflow needs, and every tool operates over gh/git/files, no
backend:
- Orchestration,
gc_implement_mechanicaldrives the mechanical bands (bootstrap, verify, publish, monitor, readiness, finalize);gc_codex_jobcarries the long async actions;gc_get_repo_ground_control_contextreads.ground-control.yaml. - Git / GitHub mechanics, branch prep, issue pickup, issue-thread reads, base sync, synchronized PR creation, PR-body rendering, issue close, and issue creation from a requirement file.
- CI / quality signals,
gc_watch_ci_run(GitHub) andgc_watch_sonar_analysis(direct), read live. - Reviewer separation, the codex review, architecture-preflight, and verify tools, the test-quality review tools, and the review-cap disposition, the coding agent never reviews its own work.
- Durable records, plan, decision records, execution obligations, and the final report all post to the GitHub issue thread (ADR-029).
Requirement status and traceability are recorded by the agent directly in the requirement file, reviewed in the PR like any other change.
Prerequisites: Node.js 20+, gh CLI (authenticated), git.
git clone https://github.com/autarchy-ai/Ground-Control.git
cd Ground-Control
make ground-control-mcp-install # npm ci in mcp/ground-controlThe server is configured in .mcp.json and works automatically with Claude
Code (and Codex / Cursor per ADR-027). See the
MCP server docs for the full tool reference.
make mcp-test # MCP node --test suite (primary test gate)
make policy # repo-native ADR/workflow/spec guardrails + Vale
make vale-lint # prose lint on changed docs
make graphify # (optional) rebuild the disposable Graphify indexRun make help to see all targets.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| MCP Server | Tool reference, workflows |
| Development Workflow | The /implement loop |
| Coding Standards | Style and testing policy |
| Graphify | Optional comprehension index |
| ADRs | Architecture Decision Records |
| Contributing | Setup, workflow, PR process |
| Changelog | Release history |