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codeArbitercodeArbiter

Pi

codeArbiter ships ca-pi as a third sibling plugin, alongside ca (Claude Code) and ca-codex (Codex). All three activate from the same .codearbiter/CONTEXT.md and read and write the same checked-in .codearbiter/ state. ca-pi is Git-only: there is no npm release.

Feature Forge preview

ca-pi is available for real use now. You are welcome to install it, use it in your repositories, and report what you find. Its automated and hosted promotion matrix is green, but broader real-world testing is still required before codeArbiter claims 100% validation or stable status.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Confirm all before installing:

  • Node.js 22.19 or later.
  • Python 3 on PATH: ca-pi installs its final TypeScript wrappers before bridge readiness, so a missing interpreter blocks mutating calls and points to /ca-doctor rather than silently disabling governance.
  • git config user.email set: overrides and ADRs are attributed to this identity.
  • A supported Pi host: Pi 0.80.5 or Pi 0.80.10 for this release line. See Compatibility for the full matrix.

1. Install

Section titled “1. Install”

Pi distribution is Git-only. First list the repository’s published Pi tags; do not guess a version or substitute the core plugin’s release number:

Terminal window
git ls-remote --tags --refs https://github.com/arbiterForge/codeArbiter.git "ca-pi-v*"

Choose an exact tag from that output, pin it in the install source, then inspect the installed source and enabled resources:

pi install git:github.com/arbiterForge/codeArbiter@ca-pi-v<version>
pi list
pi config

Replace <version> with only the numeric suffix from the chosen tag. For example, the tag ca-pi-v0.1.32 maps to @ca-pi-v0.1.32; keep the full tag in the source. pi list and pi config let you verify the installed source before trusting it. See Trust and Security below.

2. Grant Project Trust

Section titled “2. Grant Project Trust”

Installing the plugin does not enforce anything. After inspecting the project, grant Pi project trust, then start a fresh session. The parent only registers repository-aware dispatch, farm preview, and native compaction once the current session reports affirmative project trust, the repository is enabled, and the enforcement lifecycle is ready. Nothing repository-aware runs before that: a session started before trust was granted, or before it opted the repo in, stays inert.

3. Scaffold and Activate the Repo

Section titled “3. Scaffold and Activate the Repo”

In the target repository, run /ca-init:

/ca-init

This scaffolds .codearbiter/ at the repo root and writes the arbiter: enabled activation flag, the same as /ca:init on Claude Code or $ca-init on Codex. Neither host needs the others’ plugin installed to use existing project state. See Opt a Repository In for the full walkthrough.

Generated aliases use /ca-<name>; /skill:ca-<name> is the host-native fallback when an alias is unavailable.

4. Verify

Section titled “4. Verify”

Run /ca-doctor:

/ca-doctor

Doctor inspects the active package path, the canonical Pi CLI and package origin, command ownership, supported-version expansion fingerprints, Python/core/bridge health, child fingerprint, final mutator wrappers, and the H-03 wrapper self-test. The module-identity row proves self-consistency between the operator-launched Pi CLI, imported module, package root, and reported version. It does not prove publisher authenticity. Verify the source separately with pi list and pi config.

Section titled “Rich Footer”

In an interactive, trusted session, ca-pi installs a rich footer that preserves Pi’s native session information and adds codeArbiter state and usage metrics. There is no separate wiring command. Non-interactive modes do not install footer UI.

On session shutdown, the extension restores Pi’s native footer. If custom-footer initialization fails or the required interactive UI surface is absent, it also restores the native footer and prints a bounded direction to run /ca-doctor; governance does not depend on the footer rendering.

Trust and Security

Section titled “Trust and Security”

See Enforcement & Security for the project-trust gate, parent-only dispatch tools, and child-process environment minimization.

Uninstall, Upgrade, and Version Pinning

Section titled “Uninstall, Upgrade, and Version Pinning”

ca-pi is versioned independently as ca-pi-v<version> tags, not tied to the ca/ca-codex release cadence. See Uninstall & Disable for pinning, upgrading, and removing ca-pi.

Windows

Section titled “Windows”

Windows is a promoted, tested platform for ca-pi. Child Pi processes (author and reviewer work, dispatched through codearbiter_dispatch) are supervised through a Windows-specific helper so cancellation and timeout cleanup terminate the whole process tree: no zombie processes are left behind on Ctrl+C or a dispatch timeout.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”