rowboat/README.md

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# RowboatX - Claude Code for Everyday Automations
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RowboatX is a local-first CLI for creating background AI agents with full shell access.

**Example agents you can create:**
- Research every person before your meetings (Exa search MCP + Google Calendar MCP)
- Daily podcast summarizing your saved articles (ElevenLabs MCP + ffmpeg)
- Auto-triage Slack DMs and draft responses while you sleep (Slack MCP)

## Quick start
```bash
npx @rowboatlabs/rowboatx@latest
```

## Demo
[![Screenshot](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ab46ff8b-44bd-400e-beb0-801c6431033f)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyPBinQzicY&t)

## Examples
### Add and Manage MCP servers 
`$ rowboatx`
- Add MCP: 'Add this MCP server config: \<config\> '
- Explore tools: 'What tools are there in \<server-name\> '

### Create background agents
`$ rowboatx`
- 'Create agent to do X.'
- '... Attach the correct tools from \<mcp-server-name\> to the agent'
- '... Allow the agent to run shell commands including ffmpeg'

### Schedule and monitor agents
`$ rowboatx`
- 'Make agent \<background-agent-name\> run every day at 10 AM' 
- 'What agents do I have scheduled to run and at what times'
- 'When was \<background-agent-name\> last run'
- 'Are any agents waiting for my input or confirmation'

### Run background agents manually
``` bash
rowboatx --agent=<agent-name> --input="xyz" --no-interactive=true
```
```bash    
rowboatx --agent=<agent-name> --run_id=<run_id> # resume from a previous run
```
## Models support
You can configure your models using:
```bash
rowboatx model-config
```

Alternatively, you can directly edit `~/.rowboat/config/models.json`
```json
{
  "providers": {
    "openai": {
      "flavor": "openai"
    },
    "lm-studio": {
      "flavor": "openai-compatible",
      "baseURL": "http://localhost:2000/...",
      "apiKey": "...",
      "headers": {
        "foo": "bar"
      }
    },
    "anthropic": {
      "flavor": "anthropic"
    },
    "google": {
      "flavor": "google"
    },
    "ollama": {
      "flavor": "ollama"
    }
  },
  "defaults": {
    "provider": "lm-studio",
    "model": "gpt-5"
  }
}
```
## Contributing

We want help with:

- **Agent templates** - Pre-built agents others can use (podcast generator, meeting prep, etc.)
- **MCP server integrations** - Add support for new tools
- **Platform support** - Windows improvements, Linux edge cases

```bash
git clone git@github.com:rowboatlabs/rowboat.git
cd rowboat
npm install
npm run build
npm link
rowboatx
```

Ping us on [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/rxB8pzHxaS) if you want to discuss before building.

--- 
## Prefer a Web UI: Rowboat Studio

*Cursor for Multi-agent Workflows*

⚡ Build AI agents instantly with natural language | 🔌 Connect tools with one-click integrations | 📂 Power with knowledge by adding documents for RAG | 🔄 Automate workflows by setting up triggers and actions | 🚀 Deploy anywhere via API or SDK<br><br>

### Quick start
1. Set your OpenAI key
   ```bash
   export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key  
   ```
      
2. Clone the repository and start Rowboat (requires Docker)
   ```bash
   ./start.sh
   ```

3. Access the app at [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000).

#### Create a multi-agent assistant with MCP tools by chatting with Rowboat
[![meeting-prep](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c8a41622-8e0e-459f-becb-767503489866)](https://youtu.be/KZTP4xZM2DY)
See [Docs](https://docs.rowboatlabs.com/) for more details.
 
---
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Made with ❤️ by the Rowboat team

[Discord](https://discord.gg/rxB8pzHxaS) · [Twitter](https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=rowboatlabshq)
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