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Getting started

Install

npm install -g claude-nb

This installs the cnb command. The npm package is named claude-nb (not cnb — that name belongs to an unrelated package).

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+
  • Python 3.11+ with cryptography>=41.0
  • tmux and git
  • At least one agent CLI: Claude Code or Codex

Verify your setup:

cnb doctor

Quick start

Option A: Activate in an existing Claude Code session

claude          # start Claude Code normally
/cnb            # activate device supervisor — cnb governance comes online

This registers the current session as the device supervisor tongxue, activates hooks for operation tracking and ownership matching, and shows the project overview.

Option B: Launch a full team

cd your-project
cnb

This initializes the project (creates .cnb/ with SQLite DB and config), launches a team of tongxue in tmux, starts a dispatcher watchdog, and drops you into the device supervisor's session. Direct cnb swarm start also starts the dispatcher watchdog by default; set CNB_AUTO_DISPATCHER=0 only for tests or manual debugging.

Using Codex as the engine

cnb codex
# or
CNB_AGENT=codex cnb

See Codex engine notes for launch flags, /goal workflow, board nudges, and smoke testing.

Connecting Feishu

cnb feishu setup    # guided configuration
cnb feishu status   # verify connection
cnb feishu start    # start the bridge

See Feishu bridge for full setup and operations.

Key concepts

Tongxue (同学)

Each Claude Code instance in a cnb team is called a tongxue — not an "agent" or "worker". The word means "classmate" in Chinese and reflects how sessions coordinate: as peers through a shared message board, not through a hierarchy.

Device supervisor (设备主管同学)

The user-facing session for this Mac. Per-machine (not per-project), it manages all cnb projects on the machine. Activated by /cnb in a Claude Code session.

Board

The shared SQLite database (.cnb/board.db) where tongxue exchange messages, track tasks, report status, publish progress snapshots, and manage ownership.

Ownership

Tongxue claim ownership of code paths. When a bug surfaces or an issue arrives, cnb routes it to the owner — not to a blank session that needs re-explaining.

What to do next

How cnb compares

Tool Focus Relationship to cnb
Claude Squad, amux, ittybitty Session management: launching, isolating, monitoring parallel agents Complementary — use them for session management, cnb for team coordination on top
Codex, cloud agents One task per sandbox Complementary — cnb can use Codex as an engine for sustained multi-session work
cnb Organizational layer: persistent ownership, cross-session continuity, handoff The layer between sessions

cnb's specific focus is what happens between sessions — when a tongxue restarts with no memory, how does it pick up where the last one left off?