pyro-mcp/docs/vision.md
Thales Maciel 999fe1b23a
Reframe pyro around the chat-host path
Make the docs and help text unapologetically teach  as the product path for Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode on Linux KVM.

Rewrite the README, install/first-run/integration guides, public contract, vision, and use-case docs around the zero-to-hero chat flow, and explicitly note that there are no users yet so breaking changes are acceptable while the interface is still being shaped.

Update package metadata, CLI help, and the docs/help expectation tests to match the new positioning. Validate the reframe with usage: pyro [-h] [--version] COMMAND ...

Validate the host and serve disposable MCP workspaces for chat-based coding agents on supported Linux x86_64 KVM hosts.

positional arguments:
  COMMAND
    env        Inspect and manage curated environments.
    mcp        Run the MCP server.
    run        Run one command inside an ephemeral VM.
    workspace  Manage persistent workspaces.
    doctor     Inspect runtime and host diagnostics.
    demo       Run built-in demos.

options:
  -h, --help   show this help message and exit
  --version    show program's version number and exit

Suggested zero-to-hero path:
  pyro doctor
  pyro env list
  pyro env pull debian:12
  pyro run debian:12 -- git --version
  pyro mcp serve

Connect a chat host after that:
  claude mcp add pyro -- uvx --from pyro-mcp pyro mcp serve
  codex mcp add pyro -- uvx --from pyro-mcp pyro mcp serve

If you want terminal-level visibility into the workspace model:
  pyro workspace create debian:12 --seed-path ./repo --id-only
  pyro workspace sync push WORKSPACE_ID ./changes
  pyro workspace exec WORKSPACE_ID -- cat note.txt
  pyro workspace diff WORKSPACE_ID
  pyro workspace snapshot create WORKSPACE_ID checkpoint
  pyro workspace reset WORKSPACE_ID --snapshot checkpoint
  pyro workspace shell open WORKSPACE_ID --id-only
  pyro workspace service start WORKSPACE_ID app --ready-file .ready --                 sh -lc 'touch .ready && while true; do sleep 60; done'
  pyro workspace export WORKSPACE_ID note.txt --output ./note.txt, usage: pyro mcp serve [-h] [--profile {vm-run,workspace-core,workspace-full}]

Expose pyro tools over stdio for an MCP client. Bare `pyro mcp serve` now starts `workspace-core`, the recommended first profile for most chat hosts.

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --profile {vm-run,workspace-core,workspace-full}
                        Expose only one model-facing tool profile. `workspace-
                        core` is the default and recommended first profile for
                        most chat hosts; `workspace-full` is the larger opt-in
                        profile. (default: workspace-core)

Default and recommended first start:
  pyro mcp serve

Profiles:
  workspace-core: default for normal persistent chat editing
  vm-run: smallest one-shot-only surface
  workspace-full: larger opt-in surface for shells, services,
    snapshots, secrets, network policy, and disk tools

Use --profile workspace-full only when the host truly needs those
extra workspace capabilities., and uv run ruff check .
All checks passed!
uv run mypy
Success: no issues found in 61 source files
uv run pytest -n auto
============================= test session starts ==============================
platform linux -- Python 3.12.10, pytest-9.0.2, pluggy-1.6.0
rootdir: /home/thales/projects/personal/pyro
configfile: pyproject.toml
testpaths: tests
plugins: anyio-4.12.1, xdist-3.8.0, cov-7.0.0
created: 32/32 workers
32 workers [393 items]

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=============================== warnings summary ===============================
../../../.local/share/uv/python/cpython-3.12.10-linux-x86_64-gnu/lib/python3.12/importlib/metadata/__init__.py:467: 32 warnings
  /home/thales/.local/share/uv/python/cpython-3.12.10-linux-x86_64-gnu/lib/python3.12/importlib/metadata/__init__.py:467: DeprecationWarning: Implicit None on return values is deprecated and will raise KeyErrors.
    return self.metadata['Version']

-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html
================================ tests coverage ================================
_______________ coverage: platform linux, python 3.12.10-final-0 _______________

Name                                        Stmts   Miss  Cover   Missing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
src/pyro_mcp/__init__.py                       25      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/api.py                           307      7    98%   37-38, 63, 69, 72, 75, 548
src/pyro_mcp/cli.py                          1132    141    88%   288-289, 332-333, 336, 344, 367-368, 394-395, 398, 406, 450, 460-461, 464, 477, 483-484, 498-499, 502, 566-575, 592-593, 596, 635, 2180, 2182, 2226, 2236, 2280, 2284-2285, 2295, 2302, 2344-2351, 2392, 2409-2414, 2459-2461, 2470-2472, 2483-2485, 2494-2496, 2503-2505, 2510-2512, 2523-2528, 2530, 2541-2546, 2567-2572, 2574, 2589-2594, 2596, 2608, 2623, 2637, 2655-2660, 2669-2674, 2676, 2683-2688, 2690, 2701-2706, 2708, 2719-2724, 2726, 2737-2742, 2764, 2787, 2806, 2824, 2841, 2899, 3017
src/pyro_mcp/contract.py                       52      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/demo.py                           16      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/doctor.py                         12      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/ollama_demo.py                   245      6    98%   289, 294, 299, 318, 439, 550
src/pyro_mcp/runtime.py                       142     14    90%   80, 84, 88, 92, 120, 130, 144, 173, 182, 194, 230-232, 262
src/pyro_mcp/runtime_boot_check.py             33      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/runtime_build.py                 546     47    91%   92, 127, 181, 189, 238-240, 263-265, 300, 325, 331, 340-341, 343, 392, 396, 413, 416, 492-494, 497-499, 522, 525, 578, 615, 620, 646-647, 649, 686, 688, 694, 697, 725, 765, 779, 791, 805, 808, 1002, 1009, 1198
src/pyro_mcp/runtime_bundle/__init__.py         0      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/runtime_network_check.py          15      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/server.py                          8      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/vm_environments.py               386     55    86%   128, 131, 267, 274, 281, 304-306, 329-331, 352-353, 355, 380, 382, 392-394, 415, 418, 421, 429, 431, 436-437, 446-448, 488, 495-496, 502, 515, 526, 539, 546, 549, 570, 596, 599, 608-609, 613, 617, 626, 629, 636, 644, 647, 659, 667, 676, 682, 685
src/pyro_mcp/vm_firecracker.py                 47      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/vm_guest.py                      206     22    89%   139, 142, 173, 176, 202, 205, 208, 211, 217, 239, 262-279, 291, 313, 633-634, 643
src/pyro_mcp/vm_manager.py                   2846    355    88%   625, 642, 650-657, 677, 684, 688, 712-715, 795-796, 818, 828, 830, 845, 853-855, 858, 870, 872, 881, 889, 892, 901-902, 910, 913, 919, 926, 929, 933, 951-955, 1010-1011, 1050, 1096, 1102, 1114, 1150, 1156, 1159, 1168, 1170, 1173-1177, 1230, 1236, 1239, 1248, 1250, 1253-1257, 1268, 1277, 1280, 1284-1290, 1319, 1322-1324, 1326, 1333, 1335, 1345, 1347, 1349, 1352-1353, 1361, 1377, 1379, 1381, 1391, 1403-1404, 1408, 1424, 1440-1441, 1443, 1447, 1450-1451, 1469, 1476, 1488, 1505, 1508-1509, 1511, 1582-1583, 1586-1588, 1599, 1602, 1605, 1617, 1638, 1649-1650, 1657-1658, 1669-1671, 1781, 1792-1798, 1808, 1860, 1870, 1891, 1894-1895, 1901-1904, 1910, 1922-1962, 1991-1993, 2034, 2046-2047, 2077, 2146, 2175, 2524-2528, 2598-2602, 2614, 2720, 3563, 3577, 3580, 3583, 3648-3653, 3720, 3802, 3842-3843, 3846-3847, 3862-3863, 3914, 4194, 4229, 4232, 4237, 4250, 4254, 4263, 4277, 4316, 4349, 4444, 4472-4473, 4477-4478, 4504, 4530-4531, 4576, 4578, 4600-4601, 4629, 4631, 4661-4662, 4681-4682, 4734, 4738, 4741-4743, 4745, 4747, 4776-4777, 4809-4845, 4863-4864, 4903, 4905, 4934, 4954-4955, 4977, 4988-4990, 5036, 5049-5050, 5059-5061, 5104-5105, 5171-5178, 5189-5192, 5203, 5208, 5216-5230, 5240, 5473-5476, 5485-5490, 5498-5503, 5513, 5557, 5577, 5601-5602, 5678-5680, 5706-5725, 5784, 5789, 5804, 5832, 5836, 5848, 5884-5886, 5946, 5950, 6079, 6111, 6155, 6170, 6189, 6201, 6242, 6251, 6256, 6269, 6274, 6296, 6394, 6422-6423
src/pyro_mcp/vm_network.py                    134     22    84%   65-66, 139, 201, 203, 205, 226, 317-331, 350-351, 360, 362, 372-384
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_disk.py                164      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_files.py               293      0   100%
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_ports.py                79      1    99%   116
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_shell_output.py         88      2    98%   16, 61
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_shells.py              235     26    89%   105-118, 193-194, 226-227, 230-235, 251, 257-259, 263, 270-271, 299, 301, 303, 306-307
src/pyro_mcp/workspace_use_case_smokes.py     216      8    96%   131, 134-135, 423-426, 490
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL                                        7227    706    90%
Required test coverage of 90% reached. Total coverage: 90.23%
======================= 393 passed, 32 warnings in 5.60s =======================.
2026-03-13 15:03:20 -03:00

5.1 KiB

Vision

pyro-mcp should become the disposable MCP workspace for chat-based coding agents.

That is a different product from a generic VM wrapper, a secure CI runner, or an SDK-first platform.

pyro-mcp currently has no users. That means we can still make breaking changes freely while we shape the chat-host path into the right product.

Core Thesis

The goal is not just to run one command in a microVM.

The goal is to give a chat-hosted coding agent a bounded workspace where it can:

  • inspect a repo
  • install dependencies
  • edit files
  • run tests
  • start and inspect services
  • reset and retry
  • export patches and artifacts
  • destroy the sandbox when the task is done

The sandbox is the execution boundary for agentic software work.

Current Product Focus

The product path should be obvious and narrow:

  • Claude Code
  • Codex
  • OpenCode
  • Linux x86_64 with KVM

The happy path is:

  1. prove the host with the terminal companion commands
  2. run pyro mcp serve
  3. connect a chat host
  4. work through one disposable workspace per task

The repo can contain lower-level building blocks, but they should not drive the product story.

What This Is Not

pyro-mcp should not drift into:

  • a YAML pipeline system
  • a build farm
  • a generic CI job runner
  • a scheduler or queueing platform
  • a broad VM orchestration product
  • an SDK product that happens to have an MCP server on the side

Those products optimize for queued work, throughput, retries, matrix builds, or library ergonomics.

pyro-mcp should optimize for agent loops:

  • explore
  • edit
  • test
  • observe
  • reset
  • export

Why This Can Look Like CI

Any sandbox product starts to look like CI if the main abstraction is:

  • submit a command
  • wait
  • collect logs
  • fetch artifacts

That shape is useful, but it is not the center of the vision.

To stay aligned, the primary abstraction should be a workspace the agent inhabits from a chat host, not a job the agent submits to a runner.

Product Principles

Chat Hosts First

The product should be shaped around the MCP path used from chat interfaces. Everything else is there to support, debug, or build that path.

Workspace-First

The default mental model should be "open a disposable workspace" rather than "enqueue a task".

Stateful Interaction

The product should support repeated interaction in one sandbox. One-shot command execution matters, but it is the entry point, not the destination.

Explicit Host Crossing

Anything that crosses the host boundary should be intentional and visible:

  • seeding a workspace
  • syncing changes in
  • exporting artifacts out
  • granting secrets or network access

Reset Over Repair

Agents should be able to checkpoint, reset, and retry cheaply. Disposable state is a feature, not a limitation.

Agent-Native Observability

The sandbox should expose the things an agent actually needs to reason about:

  • command output
  • file diffs
  • service status
  • logs
  • readiness
  • exported results

The Shape Of The Product

The strongest direction is a small chat-facing contract built around:

  • one MCP server
  • one disposable workspace model
  • structured file inspection and edits
  • repeated commands in the same sandbox
  • service lifecycle when the workflow needs it
  • reset as a first-class workflow primitive

Representative primitives:

  • workspace.create
  • workspace.status
  • workspace.delete
  • workspace.sync_push
  • workspace.export
  • workspace.diff
  • workspace.reset
  • workspace.exec
  • shell.open
  • shell.read
  • shell.write
  • service.start
  • service.status
  • service.logs

These names are illustrative, not a promise that every lower-level repo surface should be treated as equally stable or equally important.

Interactive Shells And Disk Operations

Interactive shells are aligned with the vision because they make the agent feel present inside the sandbox rather than reduced to one-shot job submission.

They should remain subordinate to the workspace model, not replace it with a raw SSH story.

Disk-level operations are useful for:

  • fast workspace seeding
  • snapshotting
  • offline inspection
  • export/import without a full boot

They should remain supporting tools rather than the product identity.

What To Build Next

Features should keep reinforcing the chat-host path in this order:

  1. make the first chat-host setup painfully obvious
  2. make the recipe-backed workflows feel trivial from chat
  3. keep the smoke pack trustworthy enough to gate the advertised stories
  4. keep the terminal companion path good enough to debug what the chat sees
  5. let lower-level repo surfaces move freely when the chat-host product needs it

The completed workspace GA roadmap lives in roadmap/task-workspace-ga.md.

The follow-on milestones that make the chat-host path clearer live in roadmap/llm-chat-ergonomics.md.

Litmus Test

When evaluating a new feature, ask:

"Does this make Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode feel more natural and powerful when they work inside a disposable sandbox?"

If the better description is "it helps build a broader VM toolkit or SDK", it is probably pushing the product in the wrong direction.