FirstMate: agent crews, durable evidence and delivery authority
A cautious FirstMate first run: inspect a pinned checkout and request a scout
Prepare an isolated trial, distinguish inspection commands from launching trusted hooks, and define a read-only investigation before permitting changes.
What you will learn
- Inspect before the first trusted agent launch
- Make the first task a bounded investigation
- Accept the report only with inspectable evidence
Before you start
- Git worktrees and pull-request basics
- Understanding of terminal agents and credential scope
Define a delivery contract and inspect state and authority evidence without claiming untested runtime guarantees.
Key takeaways
- Launching a harness can load repository hooks and extensions.
- A first scout should have a narrow question and no project-write permission.
- A report must be accessible and supported by source paths.
Inspect before the first trusted agent launch
The upstream quick start clones the repository and launches a supported harness inside it. That launch is consequential: repository instructions, extensions or hooks may then load according to the harness. First inspect the pinned checkout outside an agent session. Review what will execute and which credentials the selected harness can access.
The command example retrieves a detached revision into a new named directory and prints its commit. It does not authenticate GitHub CLI, install dependencies, start a harness or trust project hooks. Use a disposable location with no conflicting directory. We did not execute this installation sequence in the review environment.
Make the first task a bounded investigation
Once you have independently prepared a supported macOS or Linux environment, ask for a scout over a disposable example repository. Specify one question, the expected report and prohibited mutations. For example, ask where a test fixture is loaded and request source paths plus unresolved questions; do not combine that request with “fix anything you find.”
Record the task identity, effective home, backend endpoint and report location. Confirm the scout contract before allowing work to start. If it proposes a project edit, stop and decide whether a separate ship task is warranted. A useful first trial validates the scope boundary, not the number of agents launched.
Accept the report only with inspectable evidence
Read the report against the disposable repository. Check whether cited paths exist, whether the answer addresses the question and whether uncertainty is explicit. Inspect repository status for unexpected changes. A claimed successful investigation without an accessible report is not a completed scout deliverable.
Do not test restart recovery, remote secondmates and public Relay simultaneously in the first run. Add one capability after the baseline works. Our source review does not certify your harness version or hook installation; upstream descriptions of supported integrations remain upstream evidence until you reproduce them.
Decision guide
| Criterion | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | You need predictable behavior and easy auditing | You need adaptive optimization and have reliable telemetry |
| Main risk | May leave performance on the table | Can become difficult to explain or debug |
Implementation steps
- 1
Inspect the pinned checkout without launching an agent.
- 2
Prepare the selected backend and credentials deliberately.
- 3
Request one scout in a disposable project.
- 4
Review its report and repository status.
Copy-ready example
git clone --no-checkout https://github.com/kunchenguid/firstmate firstmate-review-b182d0f
git -C firstmate-review-b182d0f checkout --detach b182d0f908b78d08c7ccb8dce3775bdca8c5d657
git -C firstmate-review-b182d0f rev-parse HEADFrequently asked questions
Does cloning the repository start the crew?
No. Launching and trusting the selected harness is a separate action.
Should I enable remote agents during the first trial?
Start locally; add remote operation only after the baseline and its boundaries are understood.
Sources
- FirstMate / README.mdSource checked 2026-09-14
- FirstMate / docs/architecture.mdSource checked 2026-09-14