# aidlc: Adaptive workflow steering rules for AI coding agents

> Source: <https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows>
> Published: 2026-10-15 07:20:39+00:00

AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) turns AI coding assistants into structured, verifiable software-delivery workflows. One harness-neutral core runs natively in Claude Code, Kiro CLI, Kiro IDE, Codex CLI, Cursor, opencode, and GitHub Copilot.

The Quick Start below installs the latest stable AI-DLC release.

macOS, Linux, or WSL:

```
curl -fsSL https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh
```

Windows PowerShell:

```
irm https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/releases/latest/download/install.ps1 | iex
```

The installer sets up everything AI-DLC needs: the native `aidlc` command and
every harness runtime. You do not need to install Bun or Node.js; a native
install runs its hooks and commands through `aidlc` and does not call `bun`.
On Windows, it installs for the current account
and automatically registers the bin directory in User PATH. Run it from a normal
PowerShell window; one opened with "Run as administrator" gets a warning and a
prompt, since installing as administrator is less safe. Open a new terminal
if another session cannot find `aidlc`. To skip both persistent and
current-process PATH changes, use
[`-NoModifyPath`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/18-install-and-lifecycle.md#windows-powershell).
Windows uninstall removes only the User PATH entry recorded as installer-owned.
On macOS, Linux, or WSL, follow the installer's PATH instruction if needed.

Prefer to manage the project files yourself, or cannot install a native
executable? The manual-copy path is the one place Bun is needed: install
[Bun](https://bun.sh/), download `aidlc-copy-runtime-X.Y.Z.tar.gz` from the
[release](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/releases/latest), and copy
the complete `runtime/<harness>/` directory into your project. This path does
not require the native `aidlc` command.

From the project root, select the harness you use:

```
cd /path/to/your-project
aidlc config --harness claude
aidlc doctor
```

Replace `claude` with `kiro`, `kiro-ide`, `codex`, `cursor`, `opencode`, or
`copilot`. Running `aidlc config` without `--harness` starts the interactive
setup when a terminal is available. If you use Kiro IDE's own terminal in a
project folder you have not trusted yet, Kiro first asks whether you trust it.
Choose **Trust Folder & Continue** only for your own project or one you have
checked, because trusting lets the folder's `.kiro` hooks run commands on your
machine; otherwise choose **Cancel** and review the folder first (see
[First run](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/kiro-ide.md#first-run)).

Open your harness in the configured project and describe the work:

```
/aidlc Build a REST API for inventory management
```

Codex CLI uses `$aidlc` instead of `/aidlc`. In Kiro IDE, first choose **aidlc**
in the chat panel's agent picker. AI-DLC selects a workflow from the request,
asks for missing decisions, and stops at approval gates before moving forward.

For provider setup, trust prompts, and harness-specific prerequisites, use the
guide in the table below. The complete walkthrough is in
[Getting Started](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/01-getting-started.md).

| Harness | Configure | Open | Invoke | Guide | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | `aidlc config --harness claude` | `claude` | `/aidlc` | [Getting Started](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/01-getting-started.md) | 
| Kiro IDE >= 1.1.70 / Kiro CLI >= 2.24.1 (v3) | `aidlc config --harness kiro-ide` | Open the project in Kiro IDE and choose **aidlc** in the chat panel's agent picker, or run`kiro-cli` | `/aidlc` | [Kiro IDE](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/kiro-ide.md) | 
| Kiro CLI >= 2.6 (legacy) | `aidlc config --harness kiro` | `kiro-cli chat` | `/aidlc` | [Kiro CLI](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/kiro-cli.md) | 
| Codex CLI >= 0.145.0 | `aidlc config --harness codex` | `codex` | `$aidlc` | [Codex CLI](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/codex-cli.md) | 
| Cursor | `aidlc config --harness cursor` | Open Cursor or run `agent` | `/aidlc` | [Cursor](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/cursor.md) | 
| opencode >= 1.17 | `aidlc config --harness opencode` | `opencode` | `/aidlc` | [opencode](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/opencode.md) | 
| GitHub Copilot CLI >= 1.0.74 / VS Code >= 1.130 | `aidlc config --harness copilot` | Copilot CLI or VS Code | `/aidlc` | [GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/copilot.md) | 

Model-provider setup belongs to the harness. Shipped project configuration
keeps the provider and model already selected by the user. `aidlc config providers` can apply Amazon Bedrock settings on supported project surfaces or
record manual setup for other harnesses. Kiro CLI and Kiro IDE need no provider
answer because model access comes with Kiro. On Kiro CLI 2.24.1 or later, use
`kiro-ide`, which pins Kiro's v3 engine; `kiro` is the legacy row ([Kiro CLI](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/kiro-cli.md)
says how an existing `kiro` project switches). The methodology itself is
provider-independent.

AI-DLC works best with capable reasoning models. The current recommended model
is Claude Opus 4.8. If Opus is not available to you, or you are not sure where
to set the model and effort on your harness, see
[Choosing a Model and Effort](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/18-install-and-lifecycle.md#choosing-a-model-and-effort).

Ad-hoc AI coding loses context as projects grow. AI-DLC keeps requirements, decisions, implementation, tests, and operational work connected through one audited lifecycle:

- 5 phases and 33 stages from initialization through operation
- 14 agents: 11 domain experts, 2 reviewers, and an adaptive composer
- 11 workflow profiles for features, bug fixes, infrastructure, security, proofs of concept, enterprise delivery, and other common work
- Human approval gates and source-bound review evidence
- 119-event audit trail plus persistent state, team knowledge, and learned rules
- The same deterministic engine across every supported harness

Start with [Workflow Profiles](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/workflow-profiles.md) to compare
Classic, Express, and the focused workflows. See the
[AI-DLC Workflows 2.0 Specification](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/assets/AI-DLC-Workflows-2.0-Specification.pdf)
for the architecture and methodology.

Important

Generative AI can make mistakes. Review generated output and costs before
acting on them. See the [AWS Responsible AI Policy](https://aws.amazon.com/ai/responsible-ai/policy/).

| Guide | Use it when | 
|---|---|
| [Getting Started](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/01-getting-started.md) | Installing, configuring, and running your first workflow | 
| [User Guide](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/00-introduction.md) | Using workflows, profiles, agents, knowledge, and approval gates | 
| [Harness guides](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/README.md) | Handling provider, trust, and runtime differences | 
| [Install and Lifecycle](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/18-install-and-lifecycle.md) | Updating, pinning, installing offline, using mirrors, or uninstalling | 
| [Harness Engineer Guide](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/harness-engineering/00-overview.md) | Reshaping stages, agents, rules, sensors, and knowledge | 
| [Development and Releases](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/DEVELOPERS.md) | Taking a PR through AI review, preview testing, and stable publication | 
| [Developer Reference](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/reference/00-overview.md) | Changing the engine, hooks, packaging, or tests | 

- `core/` - hand-authored, harness-neutral methodology and engine
- `core/tools/` - 93 aidlc-*.ts engine and authoring tools
- `harness/<name>/` - thin, harness-specific manifests and integrations
- `plugins/<name>/` - optional AIDLC plugins
- `scripts/` - packaging, binary, installer, and release tooling
- `tests/` - smoke, unit, integration, and end-to-end tests
- `docs/` - user, harness-engineering, and developer documentation
- `dist/` and`dist-release/` - generated, ignored local outputs

Edit `core/` or `harness/<name>/`, never generated `dist*` output.

Install dependencies and generate every harness:

```
bun install --frozen-lockfile
bun scripts/package.ts
```

Useful commands:

```
bun scripts/package.ts <name>     # generate one harness
bun scripts/package.ts --check    # determinism guard
bun tests/run-tests.ts --ci       # smoke, unit, and integration
bun tests/run-tests.ts --release  # full release acceptance
```

See the [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/reference/11-contributing.md) for the complete
development workflow and [Porting to a New Harness](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/harness-engineering/09-porting-to-a-new-harness.md)
to add another runtime.

Run `aidlc doctor` from the project root first. Common fixes:

| Symptom | Fix | 
|---|---|
| `aidlc` is not found | On Windows, quit and reopen the terminal app or IDE (a new tab inside one that was open during the install keeps the old PATH), or use the direct command printed with [`-NoModifyPath`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/18-install-and-lifecycle.md#windows-powershell) . On Unix, apply the installer's PATH instruction. | 
| Project/runtime version skew | Finish the active workflow, then run `aidlc config` | 
| Codex hooks do not run | Trust the project hooks as described in the [Codex guide](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/harnesses/codex-cli.md) | 
| Bedrock access fails | Enable the configured models and verify AWS credentials and region | 
| Plugin stages disappear after refresh | Run `/aidlc plugin sync` | 
| Refreshed skills do not take effect | Start a new harness session | 

See [Troubleshooting](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/guide/15-troubleshooting.md) for diagnostic and
recovery procedures.