Show HN: BootProof – Cryptographically prove any GitHub repo boots locally

BootProof, a new tool for developers, cryptographically verifies that a GitHub repository boots locally by building an evidence-based run plan, executing only justifiable commands, and producing a signed attestation of success or failure. The tool addresses the gap between weak signals like command exits or container status and actual proof of a working application, providing predictable failure explanations for issues like version mismatches. It supports local and remote repositories from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Codeberg, with explicit opt-in for untrusted remote code execution.

The honest run button for GitHub repos. Proof, not vibes. BootProof answers one question: Did this repository actually boot? Not “did a command run?” Not “did Docker say containers are up?” Not “did an AI agent say it worked?” Not “did the README look plausible?” BootProof inspects a repo, builds an evidence-based run plan, executes only what it can justify, observes real health, and writes a signed attestation for success or failure. No proof, no green check. Every developer knows this loop: git clone some/repo npm install npm run dev Then reality appears. Wrong Node version. Wrong pnpm version. Missing Java. Missing Clojure. Docker is running but the service is not healthy. Postgres exists but the role does not. Redis is missing. A migration fails. The app starts but nothing responds. A container is “up” but the product is unusable. An AI agent confidently says “done” because a process started. That is not proof. BootProof exists because repo onboarding should not depend on hope, terminal archaeology, or fake green checks. Modern repositories are no longer simple. A repo might contain: - multiple workspaces - Docker Compose services - frontend and backend apps - hidden runtime requirements - package-manager version constraints - generated assets - database migrations - health endpoints - undocumented local assumptions A README can be useful, but it is not proof. A terminal command can be useful, but it is not proof. A model response can be useful, but it is not proof. BootProof turns repo booting into an evidence trail. BootProof separates activity from evidence . | Weak signal | What BootProof wants instead | |---|---| | command exited | observed health | | process started | reachable endpoint | | container running | service actually responds | | README says it works | repo evidence + runtime proof | | AI says it is done | signed attestation | | one workspace responded | selected app/workspace proof | A failed run is still useful if it tells the truth. ✗ NOT VERIFIED — package manager version mismatch What happened: The repository requires pnpm 10.24.0, but this environment has pnpm 9.15.4. Why BootProof refused: The dependency install cannot be trusted with the wrong package manager version. Safe next step: Run corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@10.24.0 --activate, then rerun BootProof. Evidence: .bootproof/attestation.json Predictable failure is a feature. Run BootProof against a local repo: cd /path/to/repository npx bootproof up . BootProof will inspect the repo and either prove it booted or explain why it refused. For CI or agent workflows: npx bootproof up . --ci --json For explicit local execution: npx bootproof up . --provider local --unsafe-local Run dependency installation only when you intend to: npx bootproof up . --provider local --unsafe-local --install Explain or verify an attestation: npx bootproof explain .bootproof/attestation.json npx bootproof verify .bootproof/attestation.json BootProof can inspect public HTTPS repositories from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Codeberg. npx bootproof up https://github.com/dubinc/dub Remote repositories are untrusted code, so BootProof inspects first and refuses execution until you explicitly opt in. Remote source: https://github.com/dubinc/dub.git Clone retained at: .bootproof/remotes/github.com/dubinc/dub- /repo Inference application: yes package manager: pnpm selected command: pnpm dev ✗ NOT VERIFIED — remote code execution blocked Why BootProof refused: Remote repositories are untrusted code and require explicit consent. To run remote code locally, you must say so explicitly: npx bootproof up https://github.com/dubinc/dub --provider local --unsafe-local --install BootProof never silently executes remote code. ✓ install: dependencies installed ✓ start-app: app process started and was supervised ✓ health: observed HTTP 200 at http://localhost:3333 ✓ BOOTED — HTTP 200 at http://localhost:3333 Evidence: .bootproof/attestation.json A repository is only marked BOOTED when BootProof observes health evidence. A process start is not enough. A successful install is not enough. A Docker container is not enough. A command exiting is not enough. Humans get a readable diagnosis: NOT VERIFIED — workspace ambiguous BootProof detected a root command that starts multiple workspaces in parallel. Choose a specific application with --workspace <dir ; one responding workspace is not proof that the whole repository booted. Example: npx bootproof up . --workspace apps/studio BootProof is designed to make failures legible. It should tell you whether the problem is: - package-manager mismatch - skipped install - missing runtime - ambiguous workspace - unsupported orchestration - allocated port - failed service - failed app start - unhealthy endpoint - health timeout --json emits exactly one bootproof/result/v1 object: { "schema": "bootproof/result/v1", "booted": false, "healthVerified": false, "failureClass": "dependency install skipped", "attestationPath": ".bootproof/attestation.json", "inference": {}, "plan": {}, "observed": } --ci disables colour and interactive prompts. Exit codes are deterministic: | Exit code | Meaning | |---|---| 0 | booted === true and healthVerified === true | 1 | refusal, ambiguity, install failure, app failure, service failure, or health failure | That makes BootProof useful for CI, agent workflows, and repo-quality gates. BootProof has been tested against real repositories, including small apps, monorepos, large platforms, and multi-service stacks. The point is not to turn every repo green. The point is to produce the correct verdict. | Repository | Result | What it proved | |---|---|---| dubinc/dub | NOT VERIFIED — remote code execution blocked | BootProof inspected the repo but refused to execute remote code without explicit consent. | makeplane/plane | useful monorepo path | BootProof handled a more complex workspace-style repo and produced actionable evidence. | airbytehq/airbyte | refused direct orchestration, then externally verified | Airbyte required abctl , Kind, Helm and a documented local path. BootProof refused to pretend a normal command was enough, then verified the external health endpoint. | gitlabhq/gitlabhq | manual boot loop exposed hidden environment assumptions | GitLab showed why large repos need evidence trails rather than README optimism. | metabase/metabase | backend health reached, frontend missing | Metabase showed the difference between “backend is alive” and “full UI booted”. | supabase/supabase | workspace ambiguous ; manual Compose platform boot | BootProof correctly refused a fake monorepo-wide green check. The official Docker Compose path booted core services, proving the need for explicit full-platform compose mode. | Failure is not hidden or relabelled as support. Evidence stays evidence. See docs/REAL REPO EVIDENCE.md /bootproof/bootproof/blob/main/docs/REAL REPO EVIDENCE.md . A fresh BootProof run against supabase/supabase detected: stack: make-driven, node-frontend, docker-compose repo compose: docker/docker-compose.yml workspaces: apps/studio, apps/www, apps/docs, packages/ selected command: make dev BootProof refused: ✗ NOT VERIFIED — workspace ambiguous The root command starts multiple workspaces in parallel. One responding workspace would not prove that the whole repository booted. That refusal is correct. Manual follow-up through Supabase’s official Docker route proved the platform path: cd docker cp .env.example .env docker compose up -d Core services such as Kong, Studio, DB, Auth, REST and Pooler reported healthy/running, and localhost:8000 returned Kong/API responses. The lesson: BootProof should not fake a monorepo-wide success just because one endpoint responds. Airbyte correctly exceeded BootProof’s direct orchestration boundary. BootProof refused instead of pretending a normal Gradle, Make, or Compose command was enough. The documented local path required abctl , Kind and Helm. A human followed that runbook and booted the application. BootProof could then verify the external health endpoint without claiming it started Airbyte. bootproof verify-url http://localhost:8001/api/v1/health External verification means: This endpoint responded. BootProof did not orchestrate the startup. That distinction matters. npx bootproof up . npx bootproof up . --workspace apps/studio npx bootproof up . --ci --json npx bootproof up . --provider local --unsafe-local npx bootproof up . --provider local --unsafe-local --install npx bootproof verify-url http://localhost:8001/api/v1/health npx bootproof up . --external-health http://localhost:8001/api/v1/health npx bootproof explain .bootproof/attestation.json npx bootproof verify .bootproof/attestation.json npx bootproof diff --base main --head HEAD npx bootproof diff --base main --head HEAD --json npx bootproof fix . OPENAI API KEY=... npx bootproof fix . --ai or: ANTHROPIC API KEY=... BOOTPROOF AI PROVIDER=anthropic npx bootproof fix . --ai bootproof up remains zero-AI. BootProof is built for a world where humans and AI agents both touch repositories. The intended loop is: Diagnose → Classify → Plan → Risk-classify → Approve → Execute one step → Verify → Receipt → Repeat AI can suggest. Humans can approve. BootProof proves. The complete autonomous loop is not implemented. Today BootProof exposes four honest modes. bootproof up . BootProof infers a supported local run path, executes it within the selected safety boundary, observes health, and writes an attestation. Unsupported or ambiguous orchestration is refused. bootproof verify-url http://localhost:8001/api/v1/health BootProof observes a service started outside BootProof. Successful evidence is classified as externally verified and never claims BootProof started the app. bootproof plan-agent . BootProof writes a deterministic, risk-classified plan and a redacted local receipt chain. It does not execute candidate actions, and planning never counts as success. bootproof fix . BootProof maps exact known failures to deterministic repair actions. Mutating commands and patches require explicit approval. Verification decides whether the failure progressed or the application booted. See: bootproof fix reads the latest signature-valid classified failure and maps exact known failures to deterministic actions. bootproof fix . Host and service commands show the exact command, scope and risk. They run only when the user gives explicit approval. JSON and CI modes never approve commands. Repair receipts distinguish: - declined - failed - progressed - verified Machine mode: bootproof fix . --json It emits one bootproof/repair-result/v1 object and exits 0 only when a verified receipt exists. fix never applies file patches directly. To explicitly apply a signature-valid file repair to a local working tree: bootproof apply-repair . Application checks the receipt signature, allowed file scope, signed content hashes, and exact current preimages before writing. AI suggestions are optional and are only available after no deterministic repair is known. OPENAI API KEY=... bootproof fix . --ai or: ANTHROPIC API KEY=... BOOTPROOF AI PROVIDER=anthropic bootproof fix . --ai BootProof asks before contacting the provider, sends only redacted structured failure evidence, validates the strict bootproof/ai-repair-suggestion/v1 response through the shared safety model, and asks again before any command or patch is tested. AI suggestions are recorded as ai suggested . They never enter the deterministic registry automatically. bootproof diff --base main --head feature-branch bootproof diff --base main --head HEAD --json diff reads committed Git objects and performs static analysis only. It does not: - check out either ref - execute repository code - install dependencies - read protected .env contents - upload data It reports supported drift in: - dependency manifests and lockfiles - Compose services and ports - environment variable names - start commands - package managers - runtime markers - detectable health routes A diff can require fresh proof, but it never claims the head revision boots. Run bootproof up against the intended revision to establish that with observed health evidence. BootProof is constrained on purpose. It will not: - mark a repo BOOTED without observed health - execute remote code without explicit consent - fall back from Docker to host execution silently - render skipped steps as success - invent secrets - write protected .env files - silently patch project code - guess a workspace when the repo is ambiguous - claim generated scaffolding exists unless it was written - upload telemetry or hidden evidence It will: - sign successful attestations - sign failed attestations - preserve local evidence - classify known failures - refuse unsupported paths clearly BootProof treats repair actions as executable risk. The repair safety model blocks or escalates dangerous commands before they run. Blocked examples include: sudo - shell interpreters - pipe-to-shell downloads such as curl | sh - inline arbitrary execution such as node -e , python -c , ruby -e - recursive world-writable chmod - raw disk writes - destructive database drops - protected .env writes - secret exfiltration patterns High-risk actions require explicit approval and can never be downgraded by AI-provided risk labels. See docs/DETERMINISTIC REPAIR SAFETY MODEL.md /bootproof/bootproof/blob/main/docs/DETERMINISTIC REPAIR SAFETY MODEL.md . BootProof currently provides: - Node package-manager and start-command inference - monorepo candidate ranking - Docker service dependency detection - repository Compose detection - conservative Go main-package execution - Rails bin/rails entrypoint detection - explicit Make run-target execution - Python/Flask and Go/Node hybrid detection - localhost health-candidate discovery from repo evidence and app logs - classified failures - signed Ed25519 attestations - strict JSON and fail-closed CI output - redacted registry-entry export - deterministic sandboxed repairs for registered failure classes - explicit repair application with signature, scope and stale-preimage checks - static infrastructure diff Detection is broader than orchestration. BootProof may detect a stack and still refuse to run it if the proof boundary is not safe or clear. Supported execution paths are deliberately narrow. | Type | Supported path | |---|---| | Node | package manager + selected start/dev script | | Go | exactly one main.go or cmd/ /main.go | | Ruby/Rails | Gemfile plus bin/rails | | Make | explicit run , serve , server , start , or dev target | | Compose | repository-local build context with published HTTP port | Each path still requires observed health. A successful docker compose up -d , process spawn, or command exit is not a green result by itself. Common failure classes include: not an application workspace ambiguous dependency install skipped package manager version mismatch python flask setup required service port allocated postgres auth env missing health http error health check timeout remote code execution blocked unknown failure Unknown failures remain unknown, with evidence preserved for the next detector. Depending on the command and observed plan, BootProof may write: .bootproof/attestation.json .bootproof/registry-entry.json .bootproof/registry/<timestamp -<hash .json .bootproof/runtime/ docker-compose.bootproof.yml .env.bootproof.example Registry artifacts are written only by explicit export commands. Protected application env files remain untouched. Current local attestations contain: { "trust": { "level": "local developer signed", "signer": "local ed25519", "oidc": null } } Local attestations are useful evidence. CI/OIDC attestations are stronger supply-chain proof. BootProof does not pretend local laptop proof is enterprise CI proof. The future ci oidc signed level is reserved but is not emitted today. BootProof does not upload attestations. A project can deliberately export a redacted local registry entry or federated public-candidate receipt and review it before committing it. bootproof registry export . bootproof attest export . bootproof registry export . --federated Public crawler, private cloud upload, and OIDC-backed trust are future integrations, not deployed services in this repository. See: This repository contains the local trust layer: - local diagnosis - local planning - local receipts - local approvals - optional BYOK AI suggestions - deterministic repair safety - no telemetry - no automatic upload The OSS engine works offline and does not require BootProof Cloud. BootProof Cloud belongs in a separate private repository. Its boundary includes future hosted capabilities such as: - hosted AI - shared registry - team approval workflows - GitHub App - SSO/RBAC - policy - fleet dashboards - audit retention These are product boundaries, not claims that those services are implemented in this public repository. No Cloud/SaaS code is included here. The npm package contains the compiled CLI, license, README and docs. dist/ is required at runtime, generated by npm run build during prepack , and intentionally not committed. Run: npm run pack:check This packs BootProof, installs the tarball in an isolated temporary directory, and exercises the installed CLI. See docs/RELEASE CHECKLIST.md /bootproof/bootproof/blob/main/docs/RELEASE CHECKLIST.md . For contributors working from source: git clone https://github.com/bootproof/bootproof.git cd bootproof npm ci npm run build npm test npm link Then from another repository: bootproof up . Generated files such as dist/ , node modules/ , and .DS Store are ignored and not committed. BootProof is not: - a deployment platform - a general CI replacement - a magic environment fixer - an AI coding agent - a guarantee that every repo can be run automatically - a cloud product hidden inside an OSS repo BootProof is the honest run button for repos. It runs what it can, refuses what it cannot prove, signs both success and failure, and gives humans and machines the same evidence. BootProof is early alpha. Near-term work includes: - explicit full-platform Compose mode - stronger multi-service health modelling - broader deterministic remediation coverage - more Python, Go, Ruby and Make entrypoints - CI/OIDC-backed signing - proof-linked badges - verified public evidence index Unsupported paths should fail clearly, not magically. Apache-2.0