$git clone https://github.com/AndrewDryga/emisarLeave the agent working. Keep production authority bounded.
| 1 | # emisar |
| 2 | |
| 3 | **Leave the agent working. Keep production authority bounded.** |
| 4 | |
| 5 | emisar gives MCP-capable agents a catalog of declared infrastructure actions |
| 6 | instead of a shell. Policy decides what runs, what waits for a person, and what |
| 7 | is denied. A small outbound-only runner checks the action again on the host |
| 8 | before it executes anything. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Start with the public pack catalog, let emisar suggest the packs that match a |
| 11 | host, and add your own actions without adding another MCP server to every |
| 12 | client. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ## Start with one host |
| 15 | |
| 16 | You need an [emisar account](https://emisar.dev/sign_up), a Linux host with |
| 17 | systemd and `sudo`, and outbound HTTPS access to `emisar.dev:443`. You do not |
| 18 | open an inbound port on the host. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | 1. In the dashboard, choose **Connect a runner**. Copy the generated command; |
| 21 | it contains a fresh, single-use enrollment key. |
| 22 | 2. Run it on the host: |
| 23 | |
| 24 | ```sh |
| 25 | curl -sSL https://emisar.dev/install.sh \ |
| 26 | | sudo EMISAR_ENROLLMENT_KEY=emkey-enroll-... EMISAR_URL=https://emisar.dev bash |
| 27 | ``` |
| 28 | |
| 29 | The installer verifies the release checksum, creates the service, installs |
| 30 | host-matched starter packs, and starts the runner. |
| 31 | 3. Confirm the runner is online in the dashboard, then dispatch |
| 32 | `linux.uptime` with a reason. You are done when the output appears and the |
| 33 | run is present in the audit trail. |
| 34 | 4. Open **LLM agents** and connect your client. Remote MCP clients use OAuth; |
| 35 | local stdio clients can use the `emisar-mcp` bridge and its browser approval |
| 36 | flow. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | The complete walkthrough, including expected output and troubleshooting, is at |
| 39 | [emisar.dev/docs/quickstart](https://emisar.dev/docs/quickstart). An agent can |
| 40 | perform and certify the setup with the public |
| 41 | [`install-emisar` skill](skills/install-emisar/SKILL.md). |
| 42 | |
| 43 | ## How an action runs |
| 44 | |
| 45 | ```text |
| 46 | AI client |
| 47 | | MCP: discover actions, request one with typed arguments |
| 48 | v |
| 49 | emisar control plane |
| 50 | | authenticate, scope, apply policy, wait for approval when required |
| 51 | v |
| 52 | outbound-only runner |
| 53 | | verify pack hash, validate arguments, enforce local limits |
| 54 | v |
| 55 | declared host command |
| 56 | stream redacted output, journal the attempt, update fleet audit |
| 57 | ``` |
| 58 | |
| 59 | The action pack is the contract. It fixes the executable, argv shape, argument |
| 60 | schema, risk, timeout, output limits, redaction, and side-effect description. |
| 61 | The model selects from that contract; it does not invent a command line for the |
| 62 | runner to execute. |
| 63 | |
| 64 | Adding a pack adds capabilities behind the same MCP surface. Operators do not |
| 65 | need to deploy another tool server or reconfigure every agent when the catalog |
| 66 | changes. |
| 67 | |
| 68 | ## What holds the boundary |
| 69 | |
| 70 | - **No inbound runner listener.** The runner dials the control plane over a TLS |
| 71 | websocket. |
| 72 | - **Declared actions only.** Cloud input is limited to typed, schema-bounded |
| 73 | arguments. The runner rejects unknown actions and arguments. |
| 74 | - **Content-addressed packs.** The control plane pins the trusted pack hash; the |
| 75 | runner recomputes it from disk before execution. New or changed custom packs |
| 76 | wait for trust. |
| 77 | - **Policy before side effects.** Runner scope, risk policy, action overrides, |
| 78 | standing grants, and conditional approval are evaluated before dispatch. |
| 79 | - **Host-side enforcement.** The runner clamps execution options to the pack's |
| 80 | limits, runs the declared binary and argv, and redacts output before it leaves |
| 81 | the host. |
| 82 | - **Two records.** The control-plane audit includes denied and pending requests; |
| 83 | every runner also writes its execution attempts and local refusals to a |
| 84 | hash-chained JSONL journal. |
| 85 | - **Optional client-attested dispatch.** A runner can require an Ed25519 intent |
| 86 | signed by the MCP client, so the control plane cannot originate or widen a |
| 87 | permitted call. |
| 88 | |
| 89 | Read the exact guarantees, limitations, and threat model in |
| 90 | [`docs/security-model.md`](docs/security-model.md). |
| 91 | |
| 92 | ## What emisar is not |
| 93 | |
| 94 | - It is not a sandbox or process isolator. We recommend using one, such as |
| 95 | [coop](https://github.com/AndrewDryga/coop). |
| 96 | - It is not a generic `execute(com |