Open-Source Tool 'my-pi' Tests Whether Coding Agents Need Full Shell Access

A developer has released my-pi, an open-source alpha project that questions whether AI coding agents require unrestricted shell access to perform standard repository tasks. The tool exposes a narrower set of repository capabilities — such as file reading, code search, AST/LSP intelligence, and Git inspection — through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), rather than granting broad command execution rights. my-pi requires an explicitly configured workspace path at startup, meaning agents are not silently granted access to arbitrary directories. By default, the tool operates in a read-only mode, with file mutations and language-server features only available under an explicitly enabled trusted profile. The project is framed as an experimental test of how much useful coding capability can be provided while keeping the agent's authority boundary visible and inspectable at the protocol level.