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Agent Package Manager
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README.md
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# APM – Agent Package Manager **An open-source, community-driven dependency manager for AI agents.** Think `package.json`, `requirements.txt`, or `Cargo.toml` — but for AI agent configuration. GitHub Copilot | Claude Code | Grok Build | Cursor | OpenCode | Codex | Gemini | Windsurf | Kiro **[Documentation](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/)** · **[Quick Start](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/quickstart/)** · **[CLI Reference](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/reference/)** · **[Roadmap](https://github.com/orgs/microsoft/projects/2304/views/5)** --- > **Portable by manifest. Secure by default. Governed by policy.** > One file describes every agent's context; one command reproduces it everywhere; one policy controls what an org will allow. ## Why APM AI coding agents need context to be useful — standards, prompts, skills, plugins — but today every developer sets this up manually. Nothing is portable nor reproducible. There's no manifest for it. **APM fixes this.** Declare your project's agentic dependencies once in `apm.yml`, and every developer who clones your repo gets a fully configured agent setup in seconds — with transitive dependency resolution, just like npm or pip. It's also the first tool that lets you **author plugins** with a real dependency manager and export standard `plugin.json` packages. ```yaml # apm.yml — ships with your project name: your-project version: 1.0.0 targets: - copilot # choose the harness(es) this project supports dependencies: apm: # Skills from any repository - anthropics/skills/skills/frontend-design # Plugins - github/awesome-copilot/plugins/context-engineering # Specific agent primitives from any repository - github/awesome-copilot/agents/api-architect.agent.md # A full APM package with instructions, skills, prompts, hooks... - microsoft/apm-sample-package#v1.0.0 mcp: # MCP servers -- installed into every selected target - name: io.github.github/github-mcp-server transport: http # MCP transport name, not URL scheme -- connects over HTTPS ``` ```bash git clone <org/repo> && cd <repo> apm install # every agent is configured ``` **Coming from `npx skills add`?** Drop-in: ```bash apm install vercel-labs/agent-skills # whole bundle, like npx skills add apm install vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill deploy-to-vercel # one skill, persisted to apm.yml ``` Same install gesture. You also get a [manifest, lockfile, and reproducibility](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/reference/package-types/#skill-collection-skillsnameskillmd). **Zero-config Copilot:** ```bash apm compile -t copilot # writes .github/copilot-instructions.md ``` One command, no configuration -- VS Code and GitHub Copilot read the file automatically. APM dogfoods this target on its own repository. ## The three promises ### 1. Portable by manifest One `apm.yml` describes every primitive your agents need — instructions, skills, prompts, agents, hooks, plugins, MCP servers — and `apm install` reproduces the exact same setup across every client on every machine. `apm.lock.yaml` pins the resolved tree the way `package-lock.json` does for npm. - **[One manifest for everything](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/reference/primitive-types/)** -- declared once, deployed across Copilot, Claude, Grok Build, Cursor, OpenCode, Codex, Gemini, Windsurf, Kiro - **[Install from anywhere](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/consumer/install-packages/)** — GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, GitHub Enterprise, Gitea, Gogs, any git host - **[Transitive dependencies](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/consumer/install-packages/#transitive-dependencies-and-the-lockfile)** — packages can depend on packages; APM resolves the full tree - **[Author plugins](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/producer/)** — build Copilot, Claude, and Cursor plugins with dependency management, then export standard `plugin.json` - **[Marketplaces](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/consumer/installing-from-marketplaces/)** — install plugins from curated registries in one command, deployed across all targets and locked - **[Pack & distribute](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/producer/pack-a-bundle/)** — `apm pack` bundles your configuration as a zipped package or a standalone plugin - **[CI/CD ready](https://github.com/microsoft/apm-action)** — GitHub Action for automated workflows ### 2. Secure by default Agent context is executable in effect — a prompt is a program for an LLM. APM treats it that way. Every install scans for hidden Unicode that can hijack agent behavior; the lockfile pins integrity hashes; transitive MCP servers are gated by trust prompts. - **[Content security](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/enterprise/security/)** — `apm install` blocks compromised packages before agents read them; `apm audit` runs the same checks on demand - **[Lockfile integrity](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/reference/lockfile-spec/)** — `apm.lock` records resolved sources and content hashes for full provenance - **[SBOM export](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/reference/cli/lock/)** — `apm lock export --format cyclonedx|spdx` emits a standard inventory of what reached disk, straight from the lockfile — provenance for procurement, not a compliance attestation - **[Drift detection](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/enterprise/drift-detection/)** — `apm audit` rebuilds your agent context in scratch and diffs it against your working tree to catch hand-edits before they ship - **[MCP trust boundaries](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/consumer/install-mcp-servers/)** — transitive MCP servers require explicit consent ### 3. Governed by policy `apm-policy.yml` lets a security team say *"these are the only sources, scopes, and primitives this org will allow"* and have every `apm install` enforce it — with tighten-only inheritance from enterprise to org to repo, a published bypass contract, and audit-mode CI gates. apm-policy.yml governs what gets installed; your agent harness governs what runs. The two planes do not overlap. - **[Governance Guide](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/enterprise/governance-guide/)** — the canonical enterprise reference: enforcement points, bypass contract, air-gapped story, failure semantics, rollout playbook - **[Policy reference](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/enterprise/policy-reference/)** — every check, every field, every default - **[Adoption playbook](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/enterprise/adoption-playbook/)** — staged rollout from warn to block across hundreds of repos - **[GitHub rulesets integration](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/integrations/github-rulesets/)** — wire `apm audit --ci` into branch protection ## Get Started #### macOS with Homebrew ```bash brew install apm ``` No custom tap is required. Homebrew manages installation and updates: use `brew upgrade apm`, not `apm self-update`. #### Linux / macOS without Homebrew ```bash curl -sSL https://aka.ms/apm-unix | sh ``` #### Windows ```powershell irm https://aka.ms/apm-windows | iex ``` Native release binaries are published for macOS, Linux, and Windows x86_64. For standalone installations, `apm self-update` reuses the matching platform installer. You do not need Homebrew to use APM. <details> <summary>Other install methods: pip, WinGet, and Scoop</summary> #### Linux / macOS ```bash # pip (Python 3.10+) pip install apm-cli ``` #### Windows ```powershell # WinGet winget install --id Microsoft.APM --exact --source winget ``` ```powershell # Scoop scoop bucket add apm https://github.com/microsoft/scoop-apm scoop install apm # pip pip install apm-cli ``` </details> Already using the Microsoft Homebrew tap? See the [migration guide](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/getting-started/installation/#migrate-from-the-microsoft-tap). Then start adding packages: ```bash apm install microsoft/apm-sample-package#v1.0.0 ``` Or install from a marketplace: ```bash apm marketplace add github/awesome-copilot apm install azure-cloud-development@awesome-copilot ``` Or add an MCP server (wired into Copilot, Claude, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini, Windsurf, and Kiro): ```bash apm install --mcp io.github.github/github-mcp-server --transport http # connects over HTTPS ``` See the **[Getting Started guide](https://microsoft.github.io/apm/quickstart/)** for the full walkthrough. ## Works with agentrc [agentrc](https://github.com/microsoft/agentrc) analyzes your codebase and generates tailored agent instructions — architecture, conventions, build commands — from real code, not templates. Use agentrc to author high-quality instructions, then package them with APM to share across your org. The `.instructions.md` format is shared by both tools — no conversion needed when moving instructions into APM packages. ## Community Created by [@danielmeppiel](https://github.com/danielmeppiel). Maintained by [@danielmeppiel](https://github.com/danielmeppiel) and [@sergio-sisternes-epam](https://github.com/sergio-sisternes-epam). - [Roadmap](https://github.com/orgs/microsoft/projects/2304/views/5) - [Discussions](https://github.com/microsoft/apm/discussions) - [Contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md) - [AI Native Development guide](https://danielmeppiel.github.io/awesome-ai-native) — a practical learning path for AI-native development --- **Built on open standards:** [AGENTS.md](https://agents.md) · [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) · [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) ## Trademarks This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow [Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/trademarks/usage/general). Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship. Any use of third-party trademarks or logos are subject to those third-party's policies.
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