ticoteam/tico

Tico is a source-available operating system for a team of humans and bots, licensed under
PolyForm Perimeter 1.0.1. Humans file
work, answer bots and approve actions in a web app; bots pick the work up, run it with
the team's own model subscriptions, and report back. It is built for teams from a handful of bots up.
A small pilot is what has been measured (sizing).
- **A small server holds the team.** One Docker install (the server, HTTPS through Caddy or a
Cloudflare Tunnel, Litestream backups, an optional updater) keeps tasks, chats, approvals,
routines, files and humans in SQLite. The server never runs a bot or a model CLI; when decisions (or Slack routing) are on, it sends the text of each
question to the decision provider you configured (TypeSafe, or OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI or OpenRouter with a key stored on the server).
- **Computers run the bots.** A Mac (the native runner) or any Linux or cloud computer (the
tico-runner image) joins with a one-time code, claims work over HTTPS, and runs each bot's run
in that bot's own git repository. Model sign-ins stay on the computer; granted bot credentials can also come from Tico's encrypted vault.
- **Harnesses are installed per computer, on demand.** Codex, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Grok, or a
multi-provider catch-all; each bot picks one. Humans sign in with built-in Google or Microsoft
sign-in, and GitHub access comes from a per-team GitHub App scoped to each bot's own repository.
Quick start
On your own computer (a Mac with Docker Desktop, or Linux), with no domain and no sign-in setup, run the installer with --local:
Docker Desktop must be open and running on a Mac. Tico runs at http://127.0.0.1:8765; open the sign-in link the
installer prints. Then get one first result: **Content Marketer** drafts a short post about a made-up product, you review
it, and you close the task. You need one model sign-in (a ChatGPT sign-in for Codex, a Claude sign-in for Claude Code, or an
API key); no GitHub account or outside Tool. Demo mode does not run bots.
1. In **Finish setup**, choose an AI provider, name your team and pick **Marketing** with **Content Marketer** (content) checked.
Assistant, BotOps, Librarian and Goal Manager are the four built-in bots.
2. Use **Add computer** to join this computer, run the command shown, then **Create my team**.
3. Open **Settings > Computers** and **Sign in** beside Codex or Claude Code; finish the provider's browser flow.
Other harnesses and API credentials are covered in Harnesses. Choose the bot's model in **Settings > Bots**.
4. Before any real work, open **Settings > Health**: **Models** should read "Codex is signed in." (or Claude Code). If not, follow
first-result recovery. With no spending limit set there is no cap; a limit pauses new
work and lets a run in progress finish (Usage).
5. Open Content Marketer and press **Set up**. Use the sample answers
to give it readers, publishing plans, topics, voice examples and privacy rules; review its first draft in chat.
6. On **Tasks > New task**, assign it the short draft from Your first result. The bot marks
it Done with the draft file on the task. Read the draft, then close the task yourself: the requester closes it, not the bot.
Success is a draft file on the task, read by a person, and a task you closed. The steps, and what to try next (meeting notes
with Project Coordinator), are in Your first result.
You can choose providers later in **Settings > AI providers**; bots wait with “Add an AI provider” until you do.
Add a domain and sign-in later (Install).
For a team, on a Linux server (about 2 GB, with a domain pointed at it), run the installer with no flags:
It installs Docker if needed, downloads that release's compose bundle (checksum verified) and walks you through tico setup:
a domain name to a signed-in Tico, with each step checked. Then open the app, complete **Finish setup**, and use
**Settings > Computers > Add computer** to join a Mac or a Linux computer. What you need first, where to get a server, and what
you will see are in docs/install.md.
Just looking? docker run --rm -p 127.0.0.1:8765:8765 ghcr.io/ticoteam/tico:latest demo opens a fictional
team on localhost with no setup (docs/demo.md).
Documentation
Start here · Use Tico · Developer and computer operator · Glossary
| Read | For |
|---|---|
| docs/glossary.md | The words Tico uses, and what each replaces |
| docs/install.md | Installing the server, adding computers, updates and backups |