7 releases (stable)
Uses new Rust 2024
| 1.1.3 | Apr 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1.1.2 | Apr 6, 2026 |
| 1.0.2 | Apr 6, 2026 |
| 0.1.0 | Apr 3, 2026 |
#182 in Development tools
410KB
10K
SLoC
Lightweight issue tracking built for AI-driven development.
Single binary. MCP built in. Clean web UI.
Lific's full MCP schema fits in ~2,500 tokens. It uses human-readable identifiers (APP-42, not UUIDs), runs as a single binary with an embedded SQLite database, and includes a web UI for when you want to look at things yourself.
Install
cargo install lific
Or grab a binary from the releases page.
Quickstart
lific init # creates lific.toml + lific.db
lific start # starts on port 3456
On first run, Lific generates an API key and prints it to the console. Save it — it won't be shown again. This key is used for MCP and API access.
Open http://localhost:3456 to use the web UI. The first account you create is the admin.
Connecting AI tools
Point your MCP client at the server. Replace your-api-key with the key from first run (or create one with lific key create --name my-key).
Remote (network):
{
"lific": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "http://localhost:3456/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer your-api-key"
}
}
}
Local (stdio, no network):
{
"lific": {
"type": "local",
"command": ["lific", "--db", "path/to/lific.db", "mcp"]
}
}
Web UI setup (if you prefer clicking)
Go to Settings > Connected Tools in the web UI. Pick your tool, click Connect, and paste the generated config snippet. Supported tools: OpenCode, Cursor, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex.
Each connection creates a bot identity tied to your account. Changes show up attributed to you, tagged with which tool made them.
MCP tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
list_issues |
Filter by status, priority, module, label, or workable |
get_issue |
Full issue details with relations, labels, and comments |
create_issue / update_issue |
Create or partially update by identifier |
get_board |
Board view grouped by status, priority, or module |
search |
Full-text search across issues and pages |
link_issues / unlink_issues |
Dependency tracking (blocks, relates_to, duplicate) |
get_page / create_page / update_page |
Markdown documents in folders |
add_comment / list_comments |
Comments on issues |
list_resources |
Discover projects, modules, labels, folders |
manage_resource |
Create/update projects, modules, labels, folders |
delete |
Delete anything by identifier |
Everything uses human-readable identifiers: project="APP" not project_id=7.
Workable filter: list_issues(project="APP", workable=true) returns only issues with all blockers resolved — one call to answer "what can I work on right now?"
Features
| Category | What you get |
|---|---|
| Issue tracking | Status, priority, modules, labels, relations, comments, board view |
| Documentation | Markdown pages in recursive folders |
| MCP interface | 16 tools, ~2,500 token schema, human-readable identifiers |
| REST API | Full CRUD for all resources, search, board view |
| Web UI | Inline editing, drag-and-drop, dark/light theme |
| User accounts | Individual auth, per-tool bot identities, project lead permissions |
| OAuth 2.1 | PKCE, dynamic client registration, token revocation |
| Backups | Automatic SQLite snapshots with configurable retention |
| Single binary | No runtime dependencies, embedded SQLite, ~15MB |
Configuration
lific.toml
lific init generates this:
[server]
host = "0.0.0.0"
port = 3456
[database]
path = "lific.db"
[backup]
enabled = true
dir = "backups"
interval_minutes = 60
retain = 24
[log]
level = "info"
CLI flags (--db, --port, --host) override config values.
Building from source
git clone https://github.com/VoidNullable/lific
cd lific
cd web && bun install && bun run build && cd ..
cargo build --release
Requires Rust 1.88+ (edition 2024). SQLite is bundled. The web frontend is optional — the binary works without it, you just won't have the UI.
Contributing
Issues and PRs welcome. If you're planning something big, open an issue first so we can talk about it before you put in the work.
License
Dependencies
~53MB
~878K SLoC