Son of Anton
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The problem
Coding agents need more than a chat sidebar: tasks, repository context, execution controls and a way to inspect and recover changes should work together.
What I’m building
Son of Anton is a Code OSS / VS Code fork. Its shared son-of-anton-core runtime supports the editor and CLI, with a task board, approval policies and checkpoint recovery.
Repository context and recovery
A native Rust code graph provides structural search through a bundled MCP server. The normal structural-search path does not require Docker. Semantic search can be enabled with a configured embedder.
Checkpoints include a restore preview so changes can be inspected before recovery. The project builds on the upstream Code OSS editor and adds its agent workflow around that foundation.
One runtime, two ways to work
The editor extension and command-line interface use son-of-anton-core. Provider access, tool handling and checkpoint behaviour can then follow the same runtime rather than diverging between the editor and terminal. The Code OSS foundation supplies the familiar editing environment around that workflow.
A task board exposes status, search, filters and execution actions. That gives longer work an explicit place in the interface, alongside conversation and repository context. Writes and commands follow the configured approval policy.
Structural and semantic context
The bundled Rust graph indexes supported source files, watches edits and updates symbols when files move or disappear. Each database belongs to a canonical workspace. Structural search is available with the default none embedder; semantic search needs a configured embedding provider.
These capabilities answer different questions. Structural context helps locate definitions and relationships in code. Semantic retrieval can help find related meaning, but it also adds provider configuration and a separate data path.
Inspectable recovery
Retained Git checkpoints capture working-tree and index state. Restoring a checkpoint previews the affected paths and creates a recovery checkpoint. That makes recovery an action the user can inspect before it changes their workspace.
The CLI’s doctor command checks local tools, credential presence, model tool support and graph assets without making a model request. It separates local setup from the question of whether a configured account can run a live request.
Explore the implementation
Start with the installation guide, then the graph guide. Optional Compose services provide additional infrastructure; normal editor and structural-graph use does not require that stack. The repository retains upstream Code OSS attribution.