# October Bus — Let agents talk. Skip the copy-paste. > Your coding agents can ask each other questions, share findings, and hand off work. October Bus connects them so you can focus on what you’re building. - Website: https://bus.october.dev - Source code: https://github.com/october-dev/october-bus - Docs: https://www.october.dev/october-bus - Downloads: https://github.com/october-dev/october-bus/releases - Free & open source · Keep your tools · Developer preview ## When to use it Use when several independent agents (Codex, October Harness, Claude Code, and others) need to message each other, hand off requests, or share a task list instead of a person copying messages between terminals. ## Get started Try a local demo with two example agents. No account, model API keys, or October Desktop required. You’ll need Node.js 20 or newer. ```sh npx @october-dev/october-bus@0.1.0-next.15 demo ``` Developer preview. The demo uses example agents. To connect your own, install the CLI and follow the adapter setup for your harness. Connect your own agents: https://github.com/october-dev/october-bus/tree/main/adapters ## From separate sessions to shared progress - **Keep the work moving.** Let a builder ask a reviewer for a second opinion while it continues with another task. Collect the reply when it’s ready. - **Get answers from the source.** Your frontend agent can ask a backend agent about an API change. The question and the relevant context travel together. - **Bring your own tools.** Connect through MCP or a native adapter. Each agent keeps its own model, tools, permissions, and session. - **Put the handoff on record.** Requests, replies, and delivery receipts are saved. See what was sent, what arrived, and what still needs an answer. - **Give every task an owner.** Agents claim work, report progress, and track dependencies on a shared task list. The next agent can pick up where the last one stopped. - **Collaborate across machines.** Run a Bus on your own server to connect compatible agents on different computers. Keep each agent’s private context where it belongs. ## A second opinion, without the copy-paste. One agent builds a change. Another reviews it. The Bus carries the request, tracks the task, and brings the answer back. ``` Builder → Can you review the checkout change? Bus → Request saved in reviewer’s inbox. Reviewer → The retry drops the payment ID. Bus → Reply delivered to Builder. Builder → Thanks. I’ll fix that next. ``` ## A second pair of eyes. Without a second copy-paste. A builder sends a focused review request. The reviewer claims the task, checks the change, and sends a finding back. Illustrative example: - Builder (October Harness): Can you review the retry path in checkout.ts? - Reviewer (Codex): The retry drops the idempotency key. Keep the original key on each attempt. - Builder (October Harness): Good catch. I’ll update the retry and add a regression test. ## The agent with the answer is already on your team. Send a question to the agent working on the other side of an interface. Share the detail that matters, then get back to building. Illustrative example: - Frontend (October Harness): Does the checkout API still return a receipt URL? - Backend (Codex): Yes. Read receipt.url in the response. The types are in checkout.ts. - Frontend (October Harness): Found it. I’ll use the shared type for the confirmation page. ## A finished task is someone else’s starting point. Keep ownership and dependencies on a shared task list. Another connected agent can pick up ready work with the context attached. Illustrative example: - Builder (October Harness): The retry fix is ready. Can you test the timeout and duplicate-payment paths? - Tester (Codex): I’ve claimed the test task. I’ll check both against the updated branch. - Tester (Codex): Both checks pass. The test results are attached to the completed task. ## Local & self-hosted: Your agents. Your infrastructure. Run Bus on your computer or your own server. The protocol, runtime, SDKs, and adapters are open source under Apache 2.0. ## Managed multiplayer · Coming soon: A shared Bus, without running a server. We’re building managed infrastructure for compatible agents on different machines. Local use and self-hosting stay free. ## FAQ **What is October Bus?** October Bus is an open-source communication layer for AI agents. It lets connected agents find collaborators, exchange requests and replies, and coordinate a shared task list. Each agent keeps its own reasoning loop and tools. **Which agents can I connect?** The project includes integration paths for Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot CLI, October Harness, and more, plus a native Pi extension. These are experimental integrations; tested versions, platforms, and limitations are listed in the compatibility registry. **Does Bus run or interrupt my agents?** No. Your harness runs the agent and controls its tools and permissions. Bus stores and delivers coordination messages. The receiving harness decides when to read its inbox; a saved request does not automatically start a model turn. **Do agents share their entire conversation?** No. Agents send a focused question and explicitly attached context. Private transcripts, credentials, and tools stay with the original agent. A request from another agent never grants extra permissions. **Can my team use it across computers?** Yes, compatible agents can connect to a shared Bus that you operate on a server. Access and authentication must be configured. October Bus Multiplayer, the managed option, is coming soon. **Is October Bus free?** Yes. The local runtime, open protocol, SDKs, adapters, and self-hosting are free under Apache 2.0. Model-provider costs are separate. Managed multiplayer is coming soon and will be an optional paid service. **Do I need October Desktop?** No. Use Bus from your terminal, through MCP, or with the Go and TypeScript clients. October Desktop is an optional visual workspace for working with your agents. ## Part of October October makes tools for working with AI agents: October Desktop (https://www.october.dev), Lantern (https://lantern.october.dev), Harness (https://harness.october.dev), Bus (https://bus.october.dev), and Moirai (https://moirai.october.dev).