Right-click any line. Ask why. Get the real answer.
CodebaseOS turns your repository's history into a queryable knowledge graph (commits, PRs, issues, reviews, files, people, decisions) backed by HydraDB + a Merkle-verified provenance chain — then answers questions about why your code exists, grounded in that graph.
Features
- Why is this here? — hover any line → synthesized provenance from the commits, PRs, and decisions that shaped it.
- Five Whys — recursive root-cause chain from code → intent → decision.
- Counterfactual — "what would happen if this change were reversed?"
- Compare (with vs without HydraDB) — side-by-side of a graph-grounded answer vs a plain LLM with no provenance.
- Onboarding tour — generate a module walkthrough: key files, people, decisions, and where to start.
- Status bar — live cost (
$X.XXXX / $5.00), node count, Merkle status.
All synthesis runs through a single cost-capped path ($5 hard limit); hovering never triggers an LLM call.
Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
CodebaseOS: Why is this here? |
Provenance for the current line |
CodebaseOS: Five Whys |
Recursive root-cause analysis |
CodebaseOS: Counterfactual |
Reason about reversing a decision |
CodebaseOS: Compare (with vs without HydraDB) |
Graph vs plain-LLM answer |
CodebaseOS: Generate onboarding tour for current module |
Module tour |
CodebaseOS: Open Dashboard |
Open the live graph dashboard |
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
codebaseos.backendUrl |
http://localhost:8000 |
CodebaseOS backend API |
codebaseos.dashboardUrl |
http://localhost:3000 |
Dashboard URL |
codebaseos.repo |
`` | owner/name to scope provenance queries |
codebaseos.enableCodeLens |
true |
Show "🧬 Why?" code lens |
Requirements
A running CodebaseOS backend (backendUrl). The extension degrades gracefully
when the backend is offline.