Cline

Cline runs executable hook files from .clinerules/hooks/ (the VS Code/JetBrains extension, the Cline CLI and the SDK all read this folder). comity init writes one small script per hook; Cline keeps MCP servers only in user settings, so you add the Comity server once per machine.

Set up

cd your-repo
comity init --tools cline
git add .clinerules/hooks
git update-index --chmod=+x .clinerules/hooks/*   # keep the scripts executable for teammates
git commit -m "Set up Comity for Cline"

Then:

1. IDE extension: open Cline's settings and check Enable Hooks.

2. MCP (once per machine):

   Terminal

   cline mcp add comity --yes -- node -e "const c=require('child_process').spawn('comity '+process.argv.slice(1).join(' '),{stdio:'inherit',shell:true});c.on('error',()=>process.exit(1));c.on('exit',(k)=>process.exit(k===null?1:k))" mcp

   In the IDE, open MCP Servers → Configure → Configure MCP Servers and add:

   JSON

   "comity": { "command": "node", "args": ["-e","const c=require('child_process').spawn('comity '+process.argv.slice(1).join(' '),{stdio:'inherit',shell:true});c.on('error',()=>process.exit(1));c.on('exit',(k)=>process.exit(k===null?1:k))","mcp"] }

   The same command works on every OS (Node must be on PATH). comity mcp is a local proxy that authenticates with your comity login, so no token is stored anywhere in Cline.

What init writes

.clinerules/hooks/<Hook>

Eight bash scripts without a file extension, named after Cline's hooks: TaskStart, TaskResume, UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, TaskComplete, TaskCancel and SessionShutdown. Each one is:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Generated by `comity init`; re-running init rewrites this file.
command -v comity >/dev/null 2>&1 || { cat >/dev/null; echo '{"cancel":false}'; exit 0; }
exec comity hook --tool cline --event PreToolUse

On a machine without the CLI the hook answers {"cancel":false}, so Cline keeps working. On macOS and Linux init marks the files executable.

Comity reads both payload dialects (the extension's preToolUse/postToolUse objects and the CLI's tool_call/tool_result) and answers in Cline's format: cancel + errorMessage to block, contextModification/context to add context.

What your agent sees

• Task start and each prompt: the Comity briefing and prompt context.
• Before a tool call (write_to_file, replace_in_file, editor, apply_patch, execute_command, run_commands): a block cancels the call with Comity's reason; warnings are added as context.
• After a tool call: new conflicts, messages and answers.

Cline adds hook context to the conversation for the next model request; it cannot change the call that triggered it.

Verify

comity doctor

Expect cline hooks all hook files present in .clinerules/hooks and cline mcp comity server in ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json. The Cline checks appear once the hook files exist.

Limits

• The Cline IDE extension does not run hooks on Windows; use the Cline CLI or WSL there.
• Hooks are skipped in --yolo mode.
• The IDE extension keeps its own MCP settings file; comity doctor checks the CLI's.