[Feature][config] per-tool auto-approve settings + nonInteractiveMode early-exit #146

namar0x0309 · 2025-12-16T19:09:49Z

Description

This PR adds configuration-based auto-approval for tools and improves non-interactive mode behavior. Users can now specify which MCP server tools and nanocoder tools should automatically run without requiring confirmation, streamlining trusted workflows while maintaining security.

Key Features:

Per-tool auto-approval via alwaysAllow configuration for both MCP servers and nanocoder tools
Non-interactive mode early-exit when tools requiring approval are encountered
Graceful error handling with clear messaging when approval would be required

Implementation Details

• Added alwaysAllow field to MCP server configuration schema (array of tool names)
• Added alwaysAllow field to nanocoderTools configuration (array of nanocoder tool names)
• Modified tool approval logic in conversation loop to check alwaysAllow lists before requiring confirmation
• Implemented non-interactive mode detection via --run flag
• Added early-exit behavior in non-interactive mode when non-approved tools are encountered
• Updated configuration validation to ensure alwaysAllow is an array of strings
• Configuration examples added to agents.config.example.json

Security Considerations

• Opt-in by design: No tools are auto-approved by default
• Users must explicitly list tool names in alwaysAllow arrays
• High-risk operations can be excluded from auto-approval lists
• Existing approval mechanisms remain unchanged for non-configured tools
• Clear documentation on security implications in MCP configuration guide
• Bash tool respects alwaysAllow configuration but users can choose to exclude it

Breaking Changes

• None - this is an additive feature that maintains backward compatibility
• All new configuration fields (alwaysAllow) are optional
• Existing configurations continue to work without modifications

Testing

• Added unit tests for alwaysAllow configuration validation
• Tests verify array validation (must be array of strings)
• Tests cover non-interactive mode early-exit scenarios
• Verified backward compatibility with existing configurations
• Manual testing with filesystem and GitHub MCP servers
• Tested both approved and non-approved tool scenarios

Documentation Updates

• Updated mcp-configuration.md with alwaysAllow field documentation
• Added configuration examples for common use cases
• Updated agents.config.example.json with example alwaysAllow configurations for MCP servers
• Added nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow example configuration
• Configuration validation updated to handle new optional fields

This feature significantly improves the developer experience for trusted and automated workflows (CI/CD, local development with trusted tools) while maintaining nanocoder's security-first approach.

Type of Change

Bug fix
New feature
Breaking change
Documentation update

Testing

Automated Tests

New features include passing tests in .spec.ts/tsx files
All existing tests pass (pnpm test:all completes successfully)
Tests cover both success and error scenarios

Manual Testing

Tested with Ollama
Tested with OpenRouter
Tested with OpenAI-compatible API
Tested MCP integration (if applicable)

Checklist

Code follows project style guidelines
Self-review completed
Documentation updated (if needed)
No breaking changes (or clearly documented)
Appropriate logging added using structured logging (see CONTRIBUTING.md)

docs/mcp-configuration.md

source/commands/mcp.tsx

source/config/index.ts

source/config/nanocoder-tools-config.ts

spinualexandru · 2025-12-17T09:44:42Z

just saw it's a draft, sowwee :D

namar0x0309 · 2025-12-17T10:29:47Z

just saw it's a draft, sowwee :D

still helpful! Thank You

namar0x0309 · 2025-12-25T18:05:44Z

I reimplement/rebased given the many changes since I last started this draft pr.

will-lamerton · 2025-12-25T18:23:02Z

I reimplement/rebased given the many changes since I last started this draft pr.

Looks great! I have some time Boxing Day morning tomorrow to sort out outstanding pull requests so will take a look then 😄

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR adds configuration-based auto-approval for MCP server tools and nanocoder tools, along with improved non-interactive mode behavior. Users can configure which tools should automatically execute without requiring user confirmation through alwaysAllow configuration arrays.

Key changes:

Added alwaysAllow configuration field to MCP server configurations and nanocoderTools configuration
Modified tool approval logic in nanocoder tools (write_file, string_replace, execute_bash) and MCP client to check alwaysAllow lists
Introduced non-interactive mode early-exit behavior when non-approved tools are encountered (though implementation has critical bugs)

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 17 out of 17 changed files in this pull request and generated 12 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
source/wizard/validation.ts	Added validation for MCP server `alwaysAllow` field to ensure it's an array of strings
source/wizard/validation.spec.ts	Added tests for `alwaysAllow` validation (non-array and non-string items)
source/wizard/validation-array.spec.ts	Added test data with `alwaysAllow` examples
source/wizard/templates/mcp-templates.ts	Added `alwaysAllow` field to MCP server config interface
source/types/mcp.ts	Added `alwaysAllow` field with documentation to MCPServer type
source/types/config.ts	Added `alwaysAllow` and `nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow` fields to AppConfig
source/tools/write-file.tsx	Modified `needsApproval` to check nanocoder tools config
source/tools/string-replace.tsx	Modified `needsApproval` to check nanocoder tools config
source/tools/execute-bash.tsx	Modified `needsApproval` from boolean to function that checks config
source/mcp/mcp-client.ts	Added `isToolAutoApproved` method and integrated it into tool approval logic
source/mcp/mcp-client.spec.ts	Added tests for auto-approval behavior
source/hooks/chat-handler/conversation/conversation-loop.tsx	Added non-interactive mode allow-list logic (contains critical bugs)
source/config/nanocoder-tools-config.ts	New helper function to check if nanocoder tools are auto-approved
source/config/index.ts	Added loading of `alwaysAllow` and `nanocoderTools` configuration fields
source/commands/mcp.tsx	Added display of auto-approved tools in MCP command output
docs/mcp-configuration.md	Added documentation for `alwaysAllow` field
agents.config.example.json	Added example configurations with `alwaysAllow` fields

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source/tools/execute-bash.tsx

source/tools/write-file.tsx

source/types/config.ts

source/config/nanocoder-tools-config.ts

source/config/index.ts

source/tools/string-replace.tsx

source/mcp/mcp-client.ts

source/hooks/chat-handler/conversation/conversation-loop.tsx

source/mcp/mcp-client.spec.ts

source/hooks/chat-handler/conversation/conversation-loop.tsx

will-lamerton · 2026-01-05T14:40:58Z

Hey @namar0x0309 - we have done an awful lot of work on the main branch, I think we're ready to proceed with plans we spoke about before the big winter clean up including this :D

… tools Add support for configuring automatic approval of specific MCP tools through the `alwaysAllow` property in server configurations. This allows certain trusted tools to execute without requiring user confirmation prompts. - Update configuration schema to include `alwaysAllow` arrays - Modify MCP client to respect auto-approval settings - Add documentation for the new configuration option - Include UI indication of auto-approved tools - Add test coverage for approval behavior

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 17 out of 17 changed files in this pull request and generated 7 comments.

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source/hooks/chat-handler/conversation/conversation-loop.tsx

Copilot · 2026-01-08T18:04:02Z

agents.config.example.json

-		]
+		],
+		"nanocoderTools": {
+			"alwaysAllow": ["execute_bash"]


Using execute_bash in the alwaysAllow configuration is a high-risk security practice. While this is just an example file, consider:

Using a less risky tool as the example (like write_file or string_replace)

Adding a comment warning about the security implications of auto-allowing bash execution

Documenting that users should carefully consider which tools to auto-approve

This would better demonstrate secure configuration practices and prevent users from blindly copying a potentially dangerous setting.

Suggested change

"alwaysAllow": ["execute_bash"]

"_comment": "Example configuration: auto-approving powerful tools (especially shell execution like `execute_bash`) can be dangerous. Carefully review which tools, if any, you add to alwaysAllow in your real configuration.",

"alwaysAllow": ["write_file"]

Copilot · 2026-01-08T18:04:02Z

source/wizard/validation.ts

+		if (server.alwaysAllow && !Array.isArray(server.alwaysAllow)) {
+			errors.push(
+				`MCP server "${name}" has invalid alwaysAllow (must be an array of strings)`,
+			);
+		}
+
+		if (Array.isArray(server.alwaysAllow)) {
+			const invalidItems = server.alwaysAllow.filter(
+				item => typeof item !== 'string',
+			);
+			if (invalidItems.length > 0) {
+				errors.push(
+					`MCP server "${name}" has non-string entries in alwaysAllow`,
+				);
+			}
+		}
 	}


The validation only checks alwaysAllow for MCP servers but does not validate the top-level alwaysAllow or nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow configurations. Consider adding validation to ensure:

Both fields are arrays of strings (if present)

The tool names in these arrays correspond to actual available tools

Users receive helpful error messages if they configure non-existent tool names

This would improve the user experience and catch configuration errors early.

Copilot · 2026-01-08T18:04:03Z

source/tools/write-file.tsx

 	needsApproval: () => {
+		// Check if this tool is configured to always be allowed
+		if (isNanocoderToolAlwaysAllowed('write_file')) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		const mode = getCurrentMode();
 		return mode !== 'auto-accept'; // true in normal/plan, false in auto-accept
 	},


The changes add isNanocoderToolAlwaysAllowed checks to bypass approval, but there are no tests verifying this new functionality. Consider adding tests to source/tools/needs-approval.spec.ts or a dedicated test file that verify:

Tools in nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow skip approval even in normal mode

Tools not in the list still require approval as expected

Invalid configuration (non-array, non-strings) is handled gracefully

This would ensure the security-critical auto-approval feature works correctly across different scenarios.

Copilot · 2026-01-08T18:04:03Z

agents.config.example.json

+		],
+		"nanocoderTools": {
+			"alwaysAllow": ["execute_bash"]
+		}


The new top-level alwaysAllow field lacks documentation. This configuration is used specifically for non-interactive mode (--run flag) tool execution and serves a different purpose than nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow. Consider:

Adding a comment in the example configuration explaining what this field does

Creating or updating documentation to explain when to use top-level alwaysAllow vs nanocoderTools.alwaysAllow

Clarifying that this is specifically for non-interactive mode tool approval

Without clear documentation, users may be confused about:

Why there are two similar alwaysAllow configurations

When to use each one

How they interact with each other

will-lamerton

Hey @namar0x0309 - looking great from my point of view! Couple points:

Are you able to address the co-pilot review points and ensure all test files related to changes are updated?
Are you able to document functionality for users in the README?

This is a great addition :D

namar0x0309 · 2026-01-09T16:29:17Z

Hey @namar0x0309 - looking great from my point of view! Couple points:
* Are you able to address the co-pilot review points and ensure all test files related to changes are updated?

* Are you able to document functionality for users in the README?
This is a great addition :D

Thanks! Tackling this today!

namar0x0309 assigned Avtrkrb and will-lamerton Dec 16, 2025

namar0x0309 commented Dec 16, 2025

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spinualexandru reviewed Dec 17, 2025

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Avtrkrb added enhancement New feature or request Feature labels Dec 21, 2025

namar0x0309 force-pushed the autoapprovetools branch from 0da7dec to c68e51f Compare December 25, 2025 18:04

namar0x0309 marked this pull request as ready for review December 27, 2025 22:55

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings December 27, 2025 22:55

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namar0x0309 force-pushed the autoapprovetools branch from c68e51f to fb17e1c Compare January 8, 2026 16:01

namar0x0309 requested review from Avtrkrb and will-lamerton as code owners January 8, 2026 16:01

namar0x0309 requested a review from Copilot January 8, 2026 17:54

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will-lamerton requested changes Jan 9, 2026

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	"alwaysAllow": ["execute_bash"]
	"_comment": "Example configuration: auto-approving powerful tools (especially shell execution like `execute_bash`) can be dangerous. Carefully review which tools, if any, you add to alwaysAllow in your real configuration.",
	"alwaysAllow": ["write_file"]

[Feature][config] per-tool auto-approve settings + nonInteractiveMode early-exit #146

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[Feature][config] per-tool auto-approve settings + nonInteractiveMode early-exit #146

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Description

Implementation Details

Security Considerations

Breaking Changes

Testing

Documentation Updates

Type of Change

Testing

Automated Tests

Manual Testing

Checklist

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spinualexandru commented Dec 17, 2025

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namar0x0309 commented Dec 16, 2025 •

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