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ACP Protocol

ACP Protocol

Pando supports the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), allowing it to be used directly in compatible editors as an AI coding assistant.

Quick start

Run Pando as an ACP server (stdio mode, for editors):

pando acp

Editor configuration

VS Code

Add to your settings.json:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "Pando": {
      "command": "pando",
      "args": ["acp"]
    }
  }
}

Zed

Add to ~/.config/zed/settings.json:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "Pando": {
      "command": "pando",
      "args": ["acp"]
    }
  }
}

JetBrains IDEs

Add to your acp.json:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "Pando": {
      "command": "/path/to/pando",
      "args": ["acp"]
    }
  }
}

ACP Configuration

Configure ACP behavior in .pando.toml:

[acp]
enabled = true
max_sessions = 10
idle_timeout = "30m"
log_level = "info"
auto_permission = false  # set true for CI/batch environments

Management commands 

# Start ACP server (stdio, for editors)
pando acp

# Start with explicit flags
pando acp start --debug --cwd /path/to/project

# Check server status (HTTP mode)
pando acp status

# List active sessions
pando acp sessions

# View server statistics
pando acp stats

# Stop server
pando acp stop

Transports

Pando ACP supports two transports:

  • Stdio: For use as an editor subprocess
  • HTTP + SSE: For real-time updates via Server-Sent Events
# Disable stdio
pando mcp-server --no-stdio

# Disable HTTP
pando mcp-server --no-http

Active Task Checklist & Planning

When integrated with your editor via ACP, Pando displays an Active Task Checklist directly inside the editor UI. This provides high-level transparency into what the AI agent is currently doing:

  • Real-Time Steps: See which files the agent plans to modify and the progress of each task.
  • In-Editor Decisions: Approve or suggest adjustments to the agent’s work plan before it executes.
  • Clean Inactive Sessions: Pando automatically cleans up inactive sessions to conserve system resources.

Security features

  • Path validation to prevent access outside project directory
  • Permission system for tool execution
  • Auto-approval mode for trusted environments