First-Run MonkeyCode: Free Server, Free Tokens, One Merge Gate

Description and use

An automated merge gate for MonkeyCode that uses a free server and tokens to test AI-generated patches against the full test suite before allowing merges.

Problem

Teams need a low-cost way to test AI-generated patches before merging, ensuring they pass tests and do not break the build.

Outcome

An automated merge gate that ensures AI-generated patches are tested against the full suite before any merge, keeping the main branch safe while leveraging free AI tokens and server resources.

Workflow

• Provision the free server with monkeycode server start --free-tier and wait for health ok status.
• Set MONKEYCODE_SERVER env variable to the server URL.
• Create monkeycode.json with provider, model, and timeout settings.
• Write ai-gate.sh script: create worktree, run agent to generate patch, check patch validity, apply patch, run tests, output verdict.
• Execute ./ai-gate.sh "task description" to get accept or reject verdict.
• If rejected, capture gate log, extract failure, re-run agent with failure context to generate a new patch, and repeat the gate.
• Track tokens and time per task to evaluate free tier limits.

Evidence

The agent never commits. Never pushes. Never merges. The agent only writes a diff.

Source

The script never commits. It never pushes. It prints one word: accept or reject.

Source