Meta Muse Code: Free AI Terminal Coding Agent Rolls Out

Meta has introduced Muse Code, a new standalone terminal coding agent. This tool is powered by the Muse Spark model and aims to compete in the AI developer tooling space. Here's the thing: Muse Code offers an open-source CLI client and hosted inference, meaning no local GPU is required. It currently has no usage fees during its rollout period. To get started, users need Node.js 18+ and Git, then install the CLI globally. Authentication is done via a Meta account. What's interesting is the setup involves hardening credential permissions and configuring access controls for secrets. Users will create a `.museignore` file and a `MUSE_CODE.md` instructions file in their project. The workflow involves a plan-edit-run-verify loop, with Git checkpoints before each agentic session. The bottom line: This new offering from Meta could be a significant alternative for developers using or evaluating other terminal-based AI coding agents.