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Bernstein vs Goose: quick decision guide
Goose CLI adapter for Bernstein.
Page built on 2026-08-16 from data/adapters-meta.json. Every claim below links to its primary source.
Install both
Goose
brew install --cask block-goose (macOS), orBernstein
pipx install bernsteinApache-2.0. Deterministic Python scheduler.
Feature matrix
| Capability | Goose | Bernstein |
|---|---|---|
| Install method | brew install --cask block-goose (macOS), or | pipx install bernstein |
| License | Not recorded | Apache-2.0 |
| Authentication | Not recorded | Per-agent credential scoping (no shared key) |
| Multi-agent orchestration | One agent in a terminal | Goose plus 40+ other adapters in parallel worktrees |
| MCP support | Not measured | Yes |
| Parallel-safe in worktrees | Not measured | Yes (designed around git worktrees) |
| HMAC-chained audit log | No | Yes (RFC 2104 SHA-256 chain in .sdd/) |
| Deterministic scheduler | Not applicable (single-agent CLI) | Yes (Deterministic Python scheduler) |
Adapter source: src/bernstein/adapters/goose.py | Upstream repo: aaif-goose/goose
Verifiable facts
The brief for this surface requires at least three facts that a reader can verify against a primary source. The list below is built from the bernstein adapter source and, when available, the upstream project's own pages.
- Bernstein ships a Goose adapter at src/bernstein/adapters/goose.py that wraps the upstream CLI as one of 42 routable agents. [source: bernstein adapter source, as of 2026-08-16]
- Upstream install command, as recorded in the bernstein adapter, is "brew install --cask block-goose (macOS), or". [source: upstream repo, as of 2026-08-16]
- Bernstein last verified its adapter against upstream Goose 1.45.0 on 2026-08-10. [source: bernstein adapter source, as of 2026-08-10]
Where Goose fits in Bernstein
Bernstein registers Goose under the slug "goose" and the registry name "goose". The adapter source lives at src/bernstein/adapters/goose.py in the bernstein repo and was last touched at build time 2026-08-16. The Goose adapter file is 168 lines and 6,000 bytes long, fingerprinted 506afc57093aed1c (first 16 hex chars of SHA-256). Operators install Goose on a worker box with "brew install --cask block-goose (macOS), or" before Bernstein routes any task to it. Upstream code lives at github.com/aaif-goose/goose, the canonical source operators audit when verifying the bernstein adapter against upstream behaviour. Bernstein last verified the Goose adapter against upstream Goose 1.45.0 on 2026-08-10, recorded inline in the adapter source. Bernstein routes tasks to Goose when its pass rate on similar work clears the configured threshold, otherwise the deterministic Python scheduler picks a different adapter from the 40+ adapter catalog.
Adapter source excerpt
The module docstring of the Goose adapter, as it stands in the bernstein repo. Punctuation is normalised for the web; the wording is the author's. Length: 923 characters.
Goose CLI adapter for Bernstein. Adapter for Goose (https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose), now stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation) - the GitHub org has moved from ``block/goose`` to ``aaif-goose/goose``, and the old paths still resolve through GitHub's rename redirect. Goose is an AI agent that can execute tasks autonomously; this adapter allows Bernstein to orchestrate Goose as a worker agent. ``goose run`` takes the prompt either as ``-i/--instructions <FILE>`` or as ``-t/--text <TEXT>``; there is no singular ``--instruction`` that carries prompt text. Passing one makes the argument parser abort with exit code 2 before the agent starts, so the worker dies having done no work. Last verified against upstream Goose 1.45.0 on 2026-08-10. Install: ``brew install --cask block-goose`` (macOS), or ``curl -fsSL https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/releases/download/stable/download_cli.sh | bash``.Adapter telemetry
| Registry name | goose |
|---|---|
| Adapter class | Goose |
| Source file | src/bernstein/adapters/goose.py |
| Source file size | 168 lines, 6,000 bytes |
| Source SHA-256 | 506afc57093aed1c2097ca509bf4c9ae7077afb98c2e5c97e65a70badb4b5070 |
| Category bucket | opensource-family |
| Upstream repo | aaif-goose/goose |
| Upstream homepage | Not recorded |
| Last verified upstream | Goose 1.45.0 on 2026-08-10 |
| Operator-curated overlay | No (programmatic page) |
When to pick which
Choose Goose
Reach for Goose when the work is a single thread that fits one agent: in a single-process terminal session, designed for single-instance use per repo. Auth model is configured per upstream docs. You skip the orchestrator round-trip and get the smallest possible surface between you and the model.
Choose Bernstein
Wrap Goose under Bernstein when the goal splits into parallel tasks, when you want an HMAC-chained audit log on every routing decision, or when a deterministic Python scheduler (no LLM picking who runs what) is a hard requirement. Bernstein keeps the entire pipeline on open-source agents when proprietary keys are off the table.
FAQ
Does Bernstein replace Goose?
No. Bernstein wraps Goose as one of 40+ CLI adapters and routes tasks to it based on per-task pass-rate history. Goose keeps running unchanged; Bernstein decides when it gets work.
Can I run Goose alongside other agents in the same repo?
Yes. Each agent runs in its own git worktree under .sdd/worktrees/{session_id}, so file edits never collide. Bernstein merges results back to the trunk only after the configured quality gates (lint, types, tests) pass.
Is this comparison page handwritten?
No. The template is fixed; every fact and every link is pulled from the bernstein adapter source in the master branch and (when available) the upstream project's own pages. The data extractor lives at scripts/gen-compare-data.mjs. No LLM writes the prose.