Migrating from other tools
This guide is for teams replacing or complementing another coding agent. Read Why BMO for honest fit before migrating.
Mental model shift
Section titled “Mental model shift”| From | To in BMO |
|---|---|
| Chat thread in browser | Shared session in your data dir + TUI |
| IDE agent panel | Terminal TUI or MCP server in editor |
| Git-only patch tool | File tools + Patch proposals queue |
| Fully autonomous default | Approval gates — widen deliberately |
Practical migration steps
Section titled “Practical migration steps”- Keep your old tool during a one-week overlap if possible.
- Run Quickstart on a non-critical repo.
- Map your old workflows to Common Workflows.
- Configure provider keys in Authentication — same providers often work unchanged.
- For CI, port scripts to
bmo run— see CI/CD integration.
Side-by-side with IDE agents
Section titled “Side-by-side with IDE agents”You do not have to replace Cursor, Zed, or VS Code agents. BMO can run alongside them via MCP or separate terminal sessions. See Cursor and IDEs.
What not to port on day one
Section titled “What not to port on day one”- Custom multi-agent orchestration — learn Decision guide first
- Fragile prompt macros — use Operating packs or project context instead
- Blind
--auto-approve-toolsfrom old CI — re-evaluate with Sandbox