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Forge v0.98.0: Integrated Authentication and Developer Experience Improvements

· 4 min read
Release

July 6, 2025 - Forge v0.98.0 introduces browser-based authentication, tool failure limits, and enhanced file operations to improve reliability and user experience.

What's New​

Browser-Based Authentication​

v0.98.0 replaces manual API key configuration with browser-based authentication that integrates with app.forgecode.dev.

Setup Process​

  1. Run npx forgecode@latest
  2. Forge opens your browser to app.forgecode.dev
  3. Sign in with Google or GitHub
  4. Authorize the app
  5. Return to terminal - authentication is complete
Browser Authentication Flow

Complete authentication setup in under 30 seconds

The system waits for the authentication server until login completes.

Terminal Authentication Progress

Terminal shows authentication progress with clear status updates

Migration from API Keys​

Existing users: Your current API key configuration will continue working. The browser-based auth is optional and can be used alongside existing setups.

For automation/CI: API key authentication remains available for scripts and automated environments where browser access isn't available.

Safety Limits and Auto-Stop​

Forge now includes automatic safety limits to prevent infinite loops and runaway processes. There are two separate systems that work together to keep things under control.

System 1: Consecutive Tool Failure Limit (Hard Stop)​

What it does: Tracks tool failures in a row and terminates the conversation when too many happen consecutively.

Default limit: 5 consecutive failures What triggers it: File permission errors, invalid parameters, network issues - anything that makes tools fail repeatedly What happens: Forge asks: "Do you want to continue anyway?"

Tool execution failure limit exceeded - terminating conversation
to prevent infinite retry loops.

Key point: This counter resets when any tool succeeds. It only cares about failures happening back-to-back.

Tool Failure Limit Dialog

Hard stop when consecutive failures hit the limit

System 2: Overall Turn Limits (User Intervention)​

What it does: Monitors the total activity in a single conversation turn and asks if you want to continue when limits are hit.

Default limits:

  • 50 total requests per turn

What happens: Forge asks: "Do you want to continue anyway?"

Configuration in forge.yaml:

max_requests_per_turn: 50 # Total requests before asking user
max_tool_failure_per_turn: 3 # Total failures before asking user

Problem solved: Prevents scenarios where agents get stuck in retry cycles due to environmental issues, permission problems, or invalid parameters that require human intervention rather than continued automated attempts.

Safety mechanism activates when operational limits are reached

Enhanced File Operations​

Replace-All Patch Operation​

The file patching system now supports replace_all operations for comprehensive refactoring tasks.

Previous behavior: replace operation only modified the first occurrence New behavior: replace_all operation modifies all occurrences in the target file

Replace All Operation Demo

Replace-all operation updating multiple function names across a file

This is particularly useful for:

  • Variable and function renaming
  • Import statement updates
  • Consistent refactoring across large files

Breaking Changes​

None. v0.98.0 maintains backward compatibility with existing API key configurations.

Troubleshooting​

Authentication Issues​

Browser doesn't open: Manually navigate to the URL displayed in the terminal Login timeout: Check network connectivity and retry Permission errors: Ensure Forge has permission to write to config directory

Safety Limits and Auto-Stop​

Frequent limit hits: Check file permissions. Need higher limits: Adjust configuration in forge.yaml Unexpected failures: Review error messages for specific tool issues

Getting Started​

New Users​

npx forgecode@latest
# Follow browser authentication prompts

Complete setup experience for first-time users

Existing Users​

npx forgecode@latest
# Optionally set up browser auth (by removing API keys from .env)
# Continue using existing API key if preferred

Smooth transition options for users with existing API key setups

Automation/CI​

Continue using API key authentication for automated environments:

export FORGE_KEY=your_key
npx forgecode@latest

Resources​

v0.98.0 focuses on reliability and ease of use while maintaining the flexibility developers need for various workflows. The browser-based authentication removes setup friction for new users while preserving API key support for automation and power users.