PentestGPT Documentation

Comprehensive developer documentation for the PentestGPT project.

Documentation Index

📂 PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md

Overview of project organization and file layout

Learn about:

• Directory structure and file organization
• Core modules and their responsibilities
• Dependencies and build system
• Configuration files
• Test organization
• Runtime file locations

When to read: First time exploring the codebase, understanding project layout

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✨ FEATURES.md

Comprehensive feature documentation

Covers:

• Core features (Autonomous CTF solving, Intelligent methodology, Fallback strategies)
• Agent capabilities (Tool execution, Flag detection, Claude Code integration)
• User interface (TUI, Keyboard controls, Output modes)
• Session management (Persistence, Resume functionality)
• Benchmark system (Management, Structure, Running benchmarks)
• Telemetry & Observability
• Configuration & Authentication
• Advanced features

When to read: Understanding what PentestGPT can do, learning to use features

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🏛️ ARCHITECTURE.md

Design patterns, architectural decisions, and system design

Explores:

• Architectural overview and high-level design
• Design patterns (Singleton, Observer, Abstract Factory, Strategy, State, Command)
• Core components (AgentController, PentestAgent, EventBus, SessionStore)
• Data flow and message routing
• Event-driven architecture
• Session lifecycle
• Backend abstraction
• Extension points
• Performance considerations

When to read: Contributing code, understanding design decisions, extending the system

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💻 CODE_GUIDE.md

Detailed code walkthroughs and implementation details

Explains:

• Entry point & CLI implementation
• Agent Controller code walkthrough
• Pentest Agent execution flow
• Event Bus system implementation
• Backend abstraction layer
• Session management code
• TUI application structure
• Activity tracking system
• Telemetry integration
• Tool framework
• Configuration management

When to read: Understanding implementation details, debugging, making code changes

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Quick Navigation

For New Contributors

1. Start with PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md to understand the codebase layout
2. Read ARCHITECTURE.md to learn the design patterns
3. Dive into CODE_GUIDE.md for implementation details
4. Check FEATURES.md for feature documentation

For Users

1. Read FEATURES.md to learn what PentestGPT can do
2. Reference PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md for configuration file locations
3. Check the main ../README.md for installation and usage

For Maintainers

1. Review ARCHITECTURE.md for design decisions
2. Check CODE_GUIDE.md for critical code paths
3. Reference PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md for test organization

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Documentation Structure

docs/
├── README.md              # This file - documentation index
├── PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md   # Project organization and layout
├── FEATURES.md            # Feature documentation
├── ARCHITECTURE.md        # Design patterns and architecture
└── CODE_GUIDE.md          # Code walkthroughs and explanations

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Related Documentation

• ../CLAUDE.md - Instructions for Claude Code AI assistant
• ../README.md - User-facing documentation and quick start
• Code Comments - Inline documentation in source files

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Contributing to Documentation

When updating the codebase, please also update relevant documentation:

1. New Feature? → Update FEATURES.md
2. Architectural Change? → Update ARCHITECTURE.md
3. New Module? → Update CODE_GUIDE.md and PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md
4. Configuration Change? → Update PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md

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Documentation Standards

File Format

• All documentation in Markdown format
• Use GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)
• Include table of contents for long documents

Code Examples

• Use syntax highlighting (python, bash)
• Include comments for complex code
• Show both usage and implementation examples

Structure

• Clear headings and sections
• Cross-references between documents
• "When to read" section for each document

Maintenance

• Keep in sync with code changes
• Update examples when APIs change
• Add new sections as features are added

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Need Help?

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discord: Join Discord
• Paper: USENIX Security 2024

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License

This documentation is part of the PentestGPT project and is licensed under the MIT License.

See ../LICENSE.md for details.