15 KiB

Raw Blame History

CAI TUI Commands Reference

⚡ CAI-Pro Exclusive Feature
The Terminal User Interface (TUI) is available exclusively in CAI-Pro. To access this feature and unlock advanced multi-agent workflows, visit Alias Robotics for more information.

!!! tip "Recommended: use the CLI REPL" The command matrix for every cai binary flag and REPL slash command is maintained in the CLI commands reference. When in doubt—especially for scripting, copy-paste examples, or comparing subcommands—use the plain CLI REPL and the CLI reference. The TUI shares the same underlying engine; this document focuses on multi-terminal UX, keyboard shortcuts, palette actions, and behaviors that differ from the CLI.

This comprehensive guide documents all commands available in the CAI Terminal User Interface (TUI), including command palette actions, keyboard shortcuts, and CLI-style commands.

Command Categories

CAI TUI commands are organized into the following categories:

Agent Management
Model Management
Terminal Control
History and Memory
Session Management
Utility Commands
Navigation and UI

CLI parity and TUI-only differences

The CLI commands reference is the authoritative list for REPL slash commands. The TUI reuses the same slash commands, but a few interactions differ:

Situation	CLI REPL	TUI
`/flush` or `/clear` with no arguments	Interactive menu of agents that still have history	Clears history for the focused terminal only
`/agent` with no arguments	Same as `/agent current`	Shows the active agent configuration across terminals where applicable
Screen vs history	N/A	Ctrl+L / visual “clear” only affects scrollback; it does not replace `/flush` for wiping message history

For binary flags such as --tui, --yaml, or --api, see Binary cai CLI flags.

Agent Management

`/agent` or `/a`

Switch between agents or list all available agents.

!!! note "CLI reference vs TUI examples" The CLI reference documents /agent with explicit subcommands (list, select, info, current, …). In the TUI you will often see the shorthand /agent <name>; on many builds that is equivalent to /agent select <name>. For exact syntax and flags, follow the CLI commands reference.

Syntax:

/agent [agent_name]
/a [agent_name]

Examples:

# List all available agents
/agent

# Switch to red team agent
/agent redteam_agent

# Switch to bug bounty agent
/a bug_bounter_agent

Available Agents:

redteam_agent - Offensive security testing and penetration testing
blueteam_agent - Defensive security analysis and hardening
bug_bounter_agent - Bug bounty hunting and vulnerability research
retester_agent - Retesting and validation of vulnerabilities
one_tool_agent - Basic single-tool execution (minimalist approach)
dfir_agent - Digital forensics and incident response
reporting_agent - Report generation and security documentation
reverse_engineering_agent - Binary analysis and reverse engineering
network_security_analyzer_agent - Network security assessment
wifi_security_agent - WiFi security testing and wireless analysis
memory_analysis_agent - Memory forensics and analysis
dns_smtp_agent - DNS and SMTP protocol analysis
replay_attack_agent - Replay attack testing and analysis
subghz_sdr_agent - Sub-GHz and Software Defined Radio (SDR) analysis
thought_agent - Reasoning, planning, and analysis
use_case_agent - Use case analysis and scenario planning
flag_discriminator - CTF flag identification and discrimination
cybersecurity_engineer - Cybersecurity engineering and architecture
selection_agent - Intelligent agent selection and routing
bb_triage_swarm_pattern - Bug bounty triage swarm pattern
redteam_swarm_pattern - Red team swarm coordination pattern
offsec_pattern - Offensive security pattern orchestration

Notes:

Agent changes are immediate and affect only the active terminal
Each terminal can run a different agent simultaneously
Agent context is preserved when switching between terminals

Model Management

CAI TUI uses model dropdowns in each terminal header for model management. Models are configured via environment variables and aliases.

Available Models:

alias1 - Cybersecurity focus model [Recommended]
gpt-4o - OpenAI GPT-4 Optimized
gpt-4-turbo - OpenAI GPT-4 Turbo
claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 - Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet
o1-mini - OpenAI O1 Mini
o1-preview - OpenAI O1 Preview

How to Change Models:

Click the model dropdown in any terminal header
Select desired model from the list
Model change takes effect immediately for that terminal

Environment Variables:

export CAI_MODEL=gpt-4o              # Set default model
export CAI_OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...    # OpenAI API key
export CAI_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-... # Anthropic API key

Notes:

Each terminal can use a different model
Model costs are tracked separately per terminal
Switching models mid-conversation preserves history

Terminal Control

Terminal-Specific Commands

Send commands to specific terminals using either the prefix notation or the flag notation.

Method 1: Prefix Notation

Syntax:

T<terminal_number>:<command>

Examples:

# Switch agent in Terminal 2
T2:/agent blueteam_agent

# Change model in Terminal 3
T3:/model alias1

# Clear Terminal 1
T1:/clear

# Execute command in Terminal 4
T4:scan target.com for vulnerabilities

Method 2: Flag Notation

Syntax:

<command> t<terminal_number>

Examples:

# Switch agent in Terminal 2
/agent blueteam_agent t2

# Change model in Terminal 3
/model alias1 t3

# Clear Terminal 1
/clear t1

# Execute any command in Terminal 4
/help t4

# Send prompt to Terminal 2
Scan target.com for XSS vulnerabilities t2

Supported Flags:

t1 - Target Terminal 1
t2 - Target Terminal 2
t3 - Target Terminal 3
t4 - Target Terminal 4
(Additional terminals if configured: t5, t6, etc.)

Notes:

Both methods achieve the same result
Flag notation is more concise for quick commands
Prefix notation is clearer for complex prompts
You can target any terminal without focusing it first
Useful for scripting and automation
Works with all commands (slash commands and prompts)

Keyboard Shortcut: Click the [+] button in the top bar

Notes:

New terminals start with redteam_agent by default
Maximum recommended terminals: 4 (for optimal UX)
Terminals beyond 4 use scrollable layout

History and Memory

`/history [number] [agent_name]` or `/his`

Display conversation history for the current or specified agent. (Use /his — /h is reserved for /help on builds that follow the documented alias table.)

Syntax:

/history [number] [agent_name]

Examples:

# Show last 10 messages
/history

# Show last 20 messages
/history 20

# Show history for specific agent
/history 10 redteam_agent

# Compact syntax
/his 5

Notes:

Default shows last 10 interactions
History includes both user prompts and agent responses
History is terminal-specific

`/flush [agent_name|all]` or `/clear`

Clear agent message history (/clear is an alias of /flush for history, not the same as clearing the screen—see below).

Syntax:

/flush [agent_name|all]

Examples:

# Flush current agent history
/flush

# Flush specific agent
/flush redteam_agent

# Flush all agents
/flush all

Notes:

Flushing is irreversible
Agent context window is reset
Useful for starting fresh conversations
TUI: with no arguments, /flush typically affects only the focused terminal (see CLI parity and TUI-only differences). The CLI may instead show a picker—confirm with /help flush on your build.

`/memory [subcommand]` or `/mem`

Advanced memory management for agents.

Syntax:

/memory <subcommand>
/mem <subcommand>

Subcommands:

`list`

Show all saved memories.

/memory list

`save [name]`

Save current conversation as a memory.

/memory save "Authentication bypass research"
/mem save pentest_findings

`apply <memory_id>`

Apply a saved memory to the current agent.

/memory apply mem_12345

`show <memory_id>`

Display the content of a specific memory.

/memory show mem_12345

`delete <memory_id>`

Remove a memory permanently.

/memory delete mem_12345

`merge <id1> <id2> [name]`

Combine two memories into one.

/memory merge mem_12345 mem_67890 "Combined pentesting notes"

`compact`

AI-powered memory summarization.

/memory compact

`status`

Show memory system status and statistics.

/memory status

Notes:

Memories persist across sessions
Useful for resuming long-term research projects
AI-powered summarization reduces token usage

Session Management

`/save <filename>`

Save the current conversation to a file.

Syntax:

/save <filename>

Supported Formats:

JSON (.json)
Markdown (.md)

Examples:

# Save as JSON
/save pentest_session.json

# Save as Markdown
/save findings_report.md

# Save with full path
/save ~/Documents/cai_sessions/project_alpha.json

Notes:

Saves all terminal conversations
Includes agent names, models, and timestamps
Cost information is preserved

`/load <filename>` or `/l`

Load a previously saved conversation.

Syntax:

/load <filename>
/l <filename>

Examples:

# Load JSON session
/load pentest_session.json

# Load Markdown report
/load findings_report.md

# Compact syntax
/l ~/cai_sessions/old_session.json

Notes:

Restores agent context and history
Compatible with both JSON and Markdown formats
Loading does not affect current cost tracking

Utility Commands

For spend and token usage use /cost (and the per-terminal cost UI in the TUI). When threads grow too long, use /compact. See the CLI commands reference for the full command list.

`/cost [agent_name]`

Display API usage costs and token statistics.

Syntax:

/cost [agent_name]

Examples:

# Show costs for active terminal
/cost

# Show costs for specific agent
/cost redteam_agent

# Show total session costs
/cost all

Output Includes:

Total cost (USD)
Input tokens used
Output tokens used
Cost per interaction
Model pricing rates
Terminal breakdown

`/help [command]` or `/?`

Get help for commands.

Syntax:

/help [command]
/? [command]

Examples:

# General help
/help

# Help for specific command
/help agent
/help parallel
/? mcp

`/env`

Display environment variables relevant to CAI.

Syntax:

/env

Output Includes:

CAI_MODEL - Default model
CAI_AGENT_TYPE - Default agent
CAI_MAX_TURNS - Maximum interaction turns
CAI_TRACING - Tracing status
CAI_GUARDRAILS - Guardrails enabled
CAI_PRICE_LIMIT - Cost limit
CAI_TUI_MODE - TUI mode settings
API keys (masked)

`/shell` or `$`

Execute shell commands directly from the TUI.

Syntax:

/shell <command>
$<command>

Examples:

# List files
/shell ls -la

# Check network
$ping -c 3 target.com

# Run nmap scan
$nmap -sV 192.168.1.1

Notes:

Commands execute in the system shell
Output is displayed in the terminal
Use with caution - no sandboxing

Stopping work in the TUI

Use Ctrl+C to cancel the current agent turn or tool call in the focused terminal. Partial responses may be discarded depending on the tool; message history is preserved unless you also /flush. To signal an external PID, use /shell or $ with the usual OS tools.

`/clear` (scrollback)

Clear visual terminal output (scrollback) in the TUI.

Syntax:

/clear

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+L

Notes:

Clears visual output only
Does not wipe conversation history—use /flush / /clear in the history sense (see above)
Cost tracking continues

`/exit` or `/quit` or `/q`

Leave the TUI session cleanly (telemetry flush, session teardown).

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Q (depending on build; confirm in-app shortcuts)

Notes:

Unsaved work in buffers may be lost—/save or export logs first if needed
Shuts down all terminals in the layout

Command Palette

Access the command palette for quick command search and execution.

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+P

Features:

Fuzzy search for commands
Command descriptions
Keyboard navigation (arrow keys, Enter)
Recent commands
Theme switching

Sidebar Toggle

Show or hide the sidebar.

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+S

Alternative: Click the [≡] button in the top bar

Clear Input

Clear the prompt input field.

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+U

Use Cases:

Parallel agent execution
Comparing agent responses
Team-based workflows

Cancel Operations

Cancel running operations.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Ctrl+C - Cancel execution in focused terminal
Escape - Cancel all running agents (press twice to exit)

Next Steps

CLI commands reference — recommended for exact REPL syntax
Terminals Management - Advanced multi-terminal workflows
Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete keyboard reference
User Interface Guide - Visual components and layouts

For questions or issues, visit CAI GitHub Issues.

TUI UX and shortcuts; authoritative slash-command tables: CLI commands reference.

15 KiB Raw Blame History

CAI TUI Commands Reference

Command Categories

CLI parity and TUI-only differences

Agent Management

/agent or /a

Model Management

Model Selection via Dropdown

Terminal Control

Terminal-Specific Commands

Method 1: Prefix Notation

Method 2: Flag Notation

History and Memory

/history [number] [agent_name] or /his

/flush [agent_name|all] or /clear

/memory [subcommand] or /mem

list

save [name]

apply <memory_id>

show <memory_id>

delete <memory_id>

merge <id1> <id2> [name]

compact

status

Session Management

/save <filename>

/load <filename> or /l

Utility Commands

/cost [agent_name]

/help [command] or /?

/env

/shell or $

Stopping work in the TUI

/clear (scrollback)

/exit or /quit or /q

Navigation and UI

Command Palette

Sidebar Toggle

Clear Input

Cancel Operations

Next Steps

15 KiB

Raw Blame History

`/agent` or `/a`

`/history [number] [agent_name]` or `/his`

`/flush [agent_name|all]` or `/clear`

`/memory [subcommand]` or `/mem`

`list`

`save [name]`

`apply <memory_id>`

`show <memory_id>`

`delete <memory_id>`

`merge <id1> <id2> [name]`

`compact`

`status`

`/save <filename>`

`/load <filename>` or `/l`

`/cost [agent_name]`

`/help [command]` or `/?`

`/env`

`/shell` or `$`

`/clear` (scrollback)

`/exit` or `/quit` or `/q`