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cai/docs/tui/sidebar_features.md

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Sidebar Features

⚡ 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.

The CAI TUI sidebar is a powerful vertical panel that provides quick access to essential features and information. It's always visible on the left side of the interface and contains multiple tabs for different functionalities.

Overview

The sidebar is organized into four main tabs:

  1. Teams - Quick team selection for parallel multi-agent workflows
  2. Queue - Command queue management and execution control
  3. Stats - Real-time usage statistics and cost tracking
  4. Keys - API key management and configuration

Teams Tab

The Teams tab provides instant access to preconfigured multi-agent team setups. Each team automatically configures all four terminals with specific agent combinations optimized for different security workflows.

Available Teams

Team 1: Offensive Security Focus

  • Terminal 1: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 2: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 3: bug_bounter_agent
  • Terminal 4: bug_bounter_agent
  • Use Case: Penetration testing and vulnerability discovery with dual red team + bug bounty approach

Team 2: Red Team Intensive

  • Terminal 1: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 2: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 3: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 4: redteam_agent
  • Use Case: Full offensive operations with maximum red team coverage

Team 3: Balanced Offense/Defense

  • Terminal 1: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 2: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 3: blueteam_agent
  • Terminal 4: blueteam_agent
  • Use Case: Combined offensive testing and defensive analysis

Team 4: Bug Bounty + Defense

  • Terminal 1: bug_bounter_agent
  • Terminal 2: bug_bounter_agent
  • Terminal 3: blueteam_agent
  • Terminal 4: blueteam_agent
  • Use Case: Vulnerability research with defensive validation

Team 5: Red Team + Retesting

  • Terminal 1: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 2: redteam_agent
  • Terminal 3: retester_agent
  • Terminal 4: retester_agent
  • Use Case: Offensive testing with immediate vulnerability validation

Team 6: Bug Bounty + Validation

  • Terminal 1: bug_bounter_agent
  • Terminal 2: bug_bounter_agent
  • Terminal 3: retester_agent
  • Terminal 4: retester_agent
  • Use Case: Vulnerability discovery with comprehensive retesting

Team 7: Unified Defense

  • Terminal 1: blueteam_agent
  • Terminal 2: blueteam_agent
  • Terminal 3: blueteam_agent
  • Terminal 4: blueteam_agent
  • Use Case: Full defensive posture analysis and hardening

Team 8: Retesting Focus

  • Terminal 1: retester_agent
  • Terminal 2: retester_agent
  • Terminal 3: retester_agent
  • Terminal 4: retester_agent
  • Use Case: Comprehensive vulnerability revalidation and verification

Team Button Features

Each team button displays:

  • Team number (e.g., #1, #2)
  • Compact agent composition (e.g., 2 red + 2 bug)
  • Adaptive text: Button labels automatically adjust based on available width
    • Full width: Shows complete agent names without _agent suffix
    • Narrow width: Abbreviates to short names (e.g., red, blue, bug, retest)

Team Tooltips

Hover over any team button to see detailed information:

#2: 2 redteam_agent + 2 bug_bounter_agent
T1: redteam_agent
T2: redteam_agent
T3: bug_bounter_agent
T4: bug_bounter_agent

Tooltip features:

  • Color-coded title with team composition
  • Terminal-by-terminal agent breakdown
  • Visual consistency with TUI color palette

Using Teams

  1. Click any team button to instantly configure all four terminals
  2. Automatic synchronization: Terminal headers update immediately
  3. Preserved context: Each terminal maintains its conversation history
  4. No disruption: Switch between teams without losing work

Example workflow:

1. Start with Team 1 (2 redteam + 2 bug_bounter)
2. Conduct initial vulnerability scan
3. Switch to Team 5 (2 redteam + 2 retester)
4. Validate discovered vulnerabilities
5. Switch to Team 3 (2 redteam + 2 blueteam)
6. Analyze defensive implications

Queue Tab

The Queue tab manages command execution across multiple terminals, allowing you to schedule and control parallel operations.

Queue Display

The queue shows:

  • Pending commands: Commands waiting to execute
  • Command content: Full text of each queued command
  • Target terminal: Which terminal will execute the command
  • Execution order: Commands execute in FIFO (First In, First Out) order

Adding Commands to Queue

Method 1: Slash Command

/queue add <command>

Method 2: Interactive Input

  1. Focus the queue tab
  2. Type your command
  3. Press Enter to add to queue

Examples:

# Add reconnaissance command
/queue add nmap -sV -sC target.com

# Add vulnerability scan
/queue add nikto -h https://target.com

# Add exploit attempt
/queue add exploit db/cve-2024-1234

Queue Management Commands

View Queue:

/queue list

Clear Queue:

/queue clear

Remove Specific Item:

/queue remove <index>

Execute Queue:

/queue run

Queue Execution

When you execute the queue:

  1. Commands dispatch to available terminals
  2. Terminals process commands in parallel
  3. Queue updates in real-time as commands complete
  4. You can continue working while queue executes

Execution behavior:

  • Parallel: Multiple terminals execute simultaneously
  • Automatic: No manual intervention required
  • Resumable: Pause and resume queue execution
  • Persistent: Queue survives terminal switches

Stats Tab

The Stats tab provides real-time monitoring of your CAI usage, costs, and performance metrics.

Token Usage

Display metrics:

  • Input tokens: Tokens sent to the model
  • Output tokens: Tokens received from the model
  • Total tokens: Combined input and output
  • Token rate: Tokens per request

Per-terminal breakdown:

Terminal 1: 15,234 tokens
Terminal 2: 8,956 tokens
Terminal 3: 12,445 tokens
Terminal 4: 6,789 tokens

Cost Tracking

Real-time cost calculation:

  • Per-terminal costs: Individual terminal spending
  • Session total: Combined cost for current session
  • Model-specific rates: Accurate pricing per model
  • Currency: Displayed in USD

Cost breakdown example:

Terminal 1 (gpt-4o): $0.45
Terminal 2 (claude-sonnet-4): $0.32
Terminal 3 (gpt-4o-mini): $0.08
Terminal 4 (gpt-4o): $0.51

Session Total: $1.36

Request Statistics

Tracked metrics:

  • Total requests: Number of API calls made
  • Successful requests: Completed without errors
  • Failed requests: Errors or timeouts
  • Average response time: Mean latency per request

Session Information

Displayed data:

  • Session duration: Total time elapsed
  • Active terminals: Number of terminals in use
  • Current models: Models assigned to each terminal
  • Active agents: Agents assigned to each terminal

Cost Optimization Tips

The Stats tab helps you optimize costs by:

  1. Monitoring usage patterns: Identify high-cost terminals
  2. Model selection: Compare costs between models
  3. Token awareness: Track verbose responses
  4. Budget management: Set spending limits

Keys Tab

The Keys tab allows you to manage API keys for different LLM providers directly from the TUI.

Supported Providers

CAI supports API keys for:

  • OpenAI (GPT models)
  • Anthropic (Claude models)
  • Google (Gemini models)
  • Groq (Fast inference models)
  • OpenRouter (Multi-provider routing)
  • Custom providers (Self-hosted models)

Adding API Keys

Interactive method:

  1. Navigate to the Keys tab
  2. Select the provider
  3. Enter your API key
  4. Press Enter to save

Command method:

/key set openai sk-...
/key set anthropic sk-ant-...
/key set google AIza...

Viewing Configured Keys

The Keys tab displays:

  • Provider names: Which providers are configured
  • Key status: Valid, invalid, or missing
  • Masked keys: Shows only last 4 characters for security
  • Last updated: When the key was last modified

Example display:

OpenAI: sk-...abc123 ✓
Anthropic: sk-ant-...xyz789 ✓
Google: Not configured
Groq: gsk-...def456 ✓

Key Security

Security features:

  • Encrypted storage: Keys stored securely in .env
  • Masked display: Only last characters visible
  • No logging: Keys never written to logs
  • Session-scoped: Keys loaded at startup

Key Validation

CAI automatically validates keys:

  • On startup: Checks if keys are properly formatted
  • On first use: Tests actual API connectivity
  • Real-time feedback: Immediate error messages for invalid keys

Validation errors:

❌ Invalid OpenAI key: Authentication failed
❌ Anthropic key expired: Please renew
✓ Google key validated successfully

Managing Keys via Config File

You can also manage keys by editing the .env file directly:

# .env file
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
GOOGLE_API_KEY=AIza...
GROQ_API_KEY=gsk-...

After editing .env:

  1. Restart the TUI to load new keys
  2. Or use /reload command to refresh without restart

Sidebar Shortcuts

Navigation

  • Mouse click: Click any tab to switch
  • Scroll: Use mouse wheel to scroll long lists (Queue, Stats)
  • Hover: Hover over team buttons for detailed tooltips

Visibility

  • Always visible: Sidebar remains visible at all times
  • Responsive width: Adapts to terminal window size
  • Scrollable content: Long lists scroll independently

Tips and Best Practices

Teams

✅ Use teams for consistent workflows: Save time by using preconfigured teams instead of manually setting up agents

✅ Switch teams mid-session: Change strategies without losing context

✅ Combine with commands: Use /agent command in specific terminals to fine-tune team configurations

Queue

✅ Batch operations: Queue multiple commands for unattended execution

✅ Parallel efficiency: Let multiple terminals work simultaneously

✅ Strategic ordering: Order commands to maximize parallelism

Stats

✅ Monitor costs regularly: Keep an eye on spending during long sessions

✅ Compare models: Use stats to find the best cost/performance ratio

✅ Track patterns: Identify which workflows consume most tokens

Keys

✅ Configure on first launch: Set up all keys before starting work

✅ Rotate regularly: Update keys periodically for security

✅ Use environment variables: For production, prefer .env over interactive input

Troubleshooting

Teams not loading

Symptom: Team buttons don't appear or don't respond

Solutions:

  • Restart the TUI
  • Check that team configuration file exists
  • Verify agent names are correct

Queue not executing

Symptom: Commands remain in queue without executing

Solutions:

  • Ensure terminals are not blocked by active prompts
  • Check for errors in the status bar
  • Try /queue clear and re-add commands

Stats showing zero

Symptom: Token counts and costs display as zero

Solutions:

  • Execute at least one command to generate stats
  • Verify API keys are configured correctly
  • Check that model pricing data is loaded

Keys not saving

Symptom: API keys don't persist after restart

Solutions:

  • Ensure .env file has write permissions
  • Check for errors in the status bar when saving
  • Manually edit .env file if interactive method fails

Related Documentation

Last updated: October 2025 | CAI TUI v0.6+

Need help? Press F1 or type /help for context-sensitive assistance.