Command reference
This page lists the main Palabre commands.
Startup commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
palabre | Opens the TUI home screen, creates the global configuration on first launch, and refreshes detected known agents. |
palabre init | Explicitly creates the global configuration and detects agents. |
palabre init --local | Creates a configuration in the current folder. |
palabre doctor | Displays a diagnostic by sections: configuration, local tools, agents, and items to check. |
palabre agents | Lists declared agents and their local detection. |
palabre -a | Shortcut for palabre agents. |
palabre history, palabre historique | Lists recent Palabre Markdown exports. |
palabre context scan --json | Previews the project context Palabre would retain. |
Configuration
The TUI home screen performs the same conservative known-agent synchronization as palabre config --sync-agents: it adds newly detected known agents and refreshes known command names while preserving custom agents and user defaults.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
palabre config | Opens the configuration assistant. |
palabre config --set-defaults codex claude | Sets the default agents. |
palabre agent-role claude critic | Sets one agent persistent role. |
palabre config -t 4 | Sets the default number of turns. |
palabre config --summary-agent claude | Sets the default summary agent. |
palabre config --summary-agent none | Removes the default summary agent. |
palabre config --ask-summary-agent opencode | Sets the default summary agent for ask mode. |
palabre config --mode chat | Sets the default mode (chat, debate, or ask). |
palabre config --ask-agents codex claude opencode | Sets the default ask agents, 4 maximum. |
palabre config --interface tui | Sets the default interface (tui or terminal). |
palabre config --language en | Sets the Palabre and agent prompt language. |
palabre config --clear-defaults | Removes default settings. |
palabre config --sync-agents | Adds missing detected agents and refreshes known commands. |
palabre config --ollama-models --json | Lists installed Ollama models and the configured model status. |
palabre config --set-ollama-model <model> | Sets the model for the ollama-local agent. |
palabre config --sync-ollama-model | Replaces the configured Ollama model if it is no longer installed. |
Debates
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
palabre new | Opens the guided assistant for a debate or Ask request. |
palabre -s "Subject" -t 4 | Launches with default agents. |
palabre codex-claude "Subject" -t 4 | Launches with a preset. |
palabre run --subject "Subject" --agent-a codex --agent-b claude | Launches with explicit agents. |
palabre run --subject "Subject" --agent-a codex --agent-b claude --role-a architect --role-b critic | Launches with temporary roles. |
palabre ask "Subject" --agents codex claude | Runs a request with independent responses. |
palabre chat --agent-a codex | Opens a continued conversation with one agent. |
Conversation with one agent
palabre chat --agent-a <agent> opens a terminal conversation. The first message becomes its initial context; "Subject" remains accepted as an optional way to prefill that context. For every message, Palabre starts a new call to the selected CLI and injects the accumulated history into it. The result can therefore remain coherent in the current session without relying on a persistent interactive session inside Codex, Claude, or another tool.
Unlike Ask, which collects one or more independent answers to a single question before an optional summary, Chat maintains a multi-turn conversation with one active agent.
Use /agents to show available agents. /end saves the conversation in .palabre/, shows its file and folder, then returns home; /home returns without saving. /consult <agent> explicitly requests a second opinion on the six most recent retained messages; that opinion is added to the conversation. /use <agent> then switches the active agent, or you can continue with the initial agent. --role-a, --model-a, --language, --files, and --context remain available. Without --agent-a, Palabre uses the configured default agent A.
This first version remains stateless and performs no action. The context sent with each call is bounded to the six most recent messages; Palabre reports when older messages are no longer sent. Consultation remains explicit: an agent may suggest it, but the user keeps the initiative.
After a Debate or Ask completes in the TUI, /chat directly opens a conversation whose context shows its provenance and carries over the subject with the final summary, or the six recent exchanges when no summary is available.
TUI Commands
These commands are available from the TUI home screen or from /config depending on context.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/chat | Opens a conversation with the default agent A. /home or /exit returns to the home screen. |
/ask | Switches the TUI home screen to Ask mode. |
/debat | Switches the TUI home screen to debate mode. |
/agents | Displays available agents or updates active agents when names are provided. |
/roles | Displays available roles or updates active roles when roles are provided. In Ask mode, a single role such as /roles critic applies to all Ask agents. |
/config | Opens TUI settings. |
/history | Shows recent Markdown exports. Alias: /historique. |
/update | Checks the npm version and displays installation-specific update instructions. |
/ollama | Displays the configured Ollama model and installed models from /config. |
| `/ollama-url <url | default>` |
/ollama-model <model> | Changes the configured ollama-local model from /config. |
/ollama-sync | Replaces the configured Ollama model with an installed model when the current one is missing. |
/language fr, /language en | Changes the language from /config. Alias: /lang. |
/interface tui, /interface terminal | Changes the default interface from /config. |
/home | Returns to the TUI home screen. Alias: /back. |
/quit | Exits the TUI. |
Integrations
An integration launching Palabre can declare its identity in the child process environment:
PALABRE_CLIENT=palabre-vscode
PALABRE_CLIENT_VERSION=1.7.1
Palabre records this information, together with its own version, in
.debate.md, .chat.md, and .ask.md exports. Client names are open so
future integrations can identify themselves without a hard-coded registry.
When no client is declared, the invocation source is direct-cli.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
palabre agents --json | Lists configured agents, their role, type, and availability as JSON v1. |
palabre presets --json | Lists presets and their local availability. |
palabre history --json | Lists recent Markdown exports as JSON v1. |
palabre config --ollama-models --json | Returns local Ollama state as JSON v1 for integrations. |
palabre context scan [paths...] --json | Returns the folders, files, and warnings from the --context scan as JSON v1. |
General options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-h, --help | Displays help. |
-v, --version | Displays the version. |
--config <path> | Uses an explicit configuration file. |
--trust-config | Trusts the local configuration fingerprint after its contents have been reviewed. |
--language <fr|en>, --lang <fr|en> | Forces the Palabre and agent prompt language for this command. |
--tui | Forces the TUI interface, even if configuration asks for terminal rendering. |
--terminal, --no-tui | Uses raw terminal rendering. Also useful with palabre doctor for logs. |
--plain | Historical alias for --terminal. |
--renderer <auto|pretty|plain|tui|ndjson> | Selects the terminal or integration renderer. tui enables the full-terminal interface. |
Debate options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-s, --subject <text> | Session subject. |
--topic <text> | Compatible alias for --subject. |
--preset <name> | Selects an agent pair. |
--agent-a <name> | First agent. |
--agent-b <name> | Second agent. |
--role-a <role> | Temporary role for the first agent, without editing config. |
--role-b <role> | Temporary role for the second agent, without editing config. |
--ask-role <role> | Temporary shared role applied to all Ask agents. |
--mode <debate|ask> | Selects the orchestration mode. |
--agents <names...> | Ask mode agents, 4 maximum. |
-t, --turns <number> | Total number of turns, between 1 and 20. |
--no-early-stop | Disables early stopping. |
--model-a <model> | Model passed to agent A. |
--model-b <model> | Model passed to agent B. |
--ollama-url <url> | Overrides the address of every Ollama agent for this session. |
--pull-models | Allows Ollama to download a missing model. |
--summary-agent <name> | Summary agent. |
--summary-model <model> | Summary model. |
--no-summary | Disables the final summary. |
--files <paths...> | Injects specific files. |
--context <paths...> | Scans text files or folders. |
--show-prompt | Displays the first turn prompt without calling any agent. |
--dry-run | Previews the resolved session without calling agents or writing an export. |
Update
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
palabre update | Displays update instructions. |
palabre update --apply | Applies the update from a git checkout. |