CLI reference
All commands are invoked from the Babel repository root after a source build
as node .\babel-cli\dist\index.js <command> (or node ./babel-cli/dist/index.js
on macOS/Linux). babel is not assumed to be on PATH. /help inside the TUI
is canonical for in-session commands.
Commands documented in the product source
Section titled “Commands documented in the product source”| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
interactive (or bare invocation) |
Start the interactive TUI/REPL; default mode chat. |
"<task>" |
One-shot chat task (default --mode chat). |
run "<task>" |
Explicit run; supports --mode, --headless, --execution-profile. |
chat --headless "<task>" |
Headless chat with JSON output for scripts/CI. |
plan "<task>" |
Plan-then-approve path. |
deep "<task>" |
Governed pipeline with adversarial review. |
doctor |
Environment diagnostics; no provider key needed. |
setup --json |
Machine-readable setup state. |
models ping --json |
Check a configured provider (needs credentials). |
resume |
Continue an earlier conversation. |
undo |
Restore the last checkpoint (CLI only — the TUI has no /undo). |
mcp |
Read-only MCP control-plane server for other tools. |
remote serve --port N --project PATH |
Experimental loopback JSON-RPC server (127.0.0.1 only). Not part of first-run. |
| Mode | Engine | Best for |
|---|---|---|
chat |
ChatEngine multi-turn loop | Daily coding |
chat-headless |
Same engine, JSON output | Scripts, CI |
plan |
Governed plan path | Reviewable plan before apply |
deep |
Full governed pipeline | Higher-risk work with more structure |
Legacy mode names (verified, autonomous, manual, direct, default)
are accepted as aliases with deprecation warnings. Do not use them in new
scripts.
Scope of this page
Section titled “Scope of this page”This reference covers what the product documentation documents at the pinned
revision. It is not an exhaustive flag catalog; check --help on any command
and the cited source files for authoritative details.