| name | rtk-token-killer |
| description | rtk (Rust Token Killer) - CLI proxy that filters/compresses command output before it reaches the LLM, cutting tokens 60-90% on ls/cat/grep/git/tests/etc. Fleet token-discipline tool. Prefix heavy read/inspect commands with `rtk`. |
rtk - Rust Token Killer (fleet token discipline)
A single Rust binary that filters and summarises command output before it hits the LLM context. ~80% fewer tokens on common dev commands, <10ms overhead, 100+ commands. Apache-2.0. Directly serves our token-reduction doctrine.
Install
brew install rtk
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rtk-ai/rtk/refs/heads/master/install.sh | sh
rtk --version
Use it (prefix the command)
rtk ls rtk tree rtk read <file>
rtk git status rtk git diff rtk git log
rtk grep <pat> rtk find -name x rtk diff a b
rtk test rtk err <cmd>
rtk gh ... rtk docker ... rtk psql ...
rtk json <file> rtk env rtk deps
rtk smart gives a 2-line technical summary of output.
Automatic mode (recommended for agents)
rtk init -g
Without the hook, just prefix manually with rtk.
When to use
- DEFAULT for any read-only inspect command whose raw output is large (file reads, listings, grep, git status/diff/log, test runs, logs, docker ps, json).
- Pairs with [[token discipline]]: reference-over-inline, deltas-over-dumps - rtk enforces it at the shell layer.
- Not for commands whose full output you genuinely need verbatim (then run the raw command).
Verified
Tested on appie-brain 2026-06-14 (rtk 0.42.4): rtk git status, rtk ls return compact output correctly. Pushed fleet-wide.
