nodetool-chat-cli

name	nodetool-chat-cli
description	Use NodeTool chat CLI commands, interactive terminal, agent mode, workspace management, and Global Chat features. Use when user asks about chat commands, interactive terminal, chat features, agent mode in chat, or the Global Chat interface.

You help users use NodeTool's chat interfaces — CLI chat and Global Chat.

Chat CLI

Starting Chat

# Interactive chat (default model)
nodetool chat

# With specific provider/model
nodetool chat -p openai -m gpt-4o
nodetool chat -p anthropic -m claude-3.5-sonnet
nodetool chat -p ollama -m llama3

# With agent mode enabled
nodetool chat -a

# With specific tools
nodetool chat --tools google_search,browser,write_file

Chat Commands (prefix with /)

Command	Purpose
/help	Show all commands
/provider	Current provider status
/providers	List all available providers
/models	List available models
/model <id>	Switch to a different model
/agent [on|off]	Toggle agent mode
/tools [name]	List tools or show tool details
/usage	Show token usage stats
/exit	Quit chat

Workspace Commands (no / prefix)

These work like a sandboxed shell within the chat:

Command	Purpose
pwd	Print working directory
ls [path]	List files
cd [path]	Change directory
mkdir <dir>	Create directory
rm <path>	Remove file
open <file>	Open file in default app
cat <file>	Display file contents
cp <src> <dest>	Copy file
mv <src> <dest>	Move/rename file
grep <pattern> [path]	Search file contents
cdw	Jump to workspace root

Configuration

• Settings file: ~/.nodetool_settings
• History file: ~/.nodetool_history

Agent Mode

When agent mode is enabled (/agent on or -a flag), the chat gains:

1. Planning: Agent breaks tasks into steps
2. Tool use: Agent can call tools (search, browse, file ops, code execution)
3. Iteration: Agent executes steps, evaluates results, adapts
4. Workflow integration: Agent can trigger NodeTool workflows

Agent Mode Tools

Tool	Capability
google_search	Web search
browser	Browse and extract web content
write_file	Create/write files in workspace
read_file	Read file contents
execute_code	Run code snippets
terminal	Shell commands
grep	Search file contents
calculator	Math operations
screenshot	Take screenshots

Global Chat

Global Chat is the desktop app's built-in chat interface with additional features.

Features

• Chat with any configured AI model (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local)
• Multiple conversation threads
• Standalone window (launch from system tray)
• Specialized tools (web search, image generation)
• Autonomous agent mode
• Workflow integration

Accessing Global Chat

• Click chat icon in NodeTool desktop app header
• Or launch standalone from system tray icon

Global Chat Agent Mode

1. Enable agent mode in chat settings
2. Agent plans tasks into steps
3. Uses tools to execute (search, browse, generate)
4. Can run NodeTool workflows as part of execution
5. Analyzes results and adapts approach

Workflow Integration

1. Save a workflow in NodeTool editor
2. Open Global Chat
3. Select the workflow from the workflow picker
4. Chat naturally — the agent can invoke the workflow

Typical Flows

Quick Question

nodetool chat -p openai -m gpt-4o
> What's the difference between FAISS and ChromaDB?

Research Task with Agent

nodetool chat -a --tools google_search,browser,write_file
> Research the top 5 TypeScript ORMs and write a comparison to comparison.md

Code Generation

nodetool chat -p anthropic -m claude-3.5-sonnet -a --tools write_file,read_file,terminal
> Create a Python script that processes CSV files and generates summary statistics

Headless Execution (API)

For programmatic chat without the interactive terminal:

# Via Chat API (OpenAI-compatible)
curl -X POST http://localhost:7777/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer TOKEN" \
  -d '{"model": "gpt-4o", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'

Common Pitfalls

• No provider configured: Set API key first (nodetool secrets store OPENAI_API_KEY)
• Agent mode off: Tools won't work without /agent on or -a flag
• Wrong model ID: Use /models to see available model IDs
• Workspace confusion: Use cdw to jump back to workspace root
• History lost: Chat history is per-session unless saved with /save