The openagents command

openagents is the command-line program behind OpenAgents Terminal. Use it to chat from a script, change Coder's settings, work with plugins, and connect phones to a computer without a screen. It installs with OpenAgents Terminal; see Download.

Every command takes --json for machine-readable output and --help for its syntax. openagents doctor shows which identities, stores, and relays it uses.

Chat

openagents chat "How do I connect a phone?"     # a new thread
openagents chat --thread ID "And on Android?"   # continue a thread
echo "What is the Gym?" | openagents chat -     # the message from stdin
openagents chat threads                         # your threads, newest first
openagents chat read --thread ID                # a whole thread
openagents chat export --thread ID              # a thread as a trajectory file

The reply streams to standard output, and everything else (the thread ID, offers, suggestions) goes to standard error, so reply=$(openagents chat "…") captures only the reply.

When a message is coding work, Coder runs on this computer at once, in the Git checkout you run the command in, and its steps stream to the terminal.

openagents chat send --no-run "add a test for slugify"   # only offer Coder
openagents chat run-coder --thread ID                     # accept the offer later
openagents chat follow --thread ID                        # watch a run
openagents chat answer --thread ID "yes, use the smaller fix"
openagents chat stop --thread ID
openagents chat work --issues 101,102                     # work GitHub issues

Ctrl-C stops following a run; the run keeps going. See Coder and Work on a GitHub issue.

When the Mac app (or another host) runs on this computer, these are the same threads it shows. Without one, the command keeps its threads in ~/.openagents/chat/, and they move into the host's store the first time a host runs. --scratch uses a throwaway identity and thread.

Settings

openagents settings show
openagents settings set coder.start ask_first
openagents settings unset coder.start

Every key is in the settings reference.

Plugins

openagents plugin list                          # published plugins
openagents plugin run DIR --in PROJECT --request "..."
openagents plugin test init                     # write tests with us
openagents plugin test run .                    # test with and without
openagents plugin test publish REPORT           # add a result to the Gym
openagents plugin test check RESULT_ID          # rerun someone's result
openagents plugin defaults sync                 # the plugins Coder uses for everyone

See Plugins and the guides after it.

Models

Call any model on the OpenAgents API with your key in OPENAGENTS_API_KEY:

openagents inference google/gemini-3.8-flash "Say hello."
openagents inference openagents/chat --input "Tell me a story." --stream
openagents inference openagents/fast --json '{"input": "Hi", "temperature": 0.2}'
openagents inference models                     # every model and its price
openagents inference rates                      # the rate card

--format json prints the whole answer and --format events each streamed event. With no key, --pay x402 --max-msat N pays for one request from your wallet (Pay per request).

Connect

For a computer without the Mac app, or to script pairing. The host must be running.

openagents connect invite            # a QR code for the phone, in the terminal
openagents connect devices           # the phones that can reach this computer
openagents connect remove DEVICE     # cut a phone off now
openagents connect status            # this computer's host at a glance
openagents connect --ssh me@box      # set up a computer you reach over SSH

connect --ssh installs openagents on the other computer, starts its host, and pairs it with this one. Set up SSH key login first.

On Windows, connect and a few other commands say they need macOS or Linux.

The command also covers the Verse, XP, keys, relays, a Lightning wallet for agents, and more. openagents --help lists every group, and the full reference is on GitHub. openagents mcp serve offers the command to other agents over MCP.

Next: Chat.