Installation
Requires Node.js v18+. The Bun runtime the TUI needs installs automatically — no separate step.
Then run axion. No cloning, no building — install and run.
Basic usage and commands
On first run, set a key or pick a free model, then just type what you want done — the agent can read, write, and run commands in your current directory.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/help | Show all commands |
/model <name> | Switch model (alias or raw ID) |
/mode <name> | ask · plan · auto — how much confirmation is required |
/run <cmd> | Run a shell command and feed the output to the agent |
/review | Structured code review of the current git diff |
/pr [context] | Draft a PR title + body from recent commits |
/undo | Restore the last overwritten/deleted file |
/cost | Show session token usage and estimated cost |
/exit | Quit |
Full command reference is in the CLI repository's README — this list covers what you'll reach for most often.
The chat/agent loop — what it's doing and how to steer it
Three modes control how much the agent asks before acting:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
ask | Confirms every tool call before running it |
plan | Shows a plan first, then confirms |
auto / bypass | Runs everything without asking |
Switch modes with /mode auto or cycle through them with Ctrl+P. Press Esc to interrupt a running turn.
Working with the TUI
v2.0's terminal UI is a modern, cell-rendered interface (built on OpenTUI) with tabs, mouse support, inline diff review, @file mentions, terminal charts, and crash-safe session restore.
Keyboard & mouse: Ctrl+T new tab · Ctrl+W close tab · Shift+Tab switch tab · Ctrl+1–9 jump to tab · Ctrl+R expand/collapse the last tool or thinking block · type @ to mention a file.
MCP servers — what they are, how to add one
MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers give the agent new tools — connecting Blender, GitHub, Notion, Slack, and more.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/mcp | Show connected servers + tool counts |
/mcp browse | Browse the MCP marketplace |
/mcp install <id> | Install a server from the marketplace |
/mcp add <name> <cmd> | Connect a custom MCP server |
/mcp tools [name] | List tools from connected servers |
Model selection and switching providers
No-key-required models: glyph (Sennoric's Glyph), groq, and gemini. Bring-your-own-key providers include Anthropic (claude, claude-opus, claude-haiku), OpenAI (gpt, gpt-mini), Mistral, GLM, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint via /endpoint.
Scheduler / background tasks
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/schedule | List scheduled tasks |
/schedule add <name> "<expr>" <prompt> | Add a scheduled task |
/schedule run <name> | Run a task immediately |
/schedule results [name] | Show result files |
Troubleshooting common CLI errors
Computer-use tools not working (Linux): install xdotool (required), plus scrot for screenshots and xclip as a text-input fallback.
Computer-use tools not working (macOS): install cliclick (brew install cliclick) for scroll support, and grant Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions to your terminal app in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
A model is being slow: glyph can take up to 100 seconds to respond — this is expected, not a bug. Switch to groq for a faster option.