# Terminal UI > The interactive Empryo TUI: keybindings, the chat input, tabs, panels, the status bar, forge modes, mouse support, and the embedded Neovim editor.  *The terminal UI: a conversation with tool calls, the status line, and the composer.* Run `empryo` in a repository and the full terminal UI opens: a chat thread, a live status bar, up to five tabs, and dozens of panels. All keyboard-driven, all over a live [Genome](/docs/concepts/genome). It is built on OpenTUI (React for the terminal). ## Keybindings Global shortcuts work from the chat view. When a panel or modal is open, only `Ctrl+C` stays live. | Keys | Action | |------|--------| | `Ctrl+K` / `Ctrl+H` | Open the command palette (search every command). | | `Ctrl+L` | Switch the LLM model. | | `Ctrl+D` | Cycle the [forge mode](#forge-modes). | | `Ctrl+S` | Browse and install skills. | | `Ctrl+G` | Git menu. | | `Ctrl+P` | Browse and restore sessions. | | `Ctrl+E` | Toggle the [editor](#embedded-neovim) panel. | | `Ctrl+T` | New tab. | | `Ctrl+W` | Close the current tab. | | `Ctrl+N` | New session (saves the current one first). | | `Ctrl+1`…`Ctrl+9`, `Ctrl+0` | Switch to tab N (`Ctrl+0` = tab 10). | | `Ctrl+[` / `Ctrl+]` | Previous / next tab. | | `Ctrl+B` | Rewind to the previous checkpoint (code + conversation). | | `Ctrl+F` | Step forward / return to live. | | `Ctrl+X` | Abort the running generation. | | `Ctrl+O` | Expand or collapse all code and reasoning blocks. | | `Ctrl+C` | Copy the selection, or exit when there is none. | | `Ctrl+Shift+C` | Copy the selection (never exits). | | `Meta+R` | Open the error log (`Alt+R` on Linux). | The checkpoint keys are the [time machine](/docs/tools/checkpoints): every prompt is a git-tagged checkpoint, so `Ctrl+B` / `Ctrl+F` move code and chat together. ### Chat input | Keys | Action | |------|--------| | `Enter` | Submit the prompt. | | `↑` / `↓` | Prompt history (when the cursor is on the first / last row). | | `Tab` / `Shift+Tab` | Cycle tabs (when no autocomplete is open). | | `Ctrl+R` | Fuzzy-search prompt history. | | `Ctrl+V` / `Alt+V` | Paste an image from the clipboard as an attachment. | | `Alt+S` / `Alt+P` | Stash the current draft / pop the most recent one. | | `@` | Mention a file, opens a fuzzy file picker. | | `/` | Start a slash command, with inline autocomplete. | ## Forge modes The mode shapes how the agent works. Cycle with `Ctrl+D` or set one with `/mode`. The active mode persists per project. | Mode | Behavior | |------|----------| | `default` | Implements directly. | | `architect` | Read-only. Designs and analyzes: current architecture, proposal, risks, recommendation. | | `socratic` | Read-only. Investigates, then asks probing questions before implementing. | | `challenge` | Read-only. A constructive adversary that challenges assumptions. | | `plan` | Research and planning. Produces a plan and confirms before executing; approval continues in auto. | | `auto` | Continuous autonomous execution. Destructive actions still confirm. | Read-only modes keep the full tool set but refuse edits and shell writes at execution time. ## Tabs Up to **five** tabs run side by side, each its own conversation lane on the same repository. They share the Genome and memory and coordinate file edits through [cross-tab claims](/docs/agents/cross-tab) so two tabs never clobber the same file silently. - `Ctrl+T` opens a tab (names it first), `/tab new` works too. - `Ctrl+W` closes the current tab, a busy tab asks first. The last tab can't be closed. - `Ctrl+1`, `9`, `Ctrl+[` / `Ctrl+]`, or clicking the tab bar switch tabs. - `/tab rename ` renames, drag or `moveTab` reorders. The name is persisted immediately, so it survives quitting mid-session and reappears on the desktop and in [Hearth](/docs/tools/hearth) chats. All tabs persist into one session, each owning a slice, reopen and your tabs come back. ## Panels and modals Everything beyond the chat thread is a panel. Open the command palette (`Ctrl+K`) to reach any of them by name, or use the slash command shown. #### Model picker `Ctrl+L` or `/models`. Pick a provider and model, with live availability. On [LLM Gateway](/docs/providers/overview#llm-gateway) rows, `Ctrl+R` opens the route chooser, pick which upstream vendor serves the model, cheapest first. #### Command palette `Ctrl+K`, fuzzy-search every command and panel. #### Sessions `Ctrl+P` or `/session history`, browse and restore past sessions. #### Skills `Ctrl+S` or `/skills`, search, install, and load skills. #### Git `Ctrl+G` or `/git`, status, diff, commit, branch, stash, and more. #### Router `/router`, assign a different model to each task slot. #### MCP `/mcp`, connected MCP servers, their tools, and reconnect. #### LSP `/lsp`, install, restart, and inspect language servers. #### Genome `/genome`, the code graph status: files, symbols, ranking. #### Memory `/memory`, browse, pin, and clear cross-session memory. #### Status dashboard `/status` or `/context`, tokens, context window, dispatch, system health. #### Terminals `/terminals`, a floating terminal manager. There are over thirty panels in all. The full set is reachable from the command palette and the [command reference](/docs/reference/commands). ## Status bar The header and footer keep live telemetry in view: - **Model**, provider and model, with a `proxy›` or `gateway›` prefix when routed. - **Git**, branch with a `*` dirty marker, green when clean, amber when dirty. - **Mode**, the active forge mode badge (single-tab) or per-tab badges (multi-tab). - **Context bar**. A gauge of context-window usage that turns warning-toned past 50% and red past 85%, a compaction spinner, and a checkpoint-browsing indicator. - **Plan meter**, on a flat-rate model, the same gauge drawn for whatever meters it: a [relay subscription window](/docs/providers/proxy) on `proxy/*`, a [Copilot monthly allowance](/docs/providers/copilot#usage-and-quota) on `copilot/*`. One slot, following the model, how much of the cap gating it is spent, and when it resets. - **Cost**, running session cost (or `FREE` / `Local` for local models), greener when cache hits are high. The footer also rotates keybinding hints and discovery tips. ## Mouse support - Click and drag to select text. The selection is copied (OSC-52 + native clipboard). Right-click copies and clears. - The scroll wheel scrolls the chat with momentum and sticks to the bottom on new output. - Click the tab bar to switch, close, or open tabs. - Click inside the editor pane to focus it, click the chat to focus back. ## Computer use `/computer` lists what can be driven right now, displays, apps and windows, browser tabs, with the OS permissions each backend still needs and every live session. `/computer stop` releases input immediately, `/computer teach` records a workflow by demonstration. The full model is in [computer use](/docs/tools/computer-use). ## Embedded Neovim `Ctrl+E` opens a real Neovim instance beside the chat, connected over msgpack-RPC. It is an opt-in [add-on](/docs/tools/addons) (`empryo addon install neovim`). - The agent and the editor share state: AI edits trigger a buffer reload, and the agent can drive the editor through the [editor tool](/docs/tools/editor). Navigate, rename, format, read diagnostics, and more. - `/editor split` cycles the editor/chat width (40/50/60/70%), `/nvim-config` switches between Empryo's bundled config and your own. - When the editor is focused, keystrokes go straight to Neovim, `Ctrl+E` and `Ctrl+C` bring focus back to chat. ## Next #### Command reference Every slash command, grouped by area. #### Themes 39 built-in themes plus your own.