Shell Mode

Stakpak's Shell Mode allows you to execute system commands directly from the TUI, seamlessly blending AI assistance with traditional terminal workflows.

How to Activate

• Empty Input: Type $ as the first character in the input bar.
• Shortcuts: Press Shift + 4 (on US keyboards) when the input is empty.

Once activated, the prompt changes to $, indicating you are in Shell Mode.

Background vs. Foreground Shell

Stakpak intelligently truncates long-running commands or those requiring user interaction.

Background Shell

For standard commands (e.g., ls, git status, docker ps), Stakpak runs them in the background.

• Non-blocking: You can continue to use the TUI while the command runs.
• Output: The output is displayed in the main chat interface as a block.

Foreground Shell (Interactive)

For interactive commands (e.g., vim, htop, ssh, git commit), Stakpak launches a full interactive terminal session when you ctrl+r.

• Full Control: You have complete control over the terminal process.
• Pty Support: Uses a pseudo-terminal (pty) to support full-screen applications and complex interactions.
• Exit: When the command exits, you are returned to the Stakpak TUI.

Key Features

• History: Shell history is preserved for the session.
• AI Context: Output from shell commands is visible to the AI, allowing you to ask questions about the result of a command immediately after running it.