Reference

Command line

panto opens the interactive TUI; -p runs one turn and prints the answer. Subcommands handle everything else. Related: Getting started, Configuration, Key bindings, Lua extensions.

Starting a session

panto
panto -- "fix the failing tests"
panto resume -p -- "continue the task"

• Quote the prompt: it must be one argument after --. Anything else is a usage error.
• In the TUI, a startup prompt acts like typed input, so / and ! run a slash command or shell line.
• Without a startup prompt, the TUI opens with empty input.
• The TUI needs a terminal; non-TTY stdin is an error.
• Subcommands come right after panto, and actions right after their group. Put flags after that command path, anywhere before --.
• Bare sessions, models, auth, and extensions default to list.
• List filters are case-insensitive globs matched anywhere. * matches any run; ? matches one character.

Flags

Also valid on panto resume.

Exit codes

panto resume

• No sessions here: error, not a new session.
• An ambiguous id prefix lists the matching ids.
• Takes all the session flags.
• A prompt after -- becomes a new message. The rig's PROMPT.md is never replayed.

Print mode

Use it in scripts and pipes.

panto -p -- "summarize the README"
cat task.md | panto -p

A nonempty prompt is required. Choose its source in this order:

• stdout: assistant text only, streamed, each block newline-terminated. No thinking or tool traffic.
• stderr: errors and LuaRocks install progress.
• Exit 0 on success, 1 on a failed turn or missing prompt.
• / and ! prompts go to the model as text.
• Extensions get the same events as in the TUI.
• The session is saved.
• No interactive OAuth login: an unauthenticated provider fails.

Rigs

Use a rig to bundle config, models, extensions, and an optional PROMPT.md.

• Pass --rig to panto, resume, or serve.
• Rigs are trusted input.

See Configuration: Rigs.

panto serve

• Default listener: 127.0.0.1:8080.
• No fallback model. Unknown providers and unknown or ambiguous bare aliases return HTTP 400.
• Non-loopback binding needs a nonempty token via [server] auth_token_env.
• Browser Origin requests are rejected.

Auth and limits: Configuration: [server].

panto sessions

• The filter matches id or last user message.
• Columns: id prefix, modified time, message count, model, last user message. Newest first.
• Printed id prefixes are unique across this directory's sessions, including filtered-out rows (8+ characters); pass one to panto resume.
• With no sessions, prints the current directory and its session directory.

panto models

An asterisk marks the effective default model. The filter matches provider:alias.

Without this flag, an unreadable live listing for a multi-endpoint provider makes sync fail and leaves the base file unchanged. See Configuration: models.toml.

panto auth

Show and manage auth sessions.

panto extensions

Manage panto-installed git extensions and rocks. Git operations need git on your PATH.

panto update

panto bootstrap

panto lua

panto lua -e 'print(_VERSION)'

• Arguments go to the interpreter or script. Only the first argument after lua recognizes help.

See Lua extensions.

panto version

panto help

panto help models sync
panto models sync --help
panto models sync -h

The help words are reserved before --; after it they are ordinary data. panto lua is the exception: see above.

Slash commands

In the TUI, a line starting with / runs locally and is not sent to the model. Arguments are the trimmed rest of the line.

Extension commands

• The handler gets the trimmed arguments (or an empty string); a returned string is shown.
• Listed in /help and completion when extensions load.
• A name collision with any other command stops the session from opening.
• TUI input pauses while a handler awaits async work.

Shell lines

In the TUI, a line starting with ! runs through /bin/sh -c.

During a turn, shell input is injected at a safe tool boundary if one comes, otherwise after the turn.

Environment

Use environment variables to set credentials, paths, and runtime options.