1# zot
2
3yet another coding agent harness, lightweight and written (vibe-slopped) in go.
4
5- one static binary.
6- two providers atm (anthropic, openai/codex).
7- four tools (read, write, edit, bash).
8- three run modes (interactive tui, print, json).
9- built-in telegram bot.
10- no extensions atm.
11- no community atm.
12
13## install
14
15### one-liner (macos + linux)
16
17```bash
18curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/patriceckhart/zot/main/install.sh | bash
19```
20
21detects your os/arch, downloads the latest release from github, verifies the sha256 against the release's `checksums.txt`, extracts the binary, and drops it in `/usr/local/bin`, `~/.local/bin`, or `~/bin` — whichever is writable first. pass a version or prefix to pin:
22
23```bash
24curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/patriceckhart/zot/main/install.sh | bash -s -- v0.0.1 ~/bin
25```
26
27### one-liner (windows, powershell)
28
29```powershell
30iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/patriceckhart/zot/main/install.ps1 | iex
31```
32
33drops `zot.exe` into `$HOME\bin` and adds it to the user PATH if missing. open a fresh terminal afterwards.
34
35### homebrew (macos + linux)
36
37```bash
38brew install patriceckhart/tap/zot
39```
40
41the tap lives at `patriceckhart/homebrew-tap`.
42
43### go install
44
45```bash
46go install github.com/patriceckhart/zot/cmd/zot@latest
47```
48
49### from source
50
51```bash
52git clone https://github.com/patriceckhart/zot
53cd zot
54make build        # produces ./bin/zot
55make install      # into $GOPATH/bin
56```
57
58### prebuilt binaries
59
60every release on the [releases page](https://github.com/patriceckhart/zot/releases) ships archives for linux, macos, and windows on amd64 + arm64 (except windows/arm64), plus a `checksums.txt` file. download, verify, `chmod +x`, and drop on your `$PATH`.
61
62## authenticate
63
64the easiest way is to just run `zot` and type `/login`. the tui opens even without credentials and walks you through a browser-based login flow.
65
66### credential lookup order
67
681. `--api-key` flag
692. `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` / `OPENAI_API_KEY` env var
703. `$ZOT_HOME/auth.json` (api key or oauth token; mode 0600)
71
72`$ZOT_HOME` defaults to:
73- macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/zot`
74- linux: `$XDG_STATE_HOME/zot` or `~/.local/state/zot`
75- windows: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\zot`
76
77### `/login` flow
78
79run `zot` and type `/login`. pick one of two methods:
80
81- **api key** — a small local web server starts on `127.0.0.1:<free-port>`, your browser opens a form, you paste your `sk-ant-...` or `sk-...` key. zot probes the provider once and saves it to `auth.json` if accepted.
82- **subscription** — use your claude pro/max or chatgpt plus/pro subscription. the oauth flow pins the callback to a fixed port per provider (`localhost:53692` for anthropic, `localhost:1455` for openai) because those are the only ports their auth servers will redirect to.
83  - anthropic uses the claude code oauth flow; messages go to `api.anthropic.com` with a bearer token and the claude-code identity headers.
84  - openai uses the codex cli oauth flow; messages go to `chatgpt.com/backend-api/codex/responses` with the `chatgpt-account-id` extracted from the returned id_token.
85
86> **note on subscription login**: the oauth client ids used are the ones published in anthropic's claude code cli and openai's codex cli. reusing them from a third-party tool is against their terms of service and may be revoked at any time. use it at your own risk; the api-key flow is the safe default.
87
88### token refresh
89
90oauth access tokens are short-lived (anthropic ~8h, openai ~30d). zot refreshes them automatically:
91
92- at every credential lookup, zot checks the stored `expiry` and — if past it (with a 60s safety margin) — hits the provider's `oauth/token` endpoint with the stored `refresh_token`, persists the new `access_token` + `refresh_token` + `expiry` back to `auth.json`, and hands the fresh token to the client.
93- the telegram bridge additionally refreshes once per turn so a bot that runs for days keeps working without manual intervention.
94- if the refresh itself fails (the `refresh_token` was revoked, or the account was logged out everywhere), the error bubbles up to the caller: the tui shows it in the status line, the bot replies with it in your dm. run `/login` to get a fresh token pair.
95
96all data lives under `$ZOT_HOME`:
97
98```
99$ZOT_HOME/
100├── config.json         # last-used provider/model/theme, saved automatically
101├── auth.json           # api keys and oauth tokens (mode 0600)
102├── sessions/           # jsonl transcripts, one dir per cwd
103├── models-cache.json   # live /v1/models discovery cache (6h ttl)
104└── logs/               # app log files
105```
106
107## usage
108
109```bash
110zot                              # interactive tui
111zot "fix the failing test"       # tui, pre-filled prompt
112zot -p "list all go files"       # print final text, exit
113zot --json "refactor main.go"    # newline-delimited json events, exit
114zot --continue                   # resume the most recent session for this cwd
115zot --resume                     # pick a session to resume
116zot --list-models                # show supported models
117zot --help
118```
119
120## flags
121
122| flag | description |
123|---|---|
124| `--provider anthropic\|openai` | pick the provider |
125| `--model <id>` | pick the model (see `--list-models`) |
126| `--api-key <key>` | override api key |
127| `--base-url <url>` | override provider base url (tests / self-hosted) |
128| `--system-prompt <text>` | replace the default system prompt |
129| `--append-system-prompt <text>` | append text to the system prompt (repeatable) |
130| `--reasoning low\|medium\|high` | enable reasoning on supported models |
131| `-c`, `--continue` | resume the latest session for this cwd |
132| `-r`, `--resume` | pick a session to resume |
133| `--session <path>` | resume a specific session file |
134| `--no-session` | don't read or write session files |
135| `--cwd <path>` | use `<path>` as the working directory |
136| `--no-tools` | disable all tools |
137| `--tools <csv>` | only enable the listed tools |
138| `--max-steps <n>` | cap agent loop iterations (default 50) |
139
140## tools
141
142- `read` — read text files (or inline images: png / jpg / gif / webp)
143- `write` — create or overwrite files, making parent directories as needed
144- `edit` — one or more exact-match replacements in an existing file
145- `bash` — run a shell command in the session cwd, with merged stdout/stderr and a timeout
146
147when the sandbox is on (see `/lock`), all four tools refuse paths outside the session cwd.
148
149## modes
150
151- **interactive** (default): chat tui with streaming output, spinner, cost meter, slash commands.
152- **print**: `zot -p "prompt"` runs the agent to completion and writes only the final assistant text to stdout.
153- **json**: `zot --json "prompt"` emits one json object per agent event to stdout, newline-delimited. the schema is documented in `instructions.md` §8.
154
155## slash commands
156
157type `/` in the tui to open the autocomplete popup. available commands:
158
159| command | description |
160|---|---|
161| `/help` | show key bindings and commands |
162| `/login` | log in via api key or subscription (opens a dialog) |
163| `/logout [provider]` | clear credentials for `anthropic`, `openai`, or all when omitted |
164| `/model` | pick a model from a list (or `/model <id>` to set directly) |
165| `/sessions` | resume a previous session for this directory |
166| `/compact` | summarize the transcript into one message to free up context |
167| `/lock` | confine tools to the current directory |
168| `/unlock` | allow tools to touch paths outside again |
169| `/clear` | clear the chat transcript |
170| `/exit` | exit zot |
171
172### `/sessions`
173
174shows previous sessions for the current working directory, newest first, with timestamp, model, message count, cost, and the first user prompt. pick one with `↑/↓`, `enter` to resume, `esc` to cancel. zot swaps the current session file for the selected one and replays the full transcript (including tool calls) into the agent. sessions remember the model they ended on, so resuming picks up on that exact model even if your global default changed.
175
176### `/compact`
177
178sends the current transcript through the model with a structured summarization prompt. the returned summary replaces the transcript as one synthetic user message, with the last few exchanges kept verbatim for continuity. status bar's `ctx N/M (P%)` meter resets. use it when the context meter creeps past ~80%.
179
180zot also auto-compacts in the background: after any turn that leaves context usage ≥ **85%** of the model's window, the agent kicks off a condense pass on its own. you'll see `condensing history… (esc to cancel)` above the status bar and an `(auto)` tag next to the context percentage; esc aborts it without touching the transcript.
181
182### `/lock`
183
184enforces a sandbox rooted at the cwd shown in the status bar. `read` / `write` / `edit` resolve their target path (including through symlinks) and refuse anything outside the sandbox. `bash` refuses obvious escape patterns: `sudo`, `rm -rf /`, leading `cd /` / `cd ..` / `cd ~`, `chmod -R`, `dd of=/`, etc. status bar shows `· locked · ~/your/cwd` while active.
185
186this is a guardrail against accidents, not a hard security boundary. if you need real isolation, run zot under docker or a proper sandbox.
187
188## sessions
189
190every interactive or print/json run (unless `--no-session`) writes a jsonl transcript under `$ZOT_HOME/sessions/<cwd-hash>/`. resume any of them with `--continue`, `--resume`, `--session <path>`, or interactively via `/sessions` inside the tui.
191
192## models
193
194`--list-models` or the `/model` picker shows the full catalog. three sources:
195
196- **catalog** — models baked into zot, always available
197- **live** — ids discovered from `GET /v1/models` using your stored api key (cached for 6h in `$ZOT_HOME/models-cache.json`, refreshed in the background on startup)
198- **speculative** — ids that appear in the upstream generator but aren't live on the public api yet; they'll 404 today and start working the moment the provider ships them
199
200the context meter in the status line (`ctx N/M (P%)`) uses the model's advertised context window to show how much of it your last turn consumed.
201
202## inline images
203
204when a tool returns an image (e.g. `read` on a png), zot renders it inline on terminals that support it: **iterm2**, **wezterm**, **kitty**, **ghostty**. on other terminals you see a text placeholder with mime type, pixel dimensions, and byte size. control with the `ZOT_INLINE_IMAGES` env var:
205
206| value | effect |
207|---|---|
208| unset (default) | auto-detect based on `TERM_PROGRAM` |
209| `iterm` / `iterm2` | force iterm2 osc 1337 protocol |
210| `kitty` | force kitty graphics protocol |
211| `off` / `none` | always use the text placeholder |
212
213frames containing images are full-repainted (no differential diff) to prevent stale image pixels from lingering through scroll. that costs one terminal flash per image-containing frame; set `ZOT_INLINE_IMAGES=off` if that bothers you.
214
215## queued messages
216
217you can keep typing while the agent is working. pressing enter during a turn queues the message instead of interrupting: it shows up above the status bar as `▸ sliding in: <text>` and is delivered as the next user turn the moment the current one finishes. queue as many as you want; they run in order. esc / ctrl+c cancels the active turn and drops the queue so a runaway turn doesn't flood you with stale follow-ups.
218
219slash commands still require an idle state — typing `/something` during a turn prints `cancel the current turn (esc) before running a slash command`.
220
221## keys (interactive mode)
222
223### input
224
225| key | action |
226|---|---|
227| `enter` | submit (queued if the agent is busy) |
228| `alt+enter` | newline |
229| `tab` | complete the selected slash command |
230| `esc` | cancel the current turn (while busy); clear input (while idle) |
231| `ctrl+c` | exit when idle; cancel the current turn while busy |
232| `ctrl+d` | exit on empty input |
233| `ctrl+l` | redraw the screen |
234| `ctrl+o` | expand / collapse long tool results |
235
236### editor line navigation
237
238| key | action |
239|---|---|
240| `ctrl+a` / `ctrl+e` | jump to start / end of line |
241| `alt+←` / `alt+→` | jump one word back / forward |
242| `ctrl+u` / `ctrl+k` | delete to start / end of line |
243| `ctrl+w` · `alt+backspace` | delete the previous word |
244| `up` / `down` (editor non-empty) | cycle through prompt history |
245
246### chat scroll
247
248| key | action |
249|---|---|
250| `pgup` / `pgdn` | scroll one page up / down |
251| `up` / `down` (editor empty) | scroll three lines up / down — this is how the mouse wheel reaches the scroll logic on most terminals |
252
253## telegram bot (bridge)
254
255zot can run as a telegram bot so you can dm it from your phone. it's a built-in subcommand, not a plugin:
256
257```bash
258zot telegram-bot setup     # paste a BotFather token, verify, save
259zot telegram-bot run       # foreground: long-poll in this terminal (ctrl+c to stop)
260zot telegram-bot start     # background: detach and return immediately
261zot telegram-bot stop      # sigterm the background bot (sigkill after 5s)
262zot telegram-bot logs -f   # tail $ZOT_HOME/logs/bot.log (omit -f to just cat)
263zot telegram-bot status    # config (token masked) + running/stopped
264zot telegram-bot reset     # forget the token + paired user
265# short alias: `zot tg ...` is accepted for every subcommand
266```
267
268the background flavor writes the child's pid to `$ZOT_HOME/bot.pid` and redirects stdout+stderr to `$ZOT_HOME/logs/bot.log`. `zot telegram-bot stop` reads that pid, sends sigterm, waits up to five seconds, then escalates to sigkill if the child is still alive. running two instances at once is refused at startup.
269
270> **use the installed binary for `start`.** `go run ./cmd/zot telegram-bot start` won't work — `go run` builds a binary in a temp directory and deletes it when it exits, which kills the detached child. run `make install` (or `go build`) first and invoke the installed binary.
271
272setup flow:
273
2741. talk to [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) on telegram, run `/newbot`, copy the token it gives you.
2752. run `zot telegram-bot setup` and paste the token when prompted.
2763. run `zot telegram-bot run` in the directory you want the agent to operate in.
2774. open your bot on telegram, send `/start`. the first user to do this claims the bridge (stored as `allowed_user_id`); every other user is rejected.
278
279from then on, any dm you send is forwarded to the agent as a user prompt. attached photos or image/* documents are downloaded and passed to vision-capable models. in-bot telegram commands: `/help`, `/status`, `/stop` (cancel the current turn). config lives in `$ZOT_HOME/bot.json` (mode 0600).
280
281bot mode respects the usual zot flags — `--provider`, `--model`, `--cwd`, `--reasoning`, `--continue`, `--no-session`, `--no-tools`, etc. run `zot tg run -c --model claude-opus-4-1` to resume the latest session on opus, for example.
282
283## development
284
285```bash
286make build     # build ./bin/zot
287make test      # go test -race ./...
288make lint      # go vet + gofmt check
289make fmt       # gofmt -w .
290make release   # cross-compile linux/darwin/windows × amd64/arm64
291```
292
293source layout:
294
295```
296cmd/zot/                      main()
297internal/agent/               cli wiring, arg parsing, system prompt, config
298internal/agent/modes/         interactive tui, print, json, dialogs
299internal/agent/tools/         read, write, edit, bash, sandbox
300internal/auth/                credential store, api-key probe, oauth, login server
301internal/core/                agent loop, sessions, cost tracking
302internal/provider/            anthropic + openai streaming clients, model catalog
303internal/tui/                 terminal raw-mode, input parser, editor, renderer, markdown, view
304```
305
306## license
307
308MIT