Command line

Every command with its flags, how teammates' channels are reached, and where model keys come from.

Prints the new channel's name and ID; it starts dormant. A folder that isn't a Git repository is refused with … is not a Git repository. Initialize Git to start channels in it.

Run it without --project inside a Git checkout.

The checkout becomes the channel's project. Without --name, Ace picks a two-word name (amber-meadow).

The channel takes that name. A name already in use is refused with A channel named cli-one already exists.

ace ls shows the model instead of automatic, and its runs use it (openai/gpt-6-astra answered an ask).

One line per channel with name, ID, running or dormant, model (or automatic) and project folder. Archived channels are left out.

Archived channels appear with state archived.

Every channel the running host can see, with its host and owner.

1 It needs the running host; with the host on a non-default port it says Open Ace or start this host with ace serve first unless --port or ACE_PORT is given, and help lists --port only for tabs, serve and open.

JSON with ID, name, summary, project, owner, agent access (shared), desktop tools, and each chat's busy state and token usage.

Name a channel on a reachable teammate's host, by name or ID.

The same JSON, relayed through this host's running gateway.

2 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: the JSON doesn't name the host, and the owner is an email (same.chocolixir@gmail.com) where the app says samechocolixir.

Nothing printed; ace ls shows the new name. Lane branches keep their old names.

Prints the new channel's name (fork-of-cli-one), in the same project, seeded from the source's summary and lane.

3 Cloud compute channels are refused: Cloud compute channels can't be forked yet: their lanes are in the container. (apps/host/src/manage.ts:96)

Window, channel, tab ID, type (chat, terminal, diff, blank), whether it's active, and name. --json adds the channel name and which window is focused.

The tab goes back to its default (Terminal).

Writes backup.json, channel.json and channel.sqlite, then reminds you that project files and lane worktrees aren't included. An existing directory is refused (EEXIST).

Prints the new channel's name and ID; its chats are back, in the original project folder. A taken name gets a suffix: restoring one backup twice gave cli-one-1 and cli-one-2, and ace info cli-one-1 reports that name.

5 Restore errors are raw ENOENT/EEXIST, and the restored channel can't be named (rest of githubnext/ace#624).

Writes an editable JSON seed (format: ace-seed) with every chat, its model and its items, including agent turns.

Prints the new channel's name and ID. Without --project the current folder is used; a taken name is refused.

The newest message is stamped with the import time, and the rest keep their spacing.

The message appears in the chat; no run starts. No text gives Nothing to say; an unknown chat gives No chat 99.

Prints the request and the agent's reply as it arrives, then (run ended). Ctrl-C detaches and leaves the run going.

The reply is labelled with that model (gpt-5-mini).

6 ace chat --model anthropic/… was accepted, then ran on gpt-6-astra: the rig's CLI had no Anthropic key.

Returns at once; ace info shows the chat busy until the run ends.

Replays the chat, then follows new messages and run ends until you stop it.

Prints the new chat's ID for --chat.

7 Chat IDs aren't sequential: a channel with one chat got chats 10 and then 15.

The run ends and its reply shows Stopped.

Name a channel on a reachable teammate's host; this host's running gateway relays the request.

Works like your own channel; their host decides whether you may invoke its agents.

8 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: say prints nothing, and a refused ask says Only the owner can invoke agents here without naming agent access.

9 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: watch replays the whole history with no mark where live output begins; chat and stop weren't tried.

Every run stops and the channel goes dormant.

Prints <name> now runs on this host. An idle, unarchived channel you own is required.

10 Only the refusals were checked: a local channel gives The channel is already on this host, and no flag or both flags print the usage.

11 Canary 0.0.51.85: a cloud compute channel refuses with A cloud compute channel's workspace is its container, so it cannot move; needs a hosted directory to try.

The channel runs in the team's cloud workspace.

on prints that teammates can run commands as you on this machine; off prints Agent access is off for <channel>. Only you can ask its agents. ace info shows agents.

on prints that its agents can operate this machine's apps; ace info shows desktop: true.

12 Like ace agents, any word but on turns it off silently.

13 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

Each person and why they can see it (their folder, reads it on GitHub, shared with the team).

14 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: a teammate's folder project can't be named, and its owner/name form lists everyone, owner included, as no access.

Prints that the team can see every channel in it, including later ones.

15 Without a team directory both share and unshare refuse with Join a team directory to share projects.

That person can see every channel in it. Someone whose Ace isn't running is refused (No one on the team is nobody-xyz yet; their Ace must be running).

16 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: project unshare <project> <login> wasn't tried.

Every provider/id this machine has a key for (60 with Anthropic and OpenAI keys).

Automatic or the saved model, and Overridden by ACE_MODEL=… when that's set.

Prints the model; new chats' first runs use it.

17 An unknown model on a provider that has a key gives This model is unavailable. Add its provider key first. (openai/does-not-exist with an OpenAI key set).

Pipe or type the key, ending with Ctrl-D.

Stored <NAME> in the keychain, through the running host when there is one so it can read the key without a prompt.

18 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

Removed <NAME> or No <NAME> in the keychain.

19 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

Its URL, or No directory. ACE_DIRECTORY overrides the saved one.

20 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: it never says this Mac is the one serving it, or whether the last sync worked.

The running host checks the URL with ACE_SECRET before saving it.

21 An unreachable URL gives Could not reach https://example.invalid. Check the URL and your connection. and saves nothing.

22 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: it echoes the URL with no joined, and an open Settings → Team shows it only after Refresh.

No directory.

23 Pair study, Canary 0.0.53.88: an open Settings → Team kept the URL, Synced… and Leave… until a reload.

Prints the saved app's origin, or No web app.

Saves and prints the origin (a path is dropped). Only HTTPS is accepted.

No web app.

Prints the local URL and, on the tailnet, the HTTP and HTTPS addresses your devices can open.

Loopback only: not listening on the tailnet, finding peers, or publishing to the directory.

Pass a demo script (docs/demo.md) naming made-up people and timed steps.

Demo mode: robin from …; the scripted person opens the channel, posts and reacts on schedule.

Start a host on a port another host holds.

Names the other host, its PID, command and home, and asks for another --port. A second host on the same ACE_HOME (another port) is refused too: /tmp/…/home is already served by a command-line Ace host (PID … ) on port 4440. Stop it, or set ACE_HOME to give this host its own data directory.

Every process's log lines in time order, filtered, then the log folder.

The default browser opens the app, signed in with the host's token. Without a running host it says Start this host with ace serve first.

24 After an Ace Helper restart a reload sticks on Disconnected from your host. Reconnecting… (WebSocket 401) with nothing saying to sign in again.

25 ace open prints nothing (left by githubnext/ace#652).

Hides it from ace ls; ace ls --all still lists it.

It's back in ace ls, dormant.

Removes it and says its lane branches remain in the project.