Understanding the CLI Interface
Beginner⏱30 min📖3 min readLesson 4 of 5

Understanding the CLI Interface

Master the OpenCode command-line interface. Learn all available commands, flags, options, and how to navigate the interactive session effectively.

Command Structure

OpenCode follows a standard CLI structure:

bash
opencode [command] [options] [arguments]

Main Commands

Command
Description
Example
opencode
Start interactive session
opencode
opencode chat
Start chat session
opencode chat
opencode run
Run a single prompt
opencode run "fix the bug"
opencode config
Manage configuration
opencode config list
opencode providers
List LLM providers
opencode providers
opencode skills
List available skills
opencode skills
opencode version
Show version
opencode --version

Interactive Session Commands

Once in an interactive session, use these commands:

Navigation

Command
Description
/help
Show all available commands
/quit or /exit
Exit OpenCode
/clear
Clear current conversation
/history
View conversation history
/save [name]
Save session to file
/load [name]
Load saved session

Session Management

Command
Description
/model [name]
Switch LLM model
/agent [name]
Switch agent
/skill [name]
Load a specific skill
/debug
Toggle debug mode
/verbose
Toggle verbose output

Command-Line Options

Global Options

Option
Description
-h, --help
Show help
-v, --version
Show version
-c, --config [path]
Specify config file
-p, --provider [name]
Set LLM provider
-m, --model [name]
Set model
--debug
Enable debug mode
--verbose
Enable verbose output

Run Command Options

Option
Description
-f, --file [path]
Read input from file
-o, --output [path]
Write output to file
--no-color
Disable colored output
--timeout [ms]
Set timeout in milliseconds

Example Usage Patterns

Single Prompt Execution

bash
opencode run "Explain what this function does"

Read from File

bash
opencode run -f question.txt

Write to File

bash
opencode run -o answer.md "Write a README for this project"

Debug Mode

bash
opencode --debug

Debug output shows:

  • API requests and responses
  • Tool invocations
  • Permission checks
  • Agent routing decisions

Tab Completion

OpenCode supports tab completion for:

  • Commands (/he → /help)
  • File paths (/read src/ma → /read src/main.py)
  • Model names (/model gpt → /model gpt-4o)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut
Action
Enter
Send message
Ctrl+C
Cancel current operation
Ctrl+D
Exit session
Ctrl+L
Clear screen
Up Arrow
Previous command
Down Arrow
Next command
Tab
Auto-complete

Environment Variables

Variable
Description
OPENCODE_CONFIG
Path to config file
OPENCODE_PROVIDER
Default LLM provider
OPENCODE_MODEL
Default model
OPENCODE_DEBUG
Enable debug mode
OPENAI_API_KEY
OpenAI API key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
Anthropic API key
GOOGLE_API_KEY
Google API key

Practice Questions

Practice Question
How to answer

Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.

What command runs OpenCode with a single prompt without entering interactive mode?

Practice Question
How to answer

Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.

Which option enables debug mode from the command line?

Practice Question
How to answer

Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.

How do you switch models during an interactive session?

Practice Question
How to answer

Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.

Which keyboard shortcut cancels the current operation?

Practice Question
How to answer

Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.

What does the -f flag do in the run command?

✅Success

Key Takeaways

  • OpenCode supports both interactive and single-prompt execution modes
  • Use /help in interactive mode to see all available commands
  • The --debug flag shows detailed information about AI operations
  • Tab completion works for commands, file paths, and model names
  • Environment variables can configure defaults for provider and model
  • Keyboard shortcuts provide quick access to common actions
  • The -f flag allows reading prompts from files for batch processing
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Basic Configuration with opencode.json

Course Content

1. What is OpenCode and Why Use It2. Installation and First Setup3. Your First AI Coding Session4. Understanding the CLI Interface5. Basic Configuration with opencode.json