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03. The TUI: sessions, commands and keybinds

🎯 Objective

Master the OpenCode terminal interface: prompt input, context, shell, commands, sessions, undo/redo, and shortcuts.

📋 Getting started

cd ~/code/my-project
opencode

Type a request and press Enter.

Explain how authentication works in this project
  • Shift+Enter, Ctrl+Enter, Alt+Enter or Ctrl+J insert a new line
  • While OpenCode is working, Enter steers the active session; Ctrl+X then Enter queues the prompt

📎 Context and shell

Review @src/auth.ts for error handling problems
Explain @src/auth.ts#20-45
  • Type @ to search and attach a file; you can include a line/range (#20-45)
  • Type ! at the start of an empty prompt to enter shell mode: !git status runs in the session directory

⌨️ Commands and palette

  • / lists slash commands — common ones include /new, /sessions, /models, /agents, /undo, /redo, /editor
  • Ctrl+P opens the command palette with every action in the current view
  • Ctrl+X is the leader key by default (e.g. Ctrl+X then M = switch model; Ctrl+X then A = switch agent)

🤖 Models and agents

Action Shortcut
Choose model Ctrl+X then M, or /models
Cycle recent models F2
Choose agent Ctrl+X then A, or /agents
Cycle agents Shift+Tab

🗂️ Sessions and tabs

  • Ctrl+X then N creates a session; Ctrl+X then L (/sessions) returns to a session; Ctrl+O opens recent sessions and projects
  • Tabs are enabled by default: Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab switch; Ctrl+X then W closes; Ctrl+Shift+T reopens

↩️ Undo and redo

/undo   # reverts the last message and the following work; returns the prompt to the composer
/redo   # restores what was reverted

❓ Side question (/btw)

/btw <question> answers about the conversation so far without entering history — great for quick questions.

/btw why did the test in step 2 fail?

🎨 Customize and edit

  • Ctrl+X then E (or /editor) edits the prompt in your $EDITOR
  • TUI preferences live in ~/.config/opencode/cli.json (next lesson)

❓ Hands-on challenge

  1. Open the TUI and use @ to attach a file with a line range
  2. Ask something with /btw and notice it does not appear in history
  3. Make a change, use /undo, edit the prompt and resend
  4. Rebind a key in cli.json (e.g. command.palette.show to ctrl+k)

📚 Official source

Next step: Lesson 04 — Configuration and CLI settings · Back to module