# Chorus CLI

> How to install, configure, and use the `chorus` CLI — install it, manage agents with `chorus agents` (add/remove/list), the connection environment variables, and MCP operations via `chorus mcp`. A concise shared reference for any flow that drives Chorus from the shell.

- Skill: `chorus-aidlc/chorus-cli` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add chorus-aidlc/chorus-cli`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/chorus-aidlc/chorus-cli/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Author: chorus-aidlc (https://skillmd.com/u/chorus-aidlc)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/chorus-aidlc/chorus-cli

---


# chorus-cli — using the `chorus` CLI

`chorus` (published as `@chorus-aidlc/chorus`) is the one command that configures this
machine's coding agents for Chorus and talks to the Chorus MCP endpoint from the shell.
This is a concise reference — run `chorus --help` and `chorus <command> --help` for the
full flag surface.

## 1. Install

```bash
npm install -g @chorus-aidlc/chorus       # unpinned — always installs the latest
chorus --version                          # must be >= 0.17.0 (provides `chorus agents` + `chorus mcp`)
```

## 2. Configure agents — `chorus agents`

Agent configuration lives in `~/.chorus/daemon.json`; `chorus agents` is the CRUD group:

- `chorus agents` (or `chorus agents list`) — list configured agents (name, UUID, backend).
  The API key is never printed; the agent named by `CHORUS_AGENT_PROFILE` is marked.
- `chorus agents add [--agents <ids>] [--all] [--url <u>] [--api-key <cho_…>] [--yes] [--dsh-profile <name>]`
  — detect installed coding agents, install each one's Chorus plugin, and seed credentials
  (this is the former `chorus init`). Idempotent; safe to re-run. `--help` lists every flag.
- `chorus agents remove <name|uuid>` — remove a configured agent from `~/.chorus/daemon.json`
  (matched by UUID or name; an ambiguous name → use the UUID).

- `chorus agents run --name <name|uuid> [--type <type>] [--] [agent args…]` — launch a
  configured agent's binary in the FOREGROUND with its Chorus connection injected into the
  child only (`CHORUS_URL` / `CHORUS_API_KEY` / `CHORUS_AGENT_PROFILE`; nothing is exported to
  the parent shell, and the key is never printed). Agent selection: single agent by default; else `--name`, else `CHORUS_AGENT_PROFILE`; ambiguous/none →
  error. Backend defaults to the agent's stored `agentType`, overridable with `--type`.
  Everything after `--` is passed to the agent **verbatim** (never inspected). Type → binary:
  `claude-code`/`claude`→`claude`, `codex`→`codex`, `kiro`→`kiro-cli`, `pi`→`pi`,
  `opencode`→`opencode`, `openclaw`→`openclaw`, `dsh`→`dsh-jsonrpc-agent`. Agents added as
  opencode/openclaw/dsh are stored as `offline` → pass `--type` explicitly to launch them.

## 3. Connection environment variables

- `CHORUS_URL` — the Chorus instance URL.
- `CHORUS_API_KEY` — an agent API key (`cho_…`).
- `CHORUS_AGENT_PROFILE` — optional name or UUID of the agent to act as. When set, `chorus mcp`
  resolves that agent's key from `~/.chorus/daemon.json`, so you need not export
  `CHORUS_API_KEY` for the CLI path. Daemon-woken sessions receive it automatically.

## 4. MCP operations — `chorus mcp`

Call any Chorus MCP tool from the shell — a byte-exact, token-free path for large content:

- `chorus mcp call <tool> ['<json>'] [--arg-file key=<file>] [--agent <name|uuid>]` — call a tool.
  `--arg-file content=<file>` streams a file's raw bytes into the JSON `content` string (no
  re-typing through the model). Identity resolves from `--agent` → `CHORUS_AGENT_PROFILE` →
  `CHORUS_URL`+`CHORUS_API_KEY` → a single configured agent.
- `chorus mcp whoami` — print this agent's own UUID.
- `chorus mcp list` — list the tools this agent may call.

Requires `chorus >= 0.17.0` (the `chorus mcp` subcommand). See `chorus mcp --help`.