Bb CLI

BB CLI

Use bb for BB state and actions. Inspect context when the target project, host, workspace, or execution selection is not already established.

Start with context

bb status --json

Use JSON when command output controls later work. Use human output for quick inspection.

Run bb --version for the CLI version. Use bb --help or bb help [command] for help. Run bb guide for the system overview. Run bb guide for one area. Use bb --help for current flags and defaults.

A standalone CLI targets http://127.0.0.1:38886. Use BB_SERVER_URL and BB_HOST_DAEMON_PORT only for an intentional non-default target.

Read only the relevant reference

• Read references/command-index.md to find the exact core command path. Use live help for current flags and defaults.
• Read references/configuration.md for settings, agent instructions, skills, remote clients, and environment setup scripts.
• Read references/thread-creation.md before you spawn or fork threads, create projects, select machines, or create environments.
• Read references/thread-operation.md for messages, queues, interactions, panes, terminals, inspection, and long-running commands.
• Read references/failure-recovery.md when a thread fails, stops, or needs plan or goal recovery.
• Read references/theme-commands.md for palette and favicon commands. Read references/theming.md before you create or edit theme CSS.
• Read references/plugins.md for plugin discovery, install, build, update, configuration, runtime, and contributed commands.
• Read references/app-settings.md for complete app setting keys and effects.

Command habits

• Resolve names and IDs with a list or show command before mutation.

• Pass an explicit project when a command can act across projects.

• Pass an environment or machine selector when the default host is uncertain.

• Spawn onto a plugin-provisioned environment with bb thread spawn --environment-provider <id> (list them with bb environment providers). Read the provider's requires (projectCheckout, gitCheckout, gitRemote, projectless): these facts decide where the provider is offered. A provider whose inputs schema does not accept an empty object needs --environment-inputs <json> matching that JSON Schema; providers that accept {} use it when the flag is omitted (bb environment providers --json prints both facts). --base-branch belongs to --new-environment worktree only.

• Enroll an existing machine with bb machine create --provider manual; run the printed command on the target. --no-wait returns its host ID. Cancel with bb machine remove <host-id>. Removal revokes access; use the original install-machine.sh --uninstall --host-id <host-id> on that box.

• Create a standalone machine with bb machine create --provider <id>; use --inputs <JSON> for non-secret provider inputs and --key for retry identity.

• List plugin-provisioned machine choices with bb machine providers. Create a machine and an explicit environment with bb thread spawn --new-machine <provider-id> --environment-provider <id>; add --machine-inputs <json> when its schema requires inputs. Machine inputs are persisted and non-secret; credentials belong in plugin settings. Composed environments choose their own machine: use --environment-provider modal-sandbox without machine selectors and pass --machine-inputs <json> when configuring the composition's machine provider.

• Use bb machine enroll for a private core-prepared bundle. Local lifecycle is handled by install-machine.sh --start|--stop|--uninstall --host-id <id>; see references/thread-creation.md for ownership checks.

• Use bb machine suspend|resume <id-or-name> only for providers that expose suspend and resume. Resume waits for pending suspension and is a no-op when already active. Use bb machine retry-cleanup <id-or-name> to retry a failed provider teardown immediately.

• bb environment providers lists Project checkout, Worktree, then other installed providers by display name. With --project <id> --machine <id> it also prints that machine's availability (available, setup-required, unavailable, or unknown until the background probe answers). Read or set managedBranchPrefix through bb settings show and bb settings general <key> <value>.

• The server keeps a registry of sidebar layout preferences (organization mode, section order, collapsed rows, navigation entries): bb settings ui list, get, set, and reset.

• Query provider models on the machine that will run the thread.

• Prefer non-interactive commands and machine-readable output for automation.

• Pass --yes for a confirmed destructive command in a non-interactive shell.

• Treat plugin commands as normal top-level commands after installation.

• Inspect real status, logs, API results, or diffs instead of assumptions.

• For launcher startup errors and console output, read logs/server-stdio.log or logs/host-daemon-stdio.log under the selected bb data directory. These append across restarts; bb-app, bb-server, and bb-host-daemon capture service output there instead of forwarding it to their terminal.

• Keep file paths on the machine that owns the selected workspace.

Common checks

bb project list --json
bb machine list --json
bb environment providers --json
bb provider list --environment "$BB_ENVIRONMENT_ID" --json
bb thread show "$BB_THREAD_ID" --json
bb thread context --self --json
bb environment status "$BB_ENVIRONMENT_ID" --json
bb plugin list --json
bb skill list --environment "$BB_ENVIRONMENT_ID" --json

Completion

Confirm the command result and any affected thread, environment, plugin, or remote service. Report the stable ID or URL that the user needs next.

bb environment show <id> reports core-owned lifecycle, retirement deadline and teardown attempts. Archive/delete of the last live thread starts the provider grace; unarchive cancels pending retirement. Teardown errors remain visible and retry automatically. bb environment delete <id> requests cleanup immediately, including under a never-retire policy; destroyed is recorded after cleanup completes. Removal waits for live or stopping runtimes. Project source deletion remains available during project deletion, including removal of the last source, so providers can finish cleanup.

Plugin configuration

Use bb plugin config <id> to inspect the plugin’s configuration and bb plugin config <id> set <key> <value> to change it. Read the plugin’s own skill for its commands, configuration meanings, and operating constraints. Discover contributed command paths through bb plugin list, the generated plugin-commands skill, or bb plugin run <id> --help.

Keep this skill and its references focused on core BB commands. Plugin-specific behavior belongs in the owning plugin’s skills/ directory, including built-in plugins; do not add plugin command manuals here.

Built-in browser control

Use bb browser instances --host <host-id> --json to discover a desktop. Commands tabs, create, acquire, connection, release, reveal, capture, close, and watch require explicit --host, --instance, --generation, and --thread. See bb guide browser and bb browser --help for flags. New tabs use separate automation profiles; personal-tab control needs an explicit handoff. Revealing tabs or acquiring control opens the side panel and selects the tab only in the already focused thread, without switching threads or activating the desktop window. Connection credentials are written with connection --output <new-file> and work only on the browser host; keep them out of chat and public port shares. import-sources and import-cookies --from <source> --profile <dir> [--into personal|automation:<id>] copy signed-in cookies from an installed browser into a BB browser profile; they need --host, --instance, and --generation only, and the source browser must be quit first.

bb machine show <id-or-name> --json includes provider-owned inventory and estimates in providerDetails when available. Provider inventory failures are reported; this is not billing/invoice data. Suspension requires idle live threads and no open terminals; empty machines can use an opted-in provider idle policy.

bb thread context reads recorded context usage without sending a model request. A breakdown is optional; absent usage is returned as null.