Daemon CLI Backends

Daemon CLI Backend Reference

Open this only when selecting a backend, passing backend_options, or relying on native MCP, ask, or completion. The main daemon-manual owns task authority, immutable task_files, terminal notification, compact, and the capability-versus-permission boundary.

Choose the execution model

lingtai is the native in-process ChatSession backend. It resolves an explicit preset, curates tools, mounts task-scoped MCP clients, and enforces daemon_common.finish(status="done") when that MCP is present. It has no CLI and ignores backend_options; read its child page for preset/context details.

Every other advertised backend launches an external CLI. Its task supplies the CLI prompt input; runners may add harness context. prompt is rejected and tools does not grant CLI capabilities. Selected skills remain a compact catalog. Parent MCP registrations are prompt-visible for all backends, but native tools exist only where this table has a verified loader. Never infer native checkpoint or completion from prompt text.

Aliases normalize to the canonical names shown above. Hidden legacy claude/claude-interactive entries are not selectable for new work. Native status is source-backed, not a promise that the vendor CLI is installed or authenticated; an unavailable CLI fails rather than silently falling back.

MCP-capable workers (every backend above except claude-p/claude-code, which mounts no daemon_common) must call finish exactly once before their final report. checkpoint is live-only, bounded, cooperative, and nonterminal: it records progress and drains queued parent messages at the next checkpoint. It is not chat, stdin injection, preemption, cancellation, or a completion receipt. A missing or invalid finish makes the run failed; inspect its durable result and trace. claude-p/claude-code instead completes on its ordinary final reply plus the SDK's own per-turn result — see its child page.

Nested reference catalog

The historical cli-backends directory also owns the native LingTai child. The nested catalog is a progressive-disclosure index. Each child keeps only installed live-help commands, option translation, one-shot/non-interactive hazards, reserved harness flags, auth hygiene, and proven MCP/resume status. It is not a maintained vendor flag catalog.

- name: daemon-backend-codex
  location: reference/backends/codex/SKILL.md
  description: Codex live-help route for model, effort, and config options.
- name: daemon-backend-opencode
  location: reference/backends/opencode/SKILL.md
  description: OpenCode live-help route for model, variant, agent, and harness flags.
- name: daemon-backend-claude-p
  location: reference/backends/claude-p/SKILL.md
  description: Claude Agent SDK route for model, fallback, harness, resume, and auth hygiene.
- name: daemon-backend-mimocode
  location: reference/backends/mimocode/SKILL.md
  description: MiMo Code route for CLI options, reserved session flags, and JSONL status.
- name: daemon-backend-qwen-code
  location: reference/backends/qwen-code/SKILL.md
  description: Qwen Code route for options, reserved harness flags, and no terminal ask.
- name: daemon-backend-kimicode
  location: reference/backends/kimicode/SKILL.md
  description: Kimi Code route for options, private MCP config, and resume limits.
- name: daemon-backend-cursor
  location: reference/backends/cursor/SKILL.md
  description: Cursor Agent route for live help, stream-json, usage, and resume.
- name: daemon-backend-deepseek
  location: reference/backends/deepseek/SKILL.md
  description: DeepSeek Harness route for headless profile, patch, and no resume.
- name: daemon-backend-oh-my-pi
  location: reference/backends/oh-my-pi/SKILL.md
  description: Oh-My-Pi route for live help, reserved JSON/session flags, and ask.
- name: daemon-backend-lingtai
  location: reference/backends/lingtai/SKILL.md
  description: Native LingTai route for preset, tools, skills, MCP, context, and finish.

Routing table

list, options, and durable progress

daemon(action="list", input={}) reads the append-order dispatch ledger, not a lifetime folder scan. Omitted last returns the newest 1000 records; explicit positive values are honored. contains searches the visible index and status filters it. A missing list item is not proof of deletion: use exact daemon(action="check", input={"id": "<run_id>"}) for a known legacy run; see the ledger route for warning codes and non-repair behavior.

For an external CLI, backend_options is accepted only inside emanate. Verify the installed command's --help in a safe shell before using it; this manual does not promise vendor flags, install commands, account switching, or credential repair. A boolean emits a flag, a scalar emits --flag value, a scalar list repeats the flag, and false/null omit it. Unsafe keys, nested values, and backend-reserved harness flags reject the whole batch before spawn. Keys use letters/digits and hyphen/underscore separators; underscores emit hyphens. env is the only nested object: it maps valid environment names to string values and emits no argv. It is merged last; never put secrets in prompts or logs.

Options are persisted as backend_options/backend_argv, separately from backend_harness_argv. Generally they are not re-passed by ask; do not assume vendor flags or environment overlays persist. Claude SDK terminal resume is the exception: it re-applies the validated model/effort/native-tool policy from the original task. lingtai ignores them. CLI cwd is the granted parent workdir, not the run artifact directory; an artifact folder is not workspace isolation. Never override a backend's output, MCP, prompt, approval, or session flags: the harness owns those boundaries so result parsing and completion cannot be faked.

CLI ask returns immediately with async: true for resumable sessions; progress and the final follow-up notice are in check and the daemon notification. Only one follow-up per session may be in flight; a concurrent second ask is busy. Qwen, Kimi, and DeepSeek have no terminal resume contract, though Qwen/Kimi may queue one active checkpoint correction where the table says so.

Validation and auth boundary

Before relying on a CLI, confirm its binary and live help, then run only an appropriately bounded disposable test. Keep vendor subscriptions, login state, API keys, profiles, and config files under their owner; this manual grants no login/logout, credential read/copy, account switch, installation, or repair authority. Never print credential values. Backend pages link official docs and show the minimum auth model without copying vendor manuals.

Backend promotion gate

A new backend needs a deterministic non-interactive start, a tested machine- readable output/session contract where claimed, and tests for launch, parsing, resume, and reserved options. If a native MCP path is not proven, document prompt-catalog-only and do not claim checkpoint or finish.