A desktop interface forge for OpenCode remote agents and local coding-agent CLIs.

Chisl palette

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What Chisl Does

Chisl is a desktop client for driving coding agents through a durable UI instead of a raw terminal. Its primary path is connecting to a registered OpenCode remote agent, and it also drives local CLI-backed agents. Project files, secrets, and tools come from whatever agent runtime and MCP connectors you configure — Chisl doesn't lock you into a layout.

Supported agents:

Workflow	What Chisl exposes
OpenCode remote agent	Register a remote endpoint, test/handshake it, fetch model metadata, send messages, attach files, use OpenCode modes, slash commands, stop active runs, and inspect context usage when reported.
OpenCode local	Use a detected local OpenCode-style agent from the same chat interface.
Claude Code	Use detected Claude Code sessions through the local-agent flow.
Gemini CLI	Use Gemini CLI-backed sessions and Gemini modes.
Codex	Use Codex sessions with Chisl conversation, tool-call, and permission UI.
Custom local agent	Define an ACP-style command, args, env, icon, and advanced settings from the Agent settings page.

Features

Capability	What you can do
Remote agent registry	Add, edit, delete, and list remote agents — name, protocol, URL, auth (token or basic), avatar, description, insecure-TLS toggle — and test/handshake before saving.
Model selection	Refresh and pick from the models a connected OpenCode server advertises.
Unified agent picker	Remote agents sit alongside detected local agents on the start page.
Chat & context	Send prompts with attached files and selected workspace items; see token/context usage when the agent reports it.
Command queue	Queue, reorder, pause, resume, edit, remove, or clear prompts while a run is busy.
Run control	Stop an active run, switch OpenCode modes, attach server-side skills (sticky across messages), and use slash commands.
Session actions	Fork, revert/restore, share/unshare a link, summarize/compact, view file changes (diff), and edit the server config — all from the conversation header.
Compaction	Get notified (with tokens reclaimed) when a session is compacted, manually or automatically.
Server-state pills	See the connected server (with one-click switch) and tool-host mode; in server-tool-host mode, LSP status and VCS branch/changes too.
Multi-server	Live per-agent health in settings and a default-server preference.
Permissions & approvals	Approve tool and question requests via per-request cards, a pending banner, and a dedicated Approvals tab — including bulk approve.
Sub-agents	Watch delegated child sessions as inline, collapsible subtask cards.
Message editing	Edit or delete your own messages in a remote conversation.
Local & custom agents	Use detected local CLIs (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, local OpenCode), or define your own ACP-style command agent.
MCP & tools	Add, import, edit, enable/disable, test, authenticate, and sync MCP servers; configure speech-to-text.
Skills	Browse built-in, custom, and extension skills; import folders or symlinks; search, refresh, and delete.
Appearance	Ships with Chisl's retro palette; a toggle hands control to a CSS theme preset (Catppuccin included).

Remote OpenCode Flow

Configure the remote OpenCode path as a remote-agent entry in Agent settings.

Step	What happens
Register endpoint	Add a remote agent with protocol opencode, a URL, an auth type, and an optional token/password.
Test connection	The settings modal can test the endpoint before you save.
Save and handshake	Saving an OpenCode remote agent runs a handshake.
Select in chat	The agent shows up in the start-page picker alongside your local agents.
Fetch models	Refresh the model list the server advertises.
Chat	Send prompts, attaching files and selected workspace items as needed.
Control the run	Stop a run, queue more prompts, switch modes, attach skills.
Manage the session	Fork, revert/restore, share/unshare, summarize/compact, view file changes, or edit the server config from the conversation header.
Inspect server state	In server-tool-host mode, header pills show the connected server (with quick-switch), LSP status, and VCS branch/changes; permission and question prompts route to the Approvals tab.

Local Agent Flow

Local CLI-backed agents are a secondary path.

Feature	Behavior
Detected agents	The Agent settings page reads detected local agents and shows them as chat targets.
Custom agents	Users can define a command, args, env, icon, and advanced options for a custom agent.
Agent launch	The start page restores or preselects available agents and routes to conversation creation.
Modes and models	The start page resolves mode/model metadata from agent config, handshake data, or remote model cache where available.

MCP, Skills, And Context

Chisl includes UI for managing MCP servers and skills — this is where tools and context come from, rather than any fixed filesystem or secret layout.

Area	Behavior
MCP servers	Add, import, edit, delete, enable/disable, test, authenticate, and sync MCP servers to agents.
Skills	Browse built-in/custom/extension skills, import skill folders, search, refresh, and delete user skills.
Voice	Configure speech-to-text providers for voice input.

Branding

Brand assets live in the repo and are shared with the application.

Asset	Path
Wordmark	packages/desktop/src/renderer/assets/logos/brand/wordmark.png
App mark	packages/desktop/src/renderer/assets/logos/brand/app.png
Gray wordmark	packages/desktop/src/renderer/assets/logos/brand/wordmark-gray.png
Packaged icon	resources/app.png

The Chisl color scheme is a muted retro palette sampled from the logo and wordmark.

Role	Light	Dark
Rust primary	#b4480c	#e07820
Parchment surface	#f0e4b4	#28241d
Ink text	#303024	#ecdfb6
Olive success	#607848	#8aa860
Gold warning	#c08418	#e4b430
Slate info	#3c786c	#6caa9c

Quick Start

Install dependencies:

bun install

Run the desktop app:

bun run dev

Build the app output:

bun run package

Create packaged desktop artifacts:

bun run dist

Development Checks

Useful local checks:

bun run lint
bun run format:check
bunx tsc --noEmit
bun run test

If you change user-facing text or locale files, also run:

bun run i18n:types
node scripts/check-i18n.js

Documentation

Topic	Path
Contributor guide	CONTRIBUTING.md
Development setup	docs/contributing/development.md
File structure rules	docs/contributing/file-structure.md

Status

Chisl is under active development.

License

Licensed under Apache-2.0.

Attribution

Chisl is derived from an Apache-2.0 licensed project. Substantial modifications have been made, including changes to branding, UI, workflows, agent integrations, and application behavior.

Original copyright and license notices are preserved in accordance with the Apache License 2.0.