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Introduction to CoStrict CLI

CoStrict CLI is a terminal-based AI coding assistant that lets you collaborate with large language models on coding tasks without leaving your command line.

TUI main screen

Core Capabilities​

Multiple Launch Modes​

  • TUI Interactive Interface: Run cs to open the full-featured terminal UI with multi-session management
  • Non-interactive Mode: cs run "your prompt" for scripts and automation pipelines
  • Web Interface: cs web to use CoStrict in your browser

Powerful Built-in Toolset​

CoStrict ships with tools for file reading/writing, shell execution, code search, web requests, and more. Extend further with custom tools and MCP servers.

Flexible Configuration​

Manage model selection, tool permissions, themes, keybinds, and more via costrict.json. Supports both project-level and global configuration.

Plugin System​

Hook into tool execution, session events, file changes, and more using JS/TS plugins for deep customization.

IDE Integration​

Deep integration with Zed, JetBrains, and Neovim via the ACP protocol. Also available as a VS Code extension.

Quick Start​

# Install
npm install -g @costrict/cs

# Launch the interactive UI
cs

# Non-interactive mode
cs run "Generate a README for this project"

For detailed installation steps, see Installation. For a full feature walkthrough, see Features.