CLI

Modes and permissions

Agent, Ask, Plan, Parallel and Peak, and how tool permissions are granted.

Interaction modes#

Mode	Behaviour
Agent	Default. Reads, edits and runs commands, asking permission where your settings require it
Ask	Answers and explains; never edits or runs anything
Plan	Produces a Markdown plan ending in a `## To-dos` checklist. Nothing is executed until you build it
Parallel	A coordinator splits the work into batches of subagents, each in its own git worktree
Peak	Peak-of-N: N isolated full implementations of the same task (default 4, 2–8), then the coordinator picks the best

Switch with Shift+Tab, the mode picker in the composer, /mode, or /ask, /plan, /parallel, /peak. With SmartShift on, Faelith can pick the mode for you.

Plan, then build#

In Plan mode the agent is read-only and writes the plan into .faelith/plans/. The CLI opens a plan review where you can refine it and choose how to execute it (Agent, Parallel or Peak, permission and model); the desktop app shows it in the Plan tab. Select text to add comments and refine, then press Build (Agent) or Build in parallel (Parallel). To-dos are only created when you build, so a plan never leaves half-finished tasks behind.

Permissions#

Permission modes are orthogonal to interaction modes. Change them with the ◈ chip under the composer, /permissions <mode> or Settings; per-project overrides live in .faelith/settings.json:

json

{
  "permissions": {
    "default_mode": "adaptive",
    "allow": ["Read", "Grep", "Glob", "Bash(npm test:*)"],
    "deny": ["Bash(rm -rf:*)"]
  }
}

Mode	Behaviour
`adaptive`	Default. A side classifier approves routine, reversible actions and prompts for risky ones
`standard`	Prompts for every edit and command not covered by an allow rule
`autoAccept`	Auto-approves file edits; commands still prompt
`fullAccess`	Runs everything without prompting; only for disposable environments
`survey`	Reports what it would do and asks before each tool
`silentDeny`	Denies anything not explicitly allowed, without prompting

Subagents always run in adaptive. In the desktop app the default mode applies to the focused pane, so a cautious pane and an autonomous pane can run side by side.

Checkpoints and rewind#

Every edit is checkpointed. /rewind (or the rewind button on a message) restores both files and conversation to that point.

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