> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usesynth.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Cockpit controls
> Keyboard controls, Agent Bridge modes, and the Stack TUI layout.
Documents Stack **`0.2.0-dev.20260703.2`**. Expanded in the
[2026-07-03 changelog entry](/stack/changelog) — Lights panel, slash commands,
gardener core focus, and goal-mode chat availability.
Stack is a terminal cockpit: Agent input on the bottom, status rails on the sides,
and a center pane that switches between goal views, transcripts, and ops panels.
## Launch
```bash theme={null}
stack # open the cockpit
stack doctor # verify harness, stackd, and config before a long session
```
Stack auto-starts **`stackd`** on `127.0.0.1:8792` when healthy. See [stackd](/stack/stackd).
## Agent input
| Key | Action |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Enter` | Send the prompt to Codex (or steer during an active turn) |
| `Ctrl+Enter` | Queue the current input for the next turn |
| `Esc` | Interrupt the active turn, or clear input when idle |
| `Tab` | Move focus: Agent input → model → effort → environment → Local Research → hosted optimizers → remote SMR → session history |
| `/exit` | Quit Stack explicitly |
Codex is the default harness. Configure it in [Quickstart § Configure with Codex](/stack/quickstart#configure-with-codex).
## Slash commands
Type `/` in the active input to open the slash menu. Current commands:
| Command | Action | | |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ |
| `/help` / `/?` | Show commands | | |
| `/exit` / `/quit` | Quit Stack | | |
| `/goal ...` | Manage the current goal | | |
| `/gardener [message]` / `/g` | Focus the gardener in the core panel or message it | | |
| `/monitor ...` / `/m` | Toggle, show, hide, focus, or message the monitor | | |
| \`/lights on | off\` | Open or close the right Lights panel | |
| `/threads` / `/p` | Open thread navigation; `/threads new` starts a worker thread | | |
| \`/mode eng | research`/`/work\_mode\` | Record the future work-mode flag | |
| \`/env dev | staging | prod\` | Change environment |
| \`/provider chatgpt | cursor`/`/harness\` | Change worker provider | |
| \`/profile research | engineering | product\` | Change Stack profile |
| `/model [filter]` | Select worker model | | |
| `/effort` | Cycle reasoning effort | | |
| `/efforts` | Open the Efforts workstream panel | | |
| \`/subagents on | off\` | Toggle subagents | |
| `/experimental` | Open experimental controls | | |
| \`/usage daily | weekly | cumulative\` | Refresh account and plan usage |
| `/ops` | Open ops panel | | |
| `/actors` | Toggle actor status | | |
| `/agent` | Focus worker chat | | |
| `/agent-view` / `/a` | Toggle full agent event stream | | |
| `/permissions` / `/perm` | Review telemetry/privacy choices | | |
| `/settings telemetry` | Open telemetry settings | | |
| `/config` | Open editable Stack config | | |
| `/details` / `/d` | Toggle verbose transcript details | | |
| `/rails` / `/b` | Toggle side rails | | |
| `/clear` / `/c` | Clear the draft input | | |
## Lights panel
`/lights on` opens the right-panel cockpit without changing the active core
panel. The Threads section is scrollable and filterable by status, role,
viewed/unviewed state, id, or text. Selecting a worker thread opens the worker
lane; selecting a gardener thread opens the gardener in the core panel.
Lights also summarizes gardener inbox/target, active actor counts, hosted cloud
state, local runtime state, and account usage.
## Agent Bridge (`x`)
Press **`x`** to toggle **local-only** vs **remote-only** bridge mode.
| Mode | Left rail shows |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Local** | Local GEPA / optimizer jobs and local research state |
| **Remote** | Auth, hosted optimizers, live SMR runs, Factories, mediation target |
Keep modes separate so Codex does not mix local service actions with remote owner-route actions. Start remote ops with the **`stack_status`** MCP tool (see [Stack MCP](/stack/mcp)).
## Environment (dev / staging / prod)
When the environment control is focused:
| Key | Action |
| --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| `j` / `k` | Move across dev, staging, and prod |
| `r` | Refresh account, hosted optimizers, and remote SMR snapshot |
Set API keys per environment in [Configuration](/stack/configuration).
## Local Research (GEPA)
When Local Research is focused:
| Key | Action |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `Enter` | Start the local GEPA service (if installed) |
| `r` | Refresh job list |
| `j` / `k` | Move through recent optimizer jobs |
See [Optimizers](/stack/optimizers) for task setup.
## Hosted optimizers
When hosted optimizers are focused:
| Key | Action |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `r` | Refresh jobs from the selected environment |
| `j` / `k` | Select a job |
| `o` | Cycle artifact names for the selected job |
| `v` / `d` / `c` | Stage preview, download, or cancel |
| `Enter` | Confirm the staged action |
## Remote SMR and Factory
When Remote SMR is focused:
| Key | Action |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| `r` | Refresh remote jobs |
| `j` / `k` | Select a run |
| `f` | Cycle Factories |
| `t` | Cycle mediation target (run → Factory → hosted optimizer) |
| `m` | Stage a message to the selected run or Factory project |
| `o` | Cycle WorkProduct / artifact outputs |
| `v` / `d` / `l` | Preview output, download, or preview last saved download |
| `Enter` | Confirm staged action |
Downloads persist under `.stack/downloads///` and survive TUI restarts.
## Ops panel modes
Press **`p`** on the ops panel to cycle **Actors → Local → Synth Hosted**.
**Actors** shows Codex subagent policy, primary actor state, and transcript-derived workers. Press **`enter`** in Actors mode to toggle subagents for the next launch (when `STACK_CODEX_ARGS` is not locked).
## Sessions and logs
Stack writes session logs under `.stack/sessions/`. Remote visibility includes SMR runs, WorkProducts, artifacts, Factories, and hosted optimizer jobs for the selected environment.
## Next
* [Goal mode & monitor](/stack/goal-mode) — long Codex runs with a sidecar feed
* [Stack MCP](/stack/mcp) — tools Codex uses for live ops
* [Configuration](/stack/configuration) — `stack.config.json` and env vars