What is the tallos CLI?
The `tallos` CLI is a command-line tool that controls a running Tallos app from any shell. A person can use it in scripts; more often, an agent uses it. Claude Code in one workspace can create a second workspace, start Codex there with a prompt, wait for it to finish and read its output, without you clicking anything.
It ships with the desktop app. Tallos registers the tallos command on your PATH from Settings, and terminals opened by Tallos already know where to find it. Most commands accept --json for machine-readable output, and tallos agent-context prints the full command schema so an agent can discover what is available instead of guessing flags.
What can agents do with the tallos command?
| Group | What agents do with it | Example |
|---|---|---|
worktree | Create, list, inspect, annotate and remove isolated workspaces | tallos worktree create --name fix-login --agent codex --prompt "..." |
terminal | Create, split, read, wait on and send input to terminals | tallos terminal wait --for tui-idle --timeout-ms 30000 |
file | Open files, diffs or every changed file in the editor | tallos file open-changed --mode diff |
| Browser | Navigate, snapshot, click, fill, screenshot, emulate devices | tallos snapshot then tallos click --element e3 |
automations | Create, edit, run and inspect scheduled agent runs | tallos automations run <id> |
orchestration | Tasks, supervised workers, messages and decision gates across agents | tallos orchestration worker-start --task <id> --agent claude |
linear | Read, search, comment on and create Linear issues | tallos linear issue ENG-142 --comments |
emulator | Tap, type and inspect an iOS Simulator or Android device | tallos emulator tap 0.5 0.8 |
computer | Operate native app windows through the accessibility tree | tallos computer get-app-state --app <app> |
search | Full-text search across past agent sessions | tallos search "stripe webhook" |
The same surface powers squads: the leader agent coordinates members through orchestration, asks you questions with tallos squad ask and hands in its result with tallos squad report.
What does an agent handoff look like?
Here is a typical handoff an agent can run on its own: open a new workspace for a sub-task, start another agent in it, wait, then read what happened.
tallos worktree create --name billing-audit --agent codex \
--prompt "Audit the billing settings page on mobile" --json
tallos terminal list --worktree name:billing-audit --json
tallos terminal wait --terminal <handle> --for tui-idle --timeout-ms 900000 --json
tallos terminal read --terminal <handle> --limit 200 --jsonEach workspace is its own branch and working copy, so the second agent never touches the first one's files. That is the basis of multi-agent development.
What are Tallos skills?
A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that tells a coding agent when to use a tool and how. Tallos bundles its skills inside the app. On first launch it installs them into the coding agents it detects on your computer: offline, with no npx, no repository download and no setup step for you.
| Skill | What it teaches the agent |
|---|---|
tallos-cli | Worktrees, terminals, repos, automations, handoffs and the built-in browser through tallos |
orchestration | Supervising other agents: tasks, dispatch, messages, blocking questions, decision gates |
tallos-linear | Working from a Linear ticket: read, move state, comment, attach the PR, create follow-ups |
tallos-emulator | Driving an iOS Simulator on macOS from the emulator pane |
tallos-emulator-android | Driving an Android emulator or device over adb on macOS or Windows |
tallos-per-workspace-env | Setting up a disposable environment (sandbox, VM, SSH host or container) per workspace |
computer-use | Operating visible native app windows when no CLI or API can do the job |
- Always current. Later launches repair skills that are missing or outdated, so they match your Tallos version.
- Your skills are safe. Tallos only manages its own skills; skills you installed from other sources are never touched.
- Reinstall anytime. Settings → Agent skills has Install now and Reinstall. If no agent is detected yet, connect your agents first.
Give your agents the keys
Install Tallos, open your agents, and they already know how to create workspaces and drive the browser.
Which agents get the skills?
Tallos places skills for the agents it detects that read a skills folder, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and Grok, among others. Each agent gets the skills in the location it already reads, so there is nothing to configure.
Installed skills are short on purpose. They tell the agent when to reach for Tallos and then load the full guide from the CLI with tallos skills get <name>. The guide comes from the same build as the app, so documented flags never drift from what the command accepts.
tallos skills list
tallos skills get tallos-cli
tallos skills get orchestration --fullWhy a CLI and skills instead of only an MCP server?
Every coding agent can already run shell commands, so a CLI works in any of them with no extra protocol support. Skills add the "when" and "how" on top. Agents that support MCP keep their MCP servers, and Tallos lets you inspect the MCP configs each repo defines; the two approaches coexist.
Agent without the tallos CLI
- Runs raw
git worktreeand ad hoc shells - Cannot see or wait on other agents' terminals
- Describes UI bugs from screenshots you paste
Agent with the tallos CLI and skills
- Creates Tallos-managed workspaces you can see in the sidebar
- Reads, waits on and messages other agents' terminals
- Drives the built-in browser and checks its own work
Frequently asked questions
What is the tallos command?
tallos is the command-line interface that ships with the Tallos desktop app. It lets agents and scripts control a running Tallos: worktrees, terminals, files, the built-in browser, automations and orchestration.
Do I need to install Tallos skills manually?
No. Tallos installs its bundled skills automatically on first launch into the coding agents it detects, without downloading anything. You can reinstall them from Settings → Agent skills.
Which skills come with Tallos?
tallos-cli, orchestration, tallos-linear, tallos-emulator, tallos-emulator-android, tallos-per-workspace-env and computer-use.
Will Tallos overwrite skills I wrote myself?
No. Tallos only installs and repairs its own bundled skills. Skills from other sources are left untouched.
Can Claude Code open a new worktree and start Codex in it?
Yes. With the tallos-cli skill, Claude Code can run tallos worktree create --agent codex --prompt "...", then wait on and read that terminal with tallos terminal wait and tallos terminal read.
Does the tallos CLI work on Windows?
Yes. The tallos command is registered on macOS and Windows, and terminals opened by Tallos can find it automatically.
How does an agent learn the exact flags?
It runs tallos skills get <name> for the version-matched guide, or tallos agent-context for the machine-readable command schema, instead of guessing from memory.
