TUI Guide

The Arctic TUI (Terminal User Interface) is the primary way to interact with models. It’s keyboard‑first and fast.

Launch

arctic

Layout

• Input (bottom): type prompts
• Messages (center): conversation history
• Sidebar (left): session info, navigation
• Header (top): model, agent, session
• Footer (bottom): status + hints

Input

• Enter submits
• Ctrl+J inserts a newline
• Up/Down cycles prompt history

Ctrl+C behavior

Ctrl+C is context‑aware:

• If there is selected text, it copies the selection.
• If there is input text, it clears the input.
• If pressed twice quickly, it exits the CLI.

Essential shortcuts

Sessions

• Start a new session: Ctrl+X N
• Switch sessions: Ctrl+X L
• Timeline view: Ctrl+X G

Models and agents

• Pick a model: Ctrl+X M
• Pick an agent: Ctrl+X A

Both dialogs support search and quick filter.

Tools and streaming

As responses stream you’ll see tool usage (bash/read/edit/etc.) inline with the message output.

Copy & selection

• Mouse select to copy
• Keyboard select with Shift + arrows
• Copy entire message: Ctrl+X Y

Dialogs

Model picker

Search and select models with details like provider and context size.

Agent picker

Select or create agents. Shows description, mode, and model override.

Session list

Browse sessions, view last updated time, and delete sessions.

Command palette

Search and run actions quickly.

Theme picker

Pick a theme or load one from config.

Customization

Keybindings

Override keybindings in config:

{
  "keybinds": {
    "quit": "ctrl+q",
    "model_picker": "ctrl+m",
    "new_session": "ctrl+n"
  }
}

Themes

Set a theme name in config and provide a theme file:

{
  "theme": "my-theme"
}

Create ~/.config/arctic/themes/my-theme.json:

{
  "background": "#1a1a1a",
  "foreground": "#e0e0e0",
  "primary": "#00ff00",
  "secondary": "#ff00ff",
  "accent": "#00ffff",
  "error": "#ff0000"
}

Troubleshooting

If the TUI looks wrong:

reset

If keybindings don’t work, check terminal settings and consider remapping in config.