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MakerMattDesign edited this page Jul 18, 2026 · 1 revision

st-ask — Local FAQ Help (Pseudo-AI)

st-ask provides instant, local help for common Cross questions — no API key required. It matches your question to a built-in FAQ using semantic and fuzzy search. For full LLM-powered answers, add an API key with st-admin --setup.

Usage

  • st-ask "How do I install cross-st?" — one-shot answer
  • st-ask — interactive REPL

Rendered output

Answers are shown as rendered markdown — styled headings, lists, code, and clickable links — when you run st-ask in a capable terminal. Piped or redirected output (e.g. st-ask "…" | pbcopy) stays raw markdown so it's easy to copy and reuse.

Flag / command Effect
--no-render Print raw markdown instead of styled output
:raw / :render (in the REPL) Toggle rendering mid-session

For clickable links, see Terminal Setup (macOS: brew install --cask iterm2). Set CROSS_MARKDOWN=off in ~/.crossenv to disable rendering everywhere.

Feedback & telemetry (opt-in)

If you have opted in to anonymous usage telemetry (st-admin --ask-telemetry on), st-ask shows a one-keystroke thumb-up/down prompt after each answer:

  Was this helpful? [y/n, Enter to skip]:

It's always skippable (press Enter) and never blocks. The result feeds the anonymous, scrubbed telemetry event that helps prioritise FAQ improvements — no personal data, API keys, or paths are ever sent. Telemetry stays off until you opt in.

Flag Effect
--no-feedback Skip the post-answer thumb-up/down prompt

The prompt only appears when telemetry is enabled and you're in an interactive terminal; it's automatically silent when piped or scripted.

Features

  • No API key required
  • Local, privacy-preserving
  • Suggests Discourse/GitHub links if no match
  • Redacts secrets/paths in error breadcrumbs

Escape Hatches


(local lookup — for full answers add an AI key with 'st-admin --setup')

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