CLI

Command line tool (future)

FutureOS ships with an optional command-line tool called future. It comes with every download.

You probably don't need this. The desktop app already handles everyday use. Reach for the CLI only when you want to script things, automate a task, or work purely in a terminal. If you're not comfortable with a terminal, you can skip this page.

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Where it is

The tool travels with the app:

System	Location
macOS (.dmg)	Inside the app: /Applications/FutureOS.app/Contents/MacOS/future
Windows (portable .zip)	future.exe in the unzipped folder

On Windows, the command-line tool is in the portable package. The regular installer version contains the app and its background service, not a separate future.exe.

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Running it

Open a terminal in the folder that contains the binary, then run it with --help to see everything:

future --help

To make it easier to run from anywhere, add its folder to your PATH, or set up an alias. For example, on macOS:

alias future="/Applications/FutureOS.app/Contents/MacOS/future"

The agent must be running

Every command connects to the FutureOS agent (the background service). If the desktop app is open, the agent is already running. Otherwise, start it first:

future agent start

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Command groups

auth — sign in and out

future auth login     # sign in via your browser
future auth status    # show whether you're signed in
future auth logout    # sign out

agent — manage the background agent

future agent start
future agent stop
future agent restart
future agent status

run — send a one-off prompt and print the answer

future run "Explain this project"

Useful options and forms:

Form	What it does
--model <model>	Choose the model. Supports model:thinking, e.g. sonnet:high.
--thinking <level>	Thinking level: off, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh.
@<path>	Include a file's contents in the prompt.
--continue, -c	Continue the most recent session.
--cwd <dir>	Set the working directory.
--mode json	Print the answer as JSON instead of text.
--no-session	Don't save this exchange as a session.

Examples:

future run --model sonnet:high "Review the changes"
future run @README.md "Summarize this file"
echo "some text" | future run "Clean up this text"

tools — list and call tools

future tools list
future tools call <name> --args '<json>'
future tools call <name> --stdin
future tools call <name> --args '<json>' --output result.png

File-path arguments are converted automatically where a tool expects file content.

skills — manage capability packs

future skills list
future skills install <name>
future skills uninstall <name>

channel — chat platform bridge (advanced)

Bridges external chat platforms to the agent (start / stop / restart / status). Most people won't need this.

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Tips

• macOS blocked it the first time? Open the FutureOS app once via right-click → Open to clear the block, then the CLI runs too.
• "Connection refused"? The agent isn't running. Run future agent start, or just open the desktop app.

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See also

• Install FutureOS — where the tool ships.
• Skills — the same skills, managed from the app.
• FAQ — common issues.