FAQ

What is patb-cli?

An interactive command-line interface and Zed ACP bridge server for the remote "Pinky and the Brain" agent service. See Introduction.

What can I actually ask it to do?

The remote agent is a guided journey rather than an open-ended assistant. It greets you, offers four topics — AWS Cloud Practitioner, cellular automata, English certifications, technical interview prep — and then walks you through choosing a subtopic and either learning it or having an article written about it. Say hello and answer what it asks; it poses one question at a time. See CLI Usage for a transcript.

Do I need an API key?

Yes. Every mode requires PATBA_API_KEY, configured via a .env file or an environment variable. See Configuration.

What's the difference between REPL mode and Bridge mode?

REPL mode (the default) is an interactive terminal conversation. Bridge mode (--bridge/-b) runs the same underlying remote-agent client as a JSON-RPC 2.0 server so Zed Editor can use it as a custom agent. Both modes share the same remote client (src/remote.ts). See CLI Usage and Zed Bridge Usage.

Where does patb-cli send my prompts?

To the remote service hosted at d33ib4uu7f4xpi.cloudfront.net, over HTTPS, using your PATBA_API_KEY for authentication.

Can I use patb-cli without installing it globally?

Yes — after npm install and npm run build, run node dist/index.js directly from the project directory.

Why is progress logged to stderr instead of stdout?

So stdout stays clean for the final response, which is useful if you redirect or pipe CLI output. See CLI Usage.

Something isn't working — what should I check first?

See Troubleshooting for the most common setup and connectivity issues.