Chat and Sessions

Start a chat

$ dreadnode
dreadnode> /new
Started a new session
dreadnode> Hello!
dreadnode> /export ./kickoff-demo.md
Exported conversation to ./kickoff-demo.md

Session commands

Command	Arguments	Description
/new	—	Start a fresh session
/reset	—	Reset the current session state
/sessions	—	List available sessions
/use <id>	—	Switch to an existing session
/delete <id>	—	Delete a session
/rename	<name>	Rename the active session
/export	[path]	Export the current conversation to a file
/compact	[guidance]	Summarize older messages to reduce context size
/agent	<name>	Change the primary agent for future turns
/model	[provider/model]	Change the model for future turns

Session runtime binding

Each local chat session binds to exactly one server-side session runtime. The runtime stays stable while the TUI can change which primary agent and model it sends on future turns.

• Pick an agent before the first turn, or switch the primary agent later with /agent <name>.
• Pick a model with /model <provider/model> and future turns in the current TUI process use it.
• /new creates a fresh server session immediately.
• /reset clears the current session state without changing the active session.
• /api/chat runs against the current server session and can supply the agent and model for that turn.
• Changing the primary agent does not create a new session; it changes which agent future turns use.
• Changing the model does not mutate stored server-side session metadata; it changes the model used on future turns.
• @agent ... remains a one-off routed message and does not change the primary agent.
• Per-session model restoration only lasts for the current TUI process.

Compaction

Long sessions accumulate context that can exceed model token limits. Compaction summarizes older messages while preserving recent history intact.

• Manual: Run /compact to compact the active session on demand. Optionally provide focus guidance: /compact focus on the API design work.
• Automatic: The runtime automatically compacts when token usage exceeds 75 % of the model’s context window. A flash notification appears when auto-compaction occurs.
• Compaction uses the same model as normal turns — it resolves from the agent definition first, then falls back to the session model.
• A compaction marker is persisted in the session history so restored sessions show that compaction occurred.

Tips for everyday use

Organize by project

Prefix session names with a project slug (for example acme-kickoff) so /sessions stays tidy.

Switch between active sessions

Use /sessions to list what is available, then /use <id> to hop between threads without starting over.