Zero

A terminal coding agent you own.

Zero is an AI coding agent for your local terminal. It can inspect a repository, edit files, run commands, use browser/terminal helpers, and keep durable local sessions while you choose the model and the permission level.

zero
zero exec "fix the failing test in ./pkg"
zero exec --output-format stream-json  "try the other approach"

Programmatic use:

zero exec --input-format stream-json --output-format stream-json ` and `/add-dir ` grant additional write roots without
  giving the agent the whole filesystem.
- Unsafe/autonomous modes are explicit opt-ins.
- Secrets are redacted from tool output and logs where Zero controls the surface.

Example:

```bash
zero --add-dir ../docs-site
zero exec --add-dir ../shared "update both repos"

Sandbox behavior can be inspected with:

zero sandbox policy
zero sandbox grants list

Web And Local Control

Zero includes local file/search/edit/shell tools, web_fetch for public URLs, and MCP support for additional tools.

For local dev servers, use shell commands such as curl through exec_command so the normal sandbox and permission policy applies. Long-running commands stay attached to a background terminal session and can be listed or stopped from the TUI.

The npm package also includes browser and terminal helper packages used by local browser/terminal tools. Source builds can use the same helpers when they are on PATH or configured in Zero's local-control settings.

Common Commands

zero                  interactive TUI
zero exec             one-shot or scripted agent run
zero setup            first-run provider setup
zero auth             OAuth/login helpers for supported providers
zero models           model registry and capabilities
zero providers        provider profiles and detection
zero doctor           setup, key, and connectivity checks
zero context          context-budget report
zero repo-map         deterministic repository map
zero repo-info        local repository summary
zero search | find    search local session history
zero sessions         inspect, resume, fork, and rewind sessions
zero spec             manage spec-mode drafts
zero specialist       manage specialist subagents
zero skills           manage markdown instruction skills
zero plugins          manage plugins
zero hooks            manage lifecycle hooks
zero mcp              manage MCP servers and tools
zero serve --mcp      expose Zero tools over MCP stdio
zero sandbox          inspect sandbox policy and grants
zero worktrees        prepare isolated git worktrees
zero verify           detect and run local verification checks
zero changes          inspect and commit local git changes
zero usage            token usage and estimated cost
zero cron             scheduled agent jobs
zero update           check for newer releases

Appearance And Accessibility

| Control | Effect | |---|---| | NO_COLOR= | disables color output | | ZERO_THEME= | selects the startup theme (auto, dark, light, or a color theme like dracula, nord, gruvbox, tokyo-night, catppuccin, one-dark, solarized-dark, rose-pine, everforest, solarized-light) | | --theme | selects the TUI theme from the CLI (same names) | | /theme | opens the theme picker inside the TUI (live preview; /theme switches directly) | | ZERO_NO_FADE=1 | disables streaming fade animation |

Meaning does not rely on color alone; diffs, permissions, and statuses also use text or glyph markers.

Development

go test ./...
go run ./cmd/zero-release build
go run ./cmd/zero-release smoke
go run ./cmd/zero-perf-bench

Cross-compile examples:

go run ./cmd/zero-release build --goos linux --goarch amd64
go run ./cmd/zero-release build --goos windows --goarch amd64 --output dist/zero.exe

Documentation

• [Install](docs/INSTALL.md)
• [Update flow](docs/UPDATE.md)
• [Stream-JSON protocol](docs/STREAMJSONPROTOCOL.md)
• [Specialists](docs/SPECIALISTS.md)
• [GitHub Action](docs/GITHUB_ACTION.md)
• [Benchmarks](docs/BENCHMARK.md)
• [Performance](docs/PERFORMANCE.md)
• [Agent evals](docs/AGENT_EVALS.md)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md), run the relevant tests, and open a focused pull request.

Security reports should follow [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md).

License

Zero is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE).

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Gitlawb
• Source: Gitlawb/zero
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://zero.gitlawb.com

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.