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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common questions about NikCLI.

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🚀 Getting Started

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What is NikCLI?

NikCLI is an advanced AI-powered development assistant that combines artificial intelligence with practical development tools. It features cognitive orchestration - an intelligent system that understands natural language tasks, breaks them down intelligently, and executes them using the most appropriate strategies.

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How is NikCLI different from other CLI tools?

Unlike traditional CLI tools, NikCLI features:
  • Cognitive Orchestration: Advanced NLP-based task understanding
  • Dual Agent Architecture: Universal Agent (35+ capabilities) and VM Agent (20+ capabilities)
  • Three Operating Modes: Default Chat, Planning, and Auto Mode
  • Parallel Execution: Intelligent concurrent task processing
  • Learning Capabilities: Improves from each interaction

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What are the system requirements?

Minimum Requirements:
  • Node.js 18+
  • 4GB RAM
  • 1GB free disk space
  • Internet connection (for AI providers)
Recommended:
  • Node.js 20+
  • 8GB RAM
  • 2GB free disk space
  • Fast internet connection

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Which package managers are supported?

NikCLI supports all major package managers:
  • npm
  • yarn
  • pnpm
  • bun
The universal installer automatically detects and uses the best available package manager.

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🤖 Agents and AI

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What is the Universal Agent?

The Universal Agent is NikCLI’s flagship agent with 35 comprehensive capabilities:
  • Core Development (7): Code generation, analysis, review, optimization, debugging, refactoring, testing
  • Frontend Technologies (11): React, Next.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, components, hooks, JSX, TSX
  • Backend Development (8): Node.js, API development, databases, server architecture, REST, GraphQL, microservices
  • DevOps & Infrastructure (8): CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes, deployment, infrastructure, monitoring, security
  • Advanced Analysis (5): Performance analysis, security analysis, quality assessment, architecture review, documentation generation

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What is the VM Agent?

The VM Agent is a secure virtualized agent with 20 specialized capabilities:
  • VM Operations (7): vm-management, container-orchestration, isolated-execution, repository-cloning, vscode-server, autonomous-development, pull-request-automation
  • Repository Management (5): repository-analysis, dependency-management, testing-automation, documentation-generation, code-quality-analysis
  • Security Features (5): secure-api-communication, token-budget-management, audit-logging, resource-isolation, credential-management
  • Development Workflows (3): full-stack-development, ci-cd-integration, git-operations, package-management, environment-setup

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How does cognitive orchestration work?

Cognitive orchestration uses advanced NLP to:
  1. Parse natural language with 90%+ accuracy
  2. Extract entities (files, components, APIs, databases)
  3. Assess complexity and select optimal strategies
  4. Create execution plans with phases and dependencies
  5. Learn patterns from previous tasks

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Which AI providers are supported?

NikCLI supports multiple AI providers:
  • Anthropic Claude (recommended)
  • OpenAI GPT
  • Google Gemini
  • Ollama (local models)

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🔧 Commands and Usage

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How many commands does NikCLI have?

NikCLI provides 70+ commands organized into categories:
  • File Operations (5): /read, /write, /ls, /search, /find-files, /grep
  • Terminal Commands (12): /run, /install, /npm, /git, /docker, /ps, /kill
  • Project Management (5): /init, /build, /test, /lint, /analyze-project
  • AI Model Commands (5): /models, /model, /temp, /set-key, /tokens
  • Agent Management (9): /agents, /agent, /factory, /create-agent, /launch-agent
  • Planning & Todo (4): /plan, /todo, /todos, /approval
  • Parallel Execution (8): /parallel, /auto, /parallel-config, /parallel-monitor
  • Security (4): /security, /dev-mode, /safe-mode, /clear-approvals
  • VM Operations (8): /vm-create, /vm-list, /vm-connect, /vm-select
  • Development Tools (5): /snapshot, /commits, /diff, /monitor, /diagnostic
  • Memory & Data (8): /remember, /recall, /cache, /index

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What are the three operating modes?

Default Chat Mode (💬):
  • Interactive conversation with manual confirmation
  • Step-by-step guidance
  • Best for learning and experimentation
Planning Mode (📋):
  • Strategic planning with comprehensive execution plans
  • Todo.md file generation
  • Approval workflows
  • Best for complex projects
Auto Mode (🤖):
  • Autonomous execution with minimal intervention
  • Streamlined workflows
  • Best for rapid development

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How do I switch between modes?

Use Shift+Tab to cycle through modes, or specific commands: 
/default    # Switch to Default Chat Mode
/plan       # Switch to Planning Mode
/auto       # Switch to Auto Mode

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⚡ Parallel Execution

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What is parallel execution?

Parallel execution allows you to run multiple tasks simultaneously with intelligent coordination, dependency management, and resource optimization.

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How do I use parallel execution?

# Basic parallel execution
/parallel "task1" "task2" "task3"

# With strategy
/parallel --strategy hybrid "Create frontend" "Build API" "Set up database"

# With dependencies
/parallel --dependencies {"task2": ["task1"]} "task1" "task2" "task3"

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What strategies are available?

  • Sequential: Execute tasks one after another
  • Parallel: Execute all tasks simultaneously
  • Hybrid: Mix of parallel and sequential based on dependencies
  • Adaptive: Dynamically adjust based on task characteristics

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How do I monitor parallel execution?

# Monitor execution
/parallel-monitor

# View progress
/parallel-monitor --progress

# Check resources
/parallel-monitor --resources

# Control execution
/parallel-monitor --pause
/parallel-monitor --resume

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🔒 Security and Privacy

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Is NikCLI secure?

Yes, NikCLI is designed with security in mind:
  • Local First: Works entirely on your machine
  • Encrypted API Keys: Secure storage with AES-256-GCM
  • Approval System: Interactive confirmation for sensitive operations
  • Sandbox Mode: Restricted execution environment
  • VM Isolation: Secure virtualized development

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How are API keys stored?

API keys are stored securely in ~/.nikcli/config.json with AES-256-GCM encryption. They are never transmitted to external servers except for the intended AI providers.

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What is the approval system?

The approval system requires user confirmation for sensitive operations:
  • File write operations
  • Command execution
  • Network access
  • Configuration changes

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Can I use NikCLI offline?

Yes, with local models: 
# Set up Ollama
/set-key ollama http://localhost:11434
/model ollama:llama3.1:8b

# Or enable offline mode
/config --offline-mode

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🎯 Performance and Optimization

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How can I improve performance?

# Enable caching
/cache --enable

# Optimize memory usage
/memory --optimize

# Reduce concurrency
/parallel-config --max-concurrent 2

# Use faster models
/model gpt-4o-mini

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What are the resource limits?

Default Limits:
  • Memory: 2GB
  • CPU: 4 cores
  • Concurrent tasks: 3
  • Timeout: 5 minutes
Configurable: 
/parallel-config --memory-limit 4GB --cpu-limit 8
/parallel-config --max-concurrent 6

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How do I monitor performance?

# Check metrics
/stats

# Monitor resources
/memory --stats
/cpu --stats

# Check agent performance
/agents --metrics

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🔧 Configuration

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Where is configuration stored?

Configuration is stored in ~/.nikcli/config.json: 
{
  "defaultProvider": "anthropic",
  "defaultModel": "claude-3-5-sonnet",
  "temperature": 0.7,
  "historyEnabled": true,
  "approvalLevel": "moderate"
}

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How do I backup my configuration?

# Export configuration
/config --export backup-config.json

# Import configuration
/config --import backup-config.json

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Can I use environment variables?

Yes, you can set configuration via environment variables: 
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export NIKCLI_COMPACT=1
export NIKCLI_CLEAN_CHAT=1

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🐛 Troubleshooting

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NikCLI is not responding

# Check status
/agents

# Restart agents
/agent universal-agent --restart

# Check resources
/memory --stats

# Restart NikCLI
/quit
nikcli

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API keys not working

# Check configuration
/config

# Test API connection
/debug

# Re-set API key
/set-key anthropic sk-ant-api03-...

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Parallel tasks hanging

# Check resources
/parallel-monitor --resources

# Reduce concurrency
/parallel-config --max-concurrent 2

# Stop and restart
/parallel --kill

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Memory issues

# Check memory usage
/memory --stats

# Clear caches
/cache --clear

# Reduce limits
/parallel-config --memory-limit 1GB

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💰 Pricing and Limits

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Is NikCLI free?

NikCLI is open-source and free to use. You only pay for the AI provider API calls you make.

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What are the API costs?

Costs depend on your AI provider:
  • Anthropic Claude: ~$0.003 per 1K tokens
  • OpenAI GPT: ~$0.002 per 1K tokens
  • Google Gemini: ~$0.001 per 1K tokens
  • Ollama: Free (local models)

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How can I reduce costs?

# Use faster models
/model gpt-4o-mini
/model claude-3-5-haiku

# Enable caching
/cache --enable

# Use local models
/set-key ollama http://localhost:11434

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🚀 Advanced Features

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How do I create custom agents?

# Create specialized agent
/create-agent "React Expert" --specialization "react,typescript" --capabilities "component-design,ui-ux"

# Configure agent
/agent-config "React Expert" --style collaborative --verbosity detailed

# Use custom agent
/agent "React Expert" "Create a responsive navigation component"

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How do I use the VM Agent?

# Create VM container
/vm-create https://github.com/user/repo.git

# Connect to VM
/vm-connect container-id

# Execute in VM
/agent vm-agent "Set up development environment"

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How do I use planning mode?

# Switch to planning mode
/plan

# Create project plan
/plan "Build complete application"

# View todos
/todo

# Execute plan
/execute-plan

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🤝 Community and Support

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Where can I get help?

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How can I contribute?

  • Report bugs: Use GitHub Issues
  • Request features: Use GitHub Discussions
  • Submit PRs: Fork and submit pull requests
  • Improve docs: Submit documentation improvements

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Is there enterprise support?

Yes, we offer enterprise support:

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🎯 Next Steps

Getting Started

Start using NikCLI

Examples

Learn through examples

Command Reference

Master all commands

Troubleshooting

Solve problems
Pro Tip: Use /help at any time to see all available commands. NikCLI is context-aware and will show relevant options based on your current project and mode.