FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about NikCLI

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common questions about NikCLI.

🚀 Getting Started

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.

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

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

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.

🤖 Agents and AI

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

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

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

Which AI providers are supported?

NikCLI supports multiple AI providers:

• Anthropic Claude (recommended)
• OpenAI GPT
• Google Gemini
• Ollama (local models)

🔧 Commands and Usage

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

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

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

⚡ Parallel Execution

What is parallel execution?

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

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"

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

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

🔒 Security and Privacy

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

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.

What is the approval system?

The approval system requires user confirmation for sensitive operations:

• File write operations
• Command execution
• Network access
• Configuration changes

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

🎯 Performance and Optimization

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

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

How do I monitor performance?

# Check metrics
/stats

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

# Check agent performance
/agents --metrics

🔧 Configuration

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"
}

How do I backup my configuration?

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

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

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

🐛 Troubleshooting

NikCLI is not responding

# Check status
/agents

# Restart agents
/agent universal-agent --restart

# Check resources
/memory --stats

# Restart NikCLI
/quit
nikcli

API keys not working

# Check configuration
/config

# Test API connection
/debug

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

Parallel tasks hanging

# Check resources
/parallel-monitor --resources

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

# Stop and restart
/parallel --kill

Memory issues

# Check memory usage
/memory --stats

# Clear caches
/cache --clear

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

💰 Pricing and Limits

Is NikCLI free?

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

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)

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

🚀 Advanced Features

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"

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"

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

🤝 Community and Support

Where can I get help?

• Documentation: nikcli.mintlify.app
• GitHub Issues: github.com/nikomatt69/nikcli-main/issues
• Discord Community: discord.gg/nikcli
• Email Support: [e-mail]

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

Is there enterprise support?

Yes, we offer enterprise support:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Training: [e-mail]
• Consulting: [e-mail]

🎯 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.