We want users to install `@clinebot/sdk` instead of `@clinebot/core`
because "sdk" rolls off the tongue better as the public-facing package
name. `@clinebot/core` already re-exports the key types from
`@clinebot/agents`, `@clinebot/llms`, and `@clinebot/shared`, so
`@clinebot/sdk` is a thin wrapper that just does `export * from
"@clinebot/core"`.
## What changed
New `packages/sdk/` directory containing:
- `package.json` -- named `@clinebot/sdk`, version `0.0.36` (matching
current published packages), single dependency on `@clinebot/core` via
`workspace:*`. Same publish-related fields (`main`, `types`, `exports`,
`files`, `publishConfig`) as core, adapted for the simpler
single-entrypoint structure.
- `src/index.ts` -- literally just `export * from "@clinebot/core"`.
- `bun.mts` -- minimal Bun.build config that externalizes
`@clinebot/core` so the output JS is just a re-export, not a bundle of
core's internals.
- `tsconfig.json` / `tsconfig.build.json` -- follows the same pattern as
other packages (extends `tsconfig.base.json`, emits declarations only
via tsc).
The release script (`scripts/release.ts`) was updated to add `"sdk"` to
`SDK_PUBLISH_ORDER` after `"core"`, so it gets published in the correct
dependency order during `bun release sdk`. The help text was also
updated to reflect the new package in the list.
No changes were needed for:
- Workspace registration: root `package.json` uses `"packages/*"` glob,
so `packages/sdk` is auto-discovered.
- Version bumping: `scripts/version.ts` iterates all package directories
and bumps non-internal packages automatically.
- Publish verification: `scripts/check-publish.ts` auto-discovers
non-internal packages. Verified it picks up `@clinebot/sdk` and the
package passes all checks (packing, manifest version alignment, npm
install in isolation, module resolution).
## Verification
- `bun run build:sdk` succeeds, `@clinebot/sdk` builds cleanly alongside
all other packages
- `bun -F @clinebot/sdk typecheck` passes
- `bun scripts/check-publish.ts` passes with all 5 published packages
(shared, llms, agents, core, sdk) verified
- Built output is minimal: `dist/index.js` is
`export*from"@clinebot/core";` and `dist/index.d.ts` is the
corresponding re-export declaration
## Test plan
- [x] `bun run build:sdk` builds all packages including sdk
- [x] `bun -F @clinebot/sdk typecheck` passes
- [x] `bun scripts/check-publish.ts` verifies all 5 packages pack,
install, and resolve correctly
- [ ] After merge, `bun release sdk` should publish `@clinebot/sdk` to
npm alongside the other packages
The CLI's interactive TUI has been rewritten from scratch using
[OpenTUI](https://github.com/anomalyco/opentui), replacing the Ink-based
implementation. OpenTUI is a native terminal rendering engine written in
Zig with a React reconciler, giving us capabilities that were impossible
with Ink: native diff rendering, syntax-highlighted code, streaming
markdown, scrollable content, mouse interaction, and clipboard support.
### Before / After
The old TUI was a single 1,300-line monolith (`interactive-tui.ts`) with
30+ useState hooks, limited rendering (plain text only), and no dialog
system. The new TUI is decomposed into focused components, contexts, and
hooks with rich rendering throughout.
### Architecture
```
run-interactive.ts (runtime bridge)
|
| callbacks: onSubmit, onAbort, onModelChange, onModeChange, ...
v
index.tsx (OpenTUI renderer)
|
v
root.tsx (provider tree + view router + global keyboard)
|
+-- DialogProvider Modal dialogs (model picker, tool approval, settings, etc.)
+-- SessionProvider Chat entries, running state, mode, usage tracking
+-- EventBridgeProvider Subscribes to SDK agent events, forwards to session
|
+-- View Router
+-- HomeView Welcome screen with animated robot + centered input
+-- ChatView Scrollbox message list + input bar + status bar
+-- OnboardingView First-run provider/model setup wizard
+-- ConfigView Settings browser (dialog)
+-- HistoryView Session history with resume (dialog)
```
The TUI never talks to the SDK directly. All communication flows through
callback props defined in `TuiProps`. The runtime bridge
(`run-interactive.ts`) owns session lifecycle, event wiring, and state
that persists across session restarts.
### What's New
Core rendering:
- Streaming markdown for assistant responses (`<markdown>` element)
- Unified diffs with syntax highlighting for file edits (`<diff>`
element)
- Syntax-highlighted code for file reads (`<code>` element)
- Expandable/collapsible tool output sections
- Scrollable chat with auto-scroll pinning during streaming
- Mouse-tracked animated robot on the home screen
Dialog system (`@opentui-ui/dialog`):
- Model selector with search, thinking level picker, and provider
switching
- Cline-specific model picker with recommended/free tiers
- Tool approval dialog (approve/reject/always-approve per tool)
- Ask question dialog (agent asks user for input mid-run)
- Config/settings browser with interactive toggles
- Session history browser with message preview and resume
- Help overlay with all keyboard shortcuts and commands
- Provider picker with OAuth login and API key entry
- Device code auth flow for Cline provider
Input and navigation:
- Autocomplete dropdown for `/` slash commands and `@` file mentions
- Input history (up/down arrow through previous prompts)
- Message queuing (Enter during a running turn queues the message)
- Steer messages (Ctrl+S sends guidance to a running turn)
- Text selection with copy-to-clipboard (OSC52)
Session management:
- `/history` to browse and resume past sessions
- `/compact` for manual context window compaction
- `/clear` to reset conversation
- `/model` to switch models mid-conversation (preserves chat history)
- `/help` with full keyboard shortcut and command reference
- `/settings` for interactive config browser
Plan/Act mode:
- Tab toggles between plan and act mode with accent color change
(yellow/cyan)
- `switch_to_act_mode` tool lets the agent transition from plan to act
mid-session
- System prompt and tools are rebuilt on mode switch, conversation
history preserved
Onboarding:
- First-run wizard detects if no provider is configured
- Step-by-step provider selection, authentication (OAuth or API key),
model selection
- Thinking level configuration for supported models
- Results applied to runtime config immediately
### Interactive Setup Wizards
Three new top-level CLI commands that walk users through complex setup
flows interactively, so they don't have to construct long flag-heavy
commands by hand:
`clite connect` - Connector setup for messaging platforms (Telegram,
Slack, Discord, Google Chat, WhatsApp, Linear). Walks through bot token
entry, platform-specific options, and launches the bridge.
`clite schedule` - Scheduled run creation. Walks through cron expression
(with presets like "weekdays at 9am"), prompt, workspace, provider/model
selection, iteration limits, and timeout.
`clite mcp` - MCP server management. Lists configured servers, add new
ones (stdio or SSE), edit existing config, remove servers, and test
connectivity.
### What Got Removed
- `interactive-tui.ts` (1,314 lines) and all old Ink components
(ChatMessage, ConfigView, InputBox, MentionMenu, SlashMenu, StatusBar,
WelcomeView)
- `run-interactive-opentui.ts` (merged into `run-interactive.ts`)
The old Ink `HistoryListView` component is preserved at
`commands/history-list-view.ts` because the standalone `clite history`
command still uses Ink for its interactive picker. This is separate from
the main TUI.
### Runtime Changes
- Shebang changed from `#!/usr/bin/env node` to `#!/usr/bin/env bun`
(required because OpenTUI uses `bun:ffi`)
- `package.json` bin entry changed from `dist/index.js` to
`src/index.ts` for `bun link` dev workflow
- Minor SDK changes: `hookPath` added to `RpcSessionRow`, `toolTimeouts`
config support, `resolveSystemPrompt` export
### Documentation
- `DEVELOPMENT.md`: Full development guide covering prerequisites (Bun,
Zig, Node), first-time setup, monorepo structure, tech stack, TUI
architecture walkthrough, and common dev tasks
- `DISTRIBUTION.md`: Plan for publishing compiled binaries to npm
(platform-specific packages, binary resolver, postinstall caching, CI
pipeline). Uses OpenCode's distribution model as reference.
### Testing Locally
```bash
# Install prerequisites
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
brew install zig # macOS. For Linux: snap install zig --classic
# Clone and checkout
git clone <repo-url>
cd cline-sdk-wip
git checkout saoudrizwan/cli-tui-opentui
bun install
# Build SDK packages (required for workspace package resolution)
bun run build:sdk
# Link globally
cd apps/cli
bun link
# Run from anywhere
clite
```
Or skip the build/link and run directly from source:
```bash
cd apps/cli
bun run dev
```
To test onboarding flow with a fresh config: `clite --config
/tmp/cline-test`
---------
Co-authored-by: abeatrix <beatrix@cline.bot>
Saoud Rizwan