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16e1c02b98
* ready for review * WIP: late-breaking cli arg change fix-ups (still more to double-check) * updates for late-breaking CLI changes * updated docs to match yesterday's usage updates * docs(cli): restructure documentation and add dedicated installation guide - Extract installation instructions into separate installation.mdx page - Simplify overview.mdx to focus on use cases and getting started - Improve cli-reference.mdx with quick help commands section - Reorganize content for better information architecture - Make documentation more user-friendly and action-oriented This restructuring separates concerns: installation details are now in their own page, the overview focuses on what Cline CLI can do, and the reference page is more accessible with inline help examples before the full manual. --------- Co-authored-by: Juan Pablo <juan@cline.bot> Co-authored-by: Saoud Rizwan <7799382+saoudrizwan@users.noreply.github.com>
404 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
404 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "CLI Reference"
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description: "Complete command reference for Cline CLI including configuration, instance management, and task commands"
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---
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Complete command reference for Cline CLI. Use this for detailed documentation on all commands, options, and configuration.
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For quick help in your terminal:
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```bash
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cline --help # Show all commands
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cline task --help # Show task-specific commands
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man cline # View the full manual page
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```
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## Manual Page
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The complete manual page for the Cline CLI:
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```
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CLINE(1) User Commands CLINE(1)
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NAME
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cline - orchestrate and interact with Cline AI coding agents
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SYNOPSIS
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cline [prompt] [options]
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cline command [subcommand] [options] [arguments]
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DESCRIPTION
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Try: cat README.md | cline "Summarize this for me:"
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cline is a command-line interface for orchestrating multiple Cline AI
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coding agents. Cline is an autonomous AI agent who can read, write,
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and execute code across your projects. He operates through a
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client-server architecture where Cline Core runs as a standalone
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service, and the CLI acts as a scriptable interface for managing tasks,
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instances, and agent interactions.
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The CLI is designed for both interactive use and automation, making it
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ideal for CI/CD pipelines, parallel task execution, and terminal-based
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workflows. Multiple frontends (CLI, VSCode, JetBrains) can attach to
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the same Cline Core instance, enabling seamless task handoff between
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environments.
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MODES OF OPERATION
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Instant Task Mode
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The simplest invocation: cline "prompt here" immediately spawns
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an instance, creates a task, and enters chat mode. This is
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equivalent to running cline instance new && cline task new &&
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cline task chat in sequence.
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Subcommand Mode
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Advanced usage with explicit control: cline <command>
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[subcommand] [options] provides fine-grained control over
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instances, tasks, authentication, and configuration.
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AGENT BEHAVIOR
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Cline operates in two primary modes:
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ACT MODE
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Cline actively uses tools to accomplish tasks. He can read
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files, write code, execute commands, use a headless browser, and
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more. This is the default mode for task execution.
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PLAN MODE
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Cline gathers information and creates a detailed plan before
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implementation. He explores the codebase, asks clarifying
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questions, and presents a strategy for user approval before
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switching to ACT MODE.
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INSTANT TASK OPTIONS
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When using the instant task syntax cline "prompt" the following options
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are available:
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-o, --oneshot
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Full autonomous mode. Cline completes the task and stops
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following after completion. Example: cline -o "what's 6 + 8?"
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-s, --setting setting value
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Override a setting for this task
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-y, --no-interactive, --yolo
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Enable fully autonomous mode. Disables all interactivity:
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• ask_followup_question tool is disabled
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• attempt_completion happens automatically
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• execute_command runs in non-blocking mode with timeout
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• PLAN MODE automatically switches to ACT MODE
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-m, --mode mode
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Starting mode. Options: act (default), plan
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GLOBAL OPTIONS
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These options apply to all subcommands:
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-F, --output-format format
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Output format. Options: rich (default), json, plain
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-h, --help
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Display help information for the command.
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-v, --verbose
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Enable verbose output for debugging.
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COMMANDS
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Authentication
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cline auth [provider] [key]
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cline a [provider] [key]
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Configure authentication for AI model providers. Launches an
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interactive wizard if no arguments provided. If provider is
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specified without a key, prompts for the key or launches the
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appropriate OAuth flow.
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Instance Management
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Cline Core instances are independent agent processes that can run in
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the background. Multiple instances can run simultaneously, enabling
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parallel task execution.
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cline instance
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cline i
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Display instance management help.
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cline instance new [-d|--default]
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cline i n [-d|--default]
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Spawn a new Cline Core instance. Use --default to set it as
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the default instance for subsequent commands.
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cline instance list
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cline i l
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List all running Cline Core instances with their addresses and
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status.
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cline instance default address
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cline i d address
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Set the default instance to avoid specifying --address in task
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commands.
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cline instance kill address [-a|--all]
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cline i k address [-a|--all]
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Terminate a Cline Core instance. Use --all to kill all running
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instances.
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Task Management
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Tasks represent individual work items that Cline executes. Tasks
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maintain conversation history, checkpoints, and settings.
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cline task [-a|--address ADDR]
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cline t [-a|--address ADDR]
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Display task management help. The --address flag specifies
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which Cline Core instance to use (e.g., localhost:50052).
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cline task new prompt [options]
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cline t n prompt [options]
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Create a new task in the default or specified instance.
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Options:
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-s, --setting setting value
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Set task-specific settings
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-y, --no-interactive, --yolo
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Enable autonomous mode
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-m, --mode mode
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Starting mode (act or plan)
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cline task open task-id [options]
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cline t o task-id [options]
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Resume a previous task from history. Accepts the same options
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as task new.
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cline task list
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cline t l
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List all tasks in history with their id and snippet
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cline task chat
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cline t c
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Enter interactive chat mode for the current task. Allows
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back-and-forth conversation with Cline.
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cline task send [message] [options]
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cline t s [message] [options]
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Send a message to Cline. If no message is provided, reads from
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stdin. Options:
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-a, --approve
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Approve Cline's proposed action
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-d, --deny
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Deny Cline's proposed action
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-f, --file FILE
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Attach a file to the message
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-y, --no-interactive, --yolo
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Enable autonomous mode
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-m, --mode mode
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Switch mode (act or plan)
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cline task view [-f|--follow] [-c|--follow-complete]
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cline t v [-f|--follow] [-c|--follow-complete]
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Display the current conversation. Use --follow to stream
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updates in real-time, or --follow-complete to follow until task
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completion.
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cline task restore checkpoint
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cline t r checkpoint
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Restore the task to a previous checkpoint state.
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cline task pause
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cline t p
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Pause task execution.
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Configuration
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Configuration can be set globally. Override these global settings for
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a task using the --setting flag
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cline config
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cline c
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cline config set key value
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cline c s key value
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Set a configuration variable.
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cline config get key
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cline c g key
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Read a configuration variable.
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cline config list
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cline c l
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List all configuration variables and their values.
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TASK SETTINGS
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Task settings are persisted in the ~/.cline/x/tasks directory. When
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resuming a task with cline task open, task settings are automatically
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restored.
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Common settings include:
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yolo Enable autonomous mode (true/false)
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mode Starting mode (act/plan)
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NOTES & EXAMPLES
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The cline task send and cline task new commands support reading from
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stdin, enabling powerful pipeline compositions:
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cat requirements.txt | cline task send
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echo "Refactor this code" | cline -y
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Instance Management
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Manage multiple Cline instances:
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# Start a new instance and make it default
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cline instance new --default
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# List all running instances
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cline instance list
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# Kill a specific instance
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cline instance kill localhost:50052
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# Kill all CLI instances
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cline instance kill --all-cli
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Task History
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Work with task history:
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# List previous tasks
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cline task list
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# Resume a previous task
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cline task open 1760501486669
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# View conversation history
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cline task view
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# Start interactive chat with this task
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cline task chat
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ARCHITECTURE
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Cline operates on a three-layer architecture:
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Presentation Layer
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User interfaces (CLI, VSCode, JetBrains) that connect to Cline
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Core via gRPC
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Cline Core
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The autonomous agent service handling task management, AI model
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integration, state management, tool orchestration, and real-time
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streaming updates
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Host Provider Layer
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Environment-specific integrations (VSCode APIs, JetBrains APIs,
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shell APIs) that Cline Core uses to interact with the host
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system
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BUGS
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Report bugs at: <https://github.com/cline/cline/issues>
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For real-time help, join the Discord community at:
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<https://discord.gg/cline>
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SEE ALSO
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Full documentation: <https://docs.cline.bot>
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AUTHORS
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Cline is developed by the Cline Bot Inc. and the open source community.
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COPYRIGHT
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Copyright © 2025 Cline Bot Inc. Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
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```
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### Shell Completion
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Generate autocompletion scripts for various shells:
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#### Bash
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```bash
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# Generate bash completion
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cline completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/cline
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# Or for user-level installation
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cline completion bash > ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/cline
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```
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#### Zsh
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```bash
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# Generate zsh completion
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cline completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_cline"
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# Or add to your .zshrc
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echo 'source <(cline completion zsh)' >> ~/.zshrc
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```
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#### Fish
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```bash
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# Generate fish completion
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cline completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/cline.fish
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```
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#### PowerShell
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```powershell
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# Generate PowerShell completion
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cline completion powershell > cline.ps1
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# Add to your PowerShell profile
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Add-Content $PROFILE "cline completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression"
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```
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### Version Command
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```bash
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# Show version information
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cline version
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```
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### Environment Variables
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#### CLINE_DIR
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Override the default Cline directory location:
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```bash
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# Override default Cline directory
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export CLINE_DIR=/custom/path
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# Default: ~/.cline
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```
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This directory is used for:
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- Instance registry database
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- Configuration files
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- Task history
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- Checkpoints
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