# Commands and flags

The command-line flags, subcommands, environment variables, and slash commands you use with free-pi-cli.

## Command line

```
free-pi-cli [command]
```

- `free-pi-cli`: Starts the coding agent. On the first run it shows the consent screen and GitHub sign-in.
- `free-pi-cli logout`: Removes the stored sign-in token. The next run signs in again.
- `free-pi-cli --version` or `-v`: Prints the CLI version.
- `free-pi-cli --help`, `-h`, or `help`: Prints usage.

Any other argument prints the help text and exits with an error. This is deliberate: a mistyped command such as `loguot` does not quietly start a session that uses your allowance. `--version`, `--help`, and `logout` never contact the free-pi server.

You can run these with `npx free-pi-cli ...` instead of installing the CLI.

## Environment variables

- `FREEPI_BASE_URL`: Overrides the backend URL. The default is `https://api.freepi.ai`. Useful for pointing at a local dev server.
- `FREEPI_NO_AUTO_UPDATE`: Set to any value to disable in-place self-update for this run.
- `FREEPI_NO_INTRO`: Set to `1` or `true` to skip the first-run welcome message.
- `FREEPI_KEEP_ENV_PROVIDERS`: Set to `1` to keep model providers from your own environment in the model picker. By default the picker shows only free-pi models.

To turn off self-update permanently, create `~/.free-pi/config.json` containing `{"autoUpdate": false}`.

## Slash commands

Type `/` in the agent to list commands. These are the free-pi commands. None of them uses a model turn, so they work even when you are out of usage.

- `/usage`: Shows how much of today's free allowance you have used, as a percentage, plus token counts.
- `/support`: Opens today's advertiser in your browser.
- `/close-other-session`: Clears a stuck session so you can start a new one.
- `/update`: Updates free-pi-cli to the latest version.
- `/whats-new`: Shows the highlights of the three most recent releases.
- `/tos`: Opens the Terms of Service in your browser.
- `/privacy-policy`: Opens the Privacy Policy in your browser.

The agent also has its own built-in commands, such as `/model`, which are part of pi.

### Command details

- **`/usage`** prints your account tier, the percentage of today's free allowance used, and today's and lifetime token counts.
- **`/support`** only opens the advertiser's link. It grants nothing, and until an ad has loaded it says "No advertiser loaded yet."
- **`/close-other-session`** replies "Cleared your other session" if it released one, or "No other session was running."
- **`/update`** runs `npm install -g free-pi-cli@latest`. If you started the CLI with `npx`, it tells you that you are already up to date. To get the newest version through npx, run `npx free-pi-cli@latest`.