Overview

The command palette is an overlay modeled on charm.sh + sahilm/fuzzy. It indexes the full CmdEntry registry defined in internal/tui/command.go, runs commands through the same subprocess bridge the panels use, and streams output back inline. Anything you can do from a panel, you can also do from the palette — the registry is the single source of truth.

Opening the palette

Key	Where
`Ctrl+K`	Anywhere
`:`	Anywhere

Ctrl+K is the conventional binding; : exists because operators with muscle memory from editors and k9s reach for it first. Both open the same overlay.

Layout

┌─ Command palette ────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ > setup guardr                                                   │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ▸ setup guardrail         Configure LLM guardrail         setup │
│    setup guardrail --mode  Flip mode (observe/action)      setup │
│    setup guardrail --disable  Disable the guardrail        setup │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The input line echoes what you typed; the result list shows TUIName (left), Description (center), Category (right). Fuzzy matching is case-insensitive and orders by match score.

Registry categories

Category	Example entries
`setup`	`init`, `setup skill-scanner`, `setup guardrail`, `setup splunk`, `setup provider add`
`scan`	`scan skill`, `scan skill --all`, `scan mcp`, `scan plugin`, `scan aibom`, `scan code`
`enforce`	`block skill`, `allow skill`, `quarantine skill`, `set mcp`, `disable plugin`
`keys`	`keys list`, `keys set`, `keys fill-missing`, `keys check`
`policy`	`policy test`, `policy reload`, `policy edit`
`audit`	`audit query`, `audit export`, `audit stats`
`gateway`	`gateway start`, `gateway stop`, `gateway restart`, `gateway status`
`misc`	`doctor`, `status`, `alerts`, `upgrade`

See internal/tui/command.go for the full list (200+ entries). Duplicate TUI names are caught by command_test.go.

Executing a command

Type enough characters to disambiguate.
Press enter on the highlighted match.
If the entry has NeedsArg=true, you're prompted for the argument with ArgHint as placeholder text.
The palette closes; output streams inline in the panel's command output region.

For long-running commands (scans, setups), the output region expands and Ctrl+C cancels the subprocess without killing the TUI.

Arg-taking entries

A subset of entries expects a positional argument — the palette prompts for it after enter:

Entry	Arg hint
`scan skill`	`<skill-name>`
`scan mcp`	`<url>`
`scan plugin`	`<plugin-name>`
`scan code`	`<path>`
`block skill` / `unblock skill` / ...	`<skill-name>`
`keys set`	`<ENV_NAME>`

Arg resolution uses whatever is selected in the panel when relevant — e.g. invoking block skill from the Skills panel pre-fills the argument with the selected row's name.

Why a palette exists alongside panels

Panels are optimized for browsing-and-acting-on-lists. The palette is optimized for "I know what I want to do". They share the subprocess bridge, so:

A palette run with scan skill --all and a scan-all action chosen from the Skills panel run the exact same CLI invocation.
Audit logs see both as scan.skill.all events.
CI pipelines that invoke the CLI directly produce identical audit rows.

This three-way parity — palette, panel, CLI — is tested in cli_parity_test.go.

Closing the palette

Key	Behavior
`esc`	Close without running
`enter`	Close after running (unless the entry keeps the palette open)
`Ctrl+C`	Close the palette (global Ctrl+C still quits the TUI if the palette is already closed)

Command palette — DefenseClaw