Chat interface

Talking to your agent#

The chat panel is how you communicate with the AI agent on your desktop. It sits next to the VNC viewer and terminal in the desktop view.

How it works#

When you send a message, it reaches the AI agent running inside the VM. The agent forwards it to your configured AI model (Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter), which generates a response. The agent can then act on the desktop: running commands, opening applications, editing files, whatever your instructions call for.

Sending messages#

1. Open your desktop in the dashboard.
2. Click the Chat tab in the viewer panel.
3. Type your message.
4. Press Enter to send.

Shift+Enter adds a new line without sending.

What you can ask#

The agent has full access to the desktop. You can ask it to install software, write and run code, browse the web, manage files, run terminal commands, analyze data, or automate repetitive tasks.

Be specific. Instead of "set up a project," try "create a new Node.js project in ~/projects/my-app with Express and TypeScript."

Message history#

Messages are stored per desktop. When you come back to a desktop, the previous conversation loads automatically. If the desktop is destroyed, dashboard-side history is kept, but the agent's internal context resets on the next desktop.

Session management#

Each desktop has its own chat session. The agent's context includes your current conversation, the soul file (personality and instructions), and memory from earlier interactions if embeddings are configured.

If the agent seems to have lost context, it may have restarted. Check agent ready to confirm.

When chat is unavailable#

Chat requires the agent to be fully initialized. You cannot send messages when:

• The desktop is in pending, booting, or stopped status.
• The agent has not finished starting (agentReady is false).
• No AI provider is configured.

Until the agent is ready, the chat panel's header and its message box say "Agent starting up...". A new desktop's agent is usually ready about 2 minutes after you create it; Agent ready explains the wait.

Tips#

• Keep chat open alongside the VNC viewer to watch your agent work in real time.
• For long instructions, write them in a text editor first and paste into the chat.
• If the agent is not responding, see the troubleshooting guide.