Complete reference for all BLACKBOX CLI commands and keyboard shortcuts.
Core Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
blackbox configure | Configure Blackbox settings |
blackbox info | Display Blackbox information |
blackbox mcp | Run one of the mcp servers bundled with blackbox |
blackbox session | Start or resume interactive chat sessions [aliases: s] |
blackbox project | Open the last project directory [aliases: p] |
blackbox projects | List recent project directories [aliases: ps] |
blackbox run | Execute commands from an instruction file or stdin |
blackbox recipe | Recipe utilities for validation and deeplinking |
blackbox schedule | Manage scheduled jobs [aliases: sched] |
blackbox update | Update the blackbox CLI version |
blackbox bench | Evaluate system configuration across a range of practical tasks |
blackbox web | Experimental: Start a web server with a chat interface |
blackbox help | Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s) |
In-Session Commands
These commands are available within an active BLACKBOX CLI session (after running blackbox or blackbox session):
| Command | Description |
|---|
/multi-agent | Run multiple AI agents in parallel on separate branches |
/skill | Manage skills to extend AI agent capabilities with specialized knowledge |
Installation Commands
Platform-specific installation commands:
Unix/Linux/macOS
curl -fsSL https://shell.blackbox.ai/api/scripts/blackbox-cli-v2/download.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell)
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://shell.blackbox.ai/api/scripts/blackbox-cli-v2/download.ps1" -OutFile "download.ps1"; .\download.ps1
Configuration Commands
Set up and manage your BLACKBOX CLI configuration:
# Initial configuration
blackbox configure
Multi-Agent Execution
The /multi-agent command enables parallel execution of multiple AI agents on the same task, with each agent working on a separate Git branch. This powerful feature allows you to compare different AI approaches and select the best implementation.
How It Works
When you use /multi-agent, BLACKBOX CLI:
- Creates Separate Branches: Automatically creates a unique Git branch for each AI agent
- Parallel Execution: Runs multiple agents simultaneously on the same task
- Independent Work: Each agent works independently on its own branch
- Comparison: Allows you to review and compare different implementations
Default Agents
By default, /multi-agent uses your BLACKBOX API key to invoke:
- Claude (Anthropic’s Claude models)
- Blackbox (BLACKBOX AI models)
OpenAI Integration
If you have an OpenAI API key configured, the command will also invoke:
- Codex (OpenAI’s GPT-5 Codex)
- Gemini (GEMINI’s Gemini-3-pro)
This gives you up to three different AI implementations to compare.
Usage
# Start a BLACKBOX CLI session
blackbox
# Use multi-agent for your task
> /multi-agent create a REST API with user authentication and CRUD operations
Configuration
To enable Codex (OpenAI) or Gemini (Gemini API KEY) in multi-agent mode:
- Add your OpenAI API key or Gemini API Key to your environment
- The
/multi-agent command will automatically include Codex in future executions
Benefits
- Quality Comparison: Compare implementations from different AI models
- Best Practices: See different approaches to the same problem
- Error Reduction: Multiple implementations help identify potential issues
- Learning: Understand different coding patterns and techniques
- Flexibility: Choose the implementation that best fits your needs
Example Workflow
# Start session
blackbox session
# Run multi-agent task
> /multi-agent build a todo app with React and TypeScript
# BLACKBOX CLI will:
# 1. Create branch: blackboxai/multi-agent-claude-<timestamp>
# 2. Create branch: blackboxai/multi-agent-blackbox-<timestamp>
# 3. Create branch: blackboxai/multi-agent-codex-<timestamp> (if OpenAI key configured)
# 4. Create branch: blackboxai/multi-agent-gemini-<timestamp> (if Gemini key configured)
# 5. Each agent works independently on its branch
# 6. Review the branches to compare implementations
Best Practices
- Complex Tasks: Use
/multi-agent for complex features where multiple approaches could be valuable
- Critical Code: Ideal for security-sensitive or performance-critical implementations
- Learning: Great for understanding different AI coding styles and patterns
- Branch Management: Review and merge the best implementation, then clean up unused branches
The /multi-agent command requires an active Git repository. Ensure you’re in a Git-initialized project directory before using this feature.
Keyboard Shortcuts
General Controls
| Shortcut | Description | Context | |
|---|
Ctrl+C | Cancel current input or generation | Standard interrupt / Exit BLACKBOX CLI session | |
Ctrl+D | Exit BLACKBOX CLI session | EOF signal | |
Ctrl+L | Clear terminal screen | Keeps conversation history | |
Up/Down arrows | Navigate command history | Recall previous inputs | |
| Method | Shortcut | Context |
|---|
| Quick escape | \ + Enter | Works in all terminals |
| macOS default | Option+Enter | Default on macOS |
| Control sequence | Ctrl+J | Line feed character for multiline |
| Paste mode | Paste directly | For code blocks, logs |
