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Ada CLI

AI-powered command-line tool that lives in your terminal

Ada CLI is an agentic coding tool designed to help developers turn ideas into code faster. With deep workspace context, autonomous agents, and multi-LLM support, it brings the full power of Lovelace's AI platform directly to your terminal.

What is Ada CLI?

Ada CLI is a command-line interface that combines interactive AI chat, autonomous agent execution, and workspace-aware development tools into a single, powerful terminal experience. Whether you're reviewing code, generating tests, or managing complex development tasks, Ada CLI adapts to your workflow.

Key Capabilities

🤖 Interactive AI Chat

Start conversational sessions with Claude, GPT-4, or local models directly in your terminal. Ask questions about your codebase, get suggestions, and receive context-aware assistance as you develop.

⚡ Autonomous Agents

Create specialized AI agents that execute complex, multi-step tasks in the background. From code analysis to documentation generation, agents handle the heavy lifting while you focus on higher-level decisions.

🏗️ Workspace Context

Automatic project detection and context awareness ensure AI assistance understands your codebase structure, dependencies, and patterns without manual configuration.

🔗 Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Connect to MCP servers for extended capabilities like filesystem operations, Linear integration, and custom tool execution through a standardized protocol.

🔌 Editor Integration

Use Ada directly from Zed, VS Code, and other editors through Agent Client Protocol. Editors spawn ada acp start and communicate over JSON-RPC on stdio.

🌐 Multi-LLM Support

Choose between Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and local models like Ollama. Switch providers and models based on your task requirements.

How It Works

Terminal-First Design

Ada CLI operates entirely in your terminal, providing a fast, keyboard-driven interface for AI-powered development. No context switching, no browser tabs—just you, your terminal, and intelligent assistance.

Workspace Awareness

The CLI automatically detects your project structure, reads configuration files, and understands your development patterns. This deep context awareness means you get relevant suggestions without explaining your setup every time.

Agent Architecture

Long-running tasks execute as autonomous agents in the background. Check status, view logs, and retrieve results while continuing your development work. Agents persist across terminal sessions and can run for hours or days.

Extensible Through MCP

Connect third-party MCP servers to add new capabilities. Access Linear issues, query databases, or integrate custom tools—all through a consistent command interface.

Use Cases

Ada CLI isn't just for writing code—it's a versatile AI assistant for all knowledge work, from development to learning to creative projects.

Software Development

bash
# Start your day with AI-assisted planning
ada chat "What should I focus on today?"

# Get instant code review feedback
ada chat "Review this function for edge cases"

# Generate tests automatically
ada agents run test-generator --input ./src/user-service.ts

# Run security audit in background
ada agents run security-scanner --input ./src

Hackathon & Rapid Prototyping

bash
# Brainstorm project ideas
ada chat "Help me brainstorm hackathon ideas for climate tech"

# Research and validate concept
ada chat "What's the best tech stack for a real-time collaboration tool?"

# Generate project structure
ada chat "Create a Next.js project structure for a video streaming app"

# Build presentation deck
ada agents run presentation-generator "Create pitch deck from README" --input ./

# Practice demo
ada chat "Help me prepare answers for common investor questions"

Learning & Exploration

bash
# Understand unfamiliar codebase
ada chat --context ./ "Explain this project's architecture"

# Learn new framework
ada chat "Teach me Next.js App Router with practical examples"

# Research best practices
ada chat "What are modern authentication patterns for web apps?"

# Explore technology options
ada chat "Compare React state management solutions for my use case"

Documentation & Content Creation

bash
# Generate comprehensive API documentation
ada agents run docs-generator --input ./src/api --output ./docs/api

# Create tutorial from code
ada chat "Write a beginner tutorial explaining this authentication flow"

# Update README with recent changes
ada chat "Update README to reflect new features in ./CHANGELOG.md"

# Generate architecture diagrams
ada agents run diagram-generator "Create system architecture diagram" --input ./src

Product Management & Planning

bash
# Research competitive landscape
ada chat "Analyze CLI tools market and identify opportunities"

# Generate user stories
ada chat "Create user stories for a collaborative code editor feature"

# Technical feasibility assessment
ada chat "Evaluate technical feasibility of real-time collaboration"

# Create feature specifications
ada agents run spec-generator "Write detailed spec for OAuth integration" --context ./docs

Team Collaboration

bash
# Sync with team workspace
ada workspace sync team-project

# Review pull requests with AI assistance
ada chat --context pr-123 "Analyze this PR for issues"

# Share session insights
ada sessions export today --format team-summary

# Onboard new team members
ada chat "Create onboarding guide for new developers"

Getting Started

Ready to enhance your development workflow? Get up and running in just a few minutes:

  1. Quickstart Guide - Install and run your first command in 5 minutes
  2. Usage Guides - Learn how to use each CLI feature
  3. CLI Reference - Complete command documentation

Platform Integration

The CLI seamlessly integrates with all Lovelace platform services:

  • Agents Cloud - Remote agent execution with cloud resources
  • Studio - Agent design and workflow creation
  • Memory - Persistent context across sessions

System Requirements

Supported Platforms:

  • macOS 12+ (Intel and Apple Silicon)
  • Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, other distributions)
  • Windows 10+ (via PowerShell or WSL)

Prerequisites:

  • Node.js 20 or higher (for npm installation)
  • No prerequisites for native installers

Network:

  • Internet connection for cloud AI providers
  • Optional: Local AI models (Ollama) for offline usage

Getting Help

Next Step: Get started with the Quickstart Guide to install and run your first command in 5 minutes.