FAQ

Quick answers for setup and usage.

Where is config saved?

User defaults live in ~/.waterbrother/config.json. Project-specific overrides live in .waterbrother/config.json inside the current workspace.

Where are sessions saved?

~/.waterbrother/sessions/*.json

How do I resume a previous conversation?

Use waterbrother resume --last, waterbrother resume <id>, or interactive /resume <id>.

Does first launch run onboarding?

Yes. It asks for provider, API key when required, model, and profile unless you pass --skip-onboarding.

Are messaging integrations available yet?

The current foundation includes channel config, per-service onboarding, and readiness reporting for Telegram, Discord, and Signal. Live remote-control adapters come next.

How do I add a provider API key?

Choose your provider, create a key in that provider's console if needed, then paste it into the wizard or run waterbrother config set provider openai and waterbrother config set apiKey YOUR_PROVIDER_API_KEY.

How do I set project-only defaults?

Use --scope project. Example: waterbrother config set provider openai --scope project then waterbrother config set model openai/gpt-4.1 --scope project. config get and config list default to merged runtime values.

Can Waterbrother handle web/UI design prompts with images?

Yes. Use waterbrother vision <image-path> <prompt> or /vision in chat. For design work, use /agent designer.

Can it read private GitHub repo links?

Yes, if gh is installed and authenticated. Waterbrother now prefers a dedicated GitHub repo reader instead of brittle shell guesses when you paste GitHub repository URLs.

Does Waterbrother have web search?

Yes. It can search the open web for external or current information and fetch pasted public URLs directly. Ask for source links if you want a citation-style answer.

Can I just paste a URL into chat?

Yes. In interactive mode, pasting a public http:// or https:// URL will auto-read it. You can paste just the URL or add a trailing question on the same line.

Can it inspect Desktop or Downloads without shell fallback?

Yes. Read-only file tools can inspect ~/Desktop, ~/Downloads, and ~/Documents directly. On macOS, /desktop, /downloads, and /documents are treated as shortcuts to those home folders.

Does Waterbrother support MCP?

Yes. This release supports config-driven stdio MCP servers via the mcpServers config key. Use waterbrother config set-json mcpServers ... --scope project and verify with waterbrother mcp list or interactive /mcp.

Is there an explicit command for web reading or search?

Yes. Use /read <url> to fetch a page directly and /search <query> to run a web search and summarize the relevant sources. Use /open <url|index> to open a result in your browser when a site blocks CLI fetches.

Can I block shell/file mutations?

Yes. Use --approval never or interactive /approval never.

Why are trace lines quieter now?

Default trace mode stays focused on tool progress. Repeating heartbeat lines such as planning state updates are now shown in /trace verbose instead.

Why did receipt lines disappear for simple checks?

Default receiptMode is now auto, which suppresses noisy receipt summaries for minimal read-only turns. Use /receipt-mode verbose or waterbrother config set receiptMode verbose if you want every receipt printed.

Does long-conversation compaction exist?

Yes. Use /compact manually, and tune auto-compaction with waterbrother config set autoCompactThreshold 0.9 (set 0 to disable).

What is WATERBROTHER.md?

It is project memory/source-of-truth loaded into the system prompt. Create it with /memory init and append notes with /memory add ....

How do partners ship updates?

Partners should not publish from personal laptops. Use the tag-driven GitHub Actions workflow in .github/workflows/publish.yml. After the repository secret NPM_TOKEN is configured, bump the package version with npm version patch (or minor/major) and push main plus tags with git push origin main --tags. CI runs npm ci, npm run check, npm run smoke, and npm publish --access public.

How do I install Waterbrother now?

Public installs use npm: npm install -g @tritard/waterbrother. Source-clone installs are only for contributors working directly in the repo.

How do I update Waterbrother?

Run waterbrother update or use /update inside interactive mode. npm installs upgrade with a global npm install -g @tritard/waterbrother@latest. Source-clone installs still use git pull, npm install, and npm run check.