Command line

axel with no arguments opens the launcher (inside Rex, as floating panes; elsewhere, inline). Run it again to close it. The first time, with no agent yet, it runs axel setup first. Everything else is a subcommand.

Commands answer to the names you'd reach for: the plurals (axel threads, sessions, agents, hosts, logs), list for ls, info for show, create for new (and add for agents, start for threads), rm for thread delete, settle for thread done, and msg for send.

Agents


`axel agent new NAME [--harness claude\|codex\|opencode] [--model M] [--skills a,b\|*] [--color C] [--runtime-mode M] [--host H]`	Create an agent: key, attestation, profile.
`axel agent edit NAME [--allow A] [--disallow A] [--reach nobody\|anyone] [--daily-usd N\|unlimited] [--max-depth N] [--runtime-mode M] [--host H\|local]`	Change its permissions, budget, mode or default host.
`axel agent ls` · `show NAME` · `archive NAME`	List, inspect, retire.

Skills


`axel skills ls`	Every skill this project can use, and where each comes from.
`axel skills update [SOURCE] [--yes]`	Fetch remote skills, show what changed, move their pins in `AXEL.lock`.

See The AXEL.md file.

Threads


`axel thread new "intent" --agent NAME [--project DIR]… [--scratch] [--worktree [BRANCH]] [--host H] [--no-launch]`	A thread and its first session.
`axel thread spawn THREAD --agent NAME [--host H]`	Another agent on the same thread.
`axel thread resume THREAD [--agent NAME]`	A new session continuing the last harness conversation.
`axel thread attach THREAD --project DIR`	Attach another project.
`axel thread open THREAD`	The thread view, in this terminal.
`axel thread split THREAD`	A Rex window: the conversation above, the composer below.
`axel thread ls [--all]` · `show THREAD`	List, inspect.
`axel thread stop THREAD`	End every live session on it.
`axel thread done` · `reopen` · `archive` · `delete THREAD`	Settle, reopen, archive, delete.

Thread and session ids accept any unique prefix.

Sessions


`axel session ls [--all]`	Sessions, with their state and where they run.
`axel session stop SESSION`	End one session and close its pane.
`axel session move SESSION --to HOST\|local`	Move a running Claude Code session to a host, or home.
`axel log SESSION [-f]`	The raw frames of a managed session.

Messages and status


`axel send "@nova …"`	A signed message to every `@name` in the text, as you, or as `$AXEL_AGENT` from inside a session.
`axel inbox [--agent NAME]`	Your inbox, or an agent's.
`axel status working\|blocked\|done\|idle\|error\|clear "msg" [--kind permission\|question\|auth]`	Report a status for `$AXEL_THREAD`.

Hosts


`axel host add TARGET`	Install Axel on a machine reachable over SSH and register it.
`axel host ls` · `rm LABEL`	List, forget.
`axel sync [HOST] [--follow]`	Exchange threads, conversations and job branches with hosts. Runs by itself while hosts work for you.

Plumbing


`axel ui [--screen launch\|threads\|dashboard\|inbox]`	What the floating panes run.
`axel mcp`	The MCP server, on stdio.
`axel hook claude\|codex`	The hook sink; installed for you at launch.
`axel setup`	Check this machine and create an agent, interactively. Runs by itself the first time.
`axel doctor`	Check Rex, the keychain and the database.