Quick Start

Get from zero to a working Jawcode session in under two minutes.

1. Launch in any repository

Navigate to any Git repository and run jwc:

cd ~/my-project
jwc

Jawcode starts an interactive TUI session. You will see the gradient welcome banner with the shark-fin logo, then a composer input at the bottom.

2. Send your first message

Type a request in the composer and press Enter. Jawcode reads your repository context (files, git history, AGENTS.md) and responds with tool calls and explanations.

# Or pass a message directly from the command line
jwc "explain the architecture of this project"

For file-specific context, use @ references:

jwc "review this file for bugs" @src/auth.ts

3. Use the IPABCD workflow

Jawcode's structured workflow takes ideas from interview to verified delivery. For a vague requirement, start with the interview stage:

# Inside a jwc session, type:
/skill:jaw-interview

The interview asks clarifying questions, scores ambiguity, and produces a spec under .jwc/specs/.

When requirements are clear enough to plan:

# Advance to planning
jwc orchestrate p

This generates a plan under .jwc/plans/planphase/ and runs it through a Critic review loop until approved.

4. Choose your model

Jawcode supports 46 providers and 3,600+ models. Override the default model per session:

# Use a specific model
jwc --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514

# Use a specific provider
jwc --provider openai --model gpt-4.1

# Use the fast/cheap model for quick tasks
jwc --smol claude-haiku

# Use the slow/deep-reasoning model
jwc --slow o3

See available models for your configured providers:

jwc --list-models
jwc --list-models gemini    # Filter by keyword

5. tmux mode

For long-running tasks, launch in a tmux session. This lets you detach and reattach without losing context:

# Launch inside a new tmux session
jwc --tmux

# Detach: press Ctrl+b then d
# Reattach later
tmux attach

6. Worktree isolation

For risky or experimental work, use Git worktrees to isolate changes from your main branch:

# Create an isolated worktree and launch jwc inside it
jwc --tmux --worktree ../my-experiment

# The agent works in the worktree; your main branch stays clean
# Merge when satisfied, discard if not

7. Resume a session

Sessions are persisted automatically. Resume the most recent one:

# Resume last session
jwc --resume

# Resume a specific session by ID
jwc --resume abc123

# Continue with conversation context
jwc --continue

8. Session management

Use jwc session to list, inspect, and manage sessions:

# List all sessions
jwc session list

# Attach to a running tmux session
jwc session attach <name>

Key concepts

Next steps

• CLI Reference — every flag documented
• Environment Variables — provider keys and configuration
• Architecture Overview — how the pieces fit together