@codexstar/pi-side-chat

pi-side-chat — a standalone side chat extension for Pi CLI

pi-side-chat

Parallel AI agent with read-only tools, running alongside your main coding agent in Pi CLI.

What is this?

A floating AI chat panel that runs alongside your main Pi coding agent. Open it with Alt+/ and ask questions about what the agent is doing, get a session recap, check if the agent is stuck, or just chat.

• Parallel AI instance — does not interrupt your main agent
• Read-only tools only — safe inspection, no accidental file edits
• peek_main tool — lets the side chat see what the main agent is working on
• Built-in shortcuts — type analyze, stuck, recap, status, or help
• Per-session conversations — each new session starts fresh

Install

pi install @codexstar/pi-side-chat

Usage

Action	How
Open/toggle chat	Alt+/ or /sidechat
Send message	Type + Enter
Close	Esc
Unfocus (back to main)	Alt+/ again
Open settings	/sidechat-settings

Settings

Run /sidechat-settings to configure:

• Model — pick any available model or use the session default
• Width/Height — adjust the overlay size
• Enable/Disable — toggle the extension

Settings persist to ~/.pi/side-chat/config.json.

Requirements

• Pi CLI with extension support
• Node.js >= 18.17

License

MIT