# Raw

> Raw is an MIT-licensed local coding agent from TLE Labs for models with limited context. Agents select ordered tools, skills and hooks; Raw runs them in a terminal REPL, a local browser dashboard, or over the Agent Client Protocol.

- Install with `npm install -g @tlelabs/raw`; the command is `raw`. Requires Node.js 22.13+ and Bash.
- Configuration lives in `~/.config/raw/config.json`. `models` describe upstream access; `agents` select one model plus tools, skills, hooks and vars.
- Tools run with the user's operating-system permissions; the working directory is not a sandbox.
- Each page below is plain Markdown. Treat these docs as the current contract; do not infer unlisted flags or config keys.

## Docs

- [Raw documentation](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs.md): Raw is a local coding agent for models with limited context. Learn how to install it, configure models and agents, and run it from the terminal, a local dashboard or ACP.

## Start here

- [Install Raw](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/start/installation.md): Install Raw from npm, GitHub or a source checkout, then create the starter configuration.
- [Quickstart](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/start/quickstart.md): Create the starter configuration, point it at a model, run a first task, continue a session in the REPL, and open the dashboard.
- [Core concepts](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/start/concepts.md): Short definitions of the models, agents, tools, skills, hooks, MCP servers, variables, packages and sessions that make up Raw.

## Guides

- [Models and agents](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/models-and-agents.md): Configure model connections with providers and wire methods, define agents that select them, and choose which agent runs.
- [Permissions](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/permissions.md): Understand what Raw tools can access, how the working directory relates to security, and how allow, ask and deny rules and approvals work.
- [Dashboard](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/dashboard.md): Run the local Raw dashboard to chat with agents, handle approvals, check context usage, switch workspaces, edit agents and share packages.
- [Terminal](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/terminal.md): Run Raw from the terminal with one-shot tasks or the saved REPL, and adjust output density, reasoning, color, icons and theme.
- [Sessions](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/sessions.md): Resume saved Raw conversations from the terminal or dashboard, list and inspect history, and manage where sessions are stored and how long they are kept.
- [Context and compaction](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/context-and-compaction.md): Read Raw's context estimates, summarize long conversations with manual or automatic compaction, and understand how prompt caching and token usage are reported.

## Extend Raw

- [Tools](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/tools.md): Select Raw's built-in tools for an agent, control them with rules, fork a shipped tool, and write a local tool manifest.
- [Skills](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/skills.md): Give an agent reusable instructions by selecting skills, which the model lists and loads on demand.
- [Skill authoring](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/skill-authoring.md): Write Raw skills that agents select correctly, follow reliably, and verify, using a body outline and a pre-ship checklist.
- [Hooks](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/hooks.md): Run a command at Raw session, turn, and tool events, with a JSON protocol that can allow or deny a prompt or tool call.
- [MCP servers](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/mcp.md): Define Model Context Protocol servers in your Raw config, then select individual tools for an agent over stdio or Streamable HTTP.
- [Variables](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/variables.md): Declare named read-only runtime values from literals, environment variables, files, or executable providers, then let an agent list, read, or reference them.
- [Packages](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/packages.md): Export an agent or its components as a Raw package, pack it into a .rawpkg archive, install it on another machine, and bind it to a local model.
- [Background processes](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/processes.md): Let an agent start long-running commands that keep running across turns, then list, inspect, read, and stop them with the builtin process tool.
- [ACP and parent agents](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/extend/acp.md): Run Raw as an Agent Client Protocol server over stdio or a local WebSocket, and drive it from a parent agent with createAcpClient, including reverse tools.

## Reference

- [CLI reference](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/cli.md): Every raw command, subcommand, flag, environment variable, REPL command, and exit code.
- [Configuration reference](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/configuration.md): Every field in a Raw config file, with its type, default, and meaning, for models, agents, tools, skills, hooks, variables, MCP servers, UI, and sessions.
- [Dashboard API](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/dashboard-api.md): The local HTTP API behind raw dashboard, covering authentication, errors, sessions, turns, streaming events, approvals, panels, configuration, and packages.
- [Tool contract](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/tool-contract.md): The current development contracts for tool manifests, intended effects, conditional rules, tool panels, and hook payloads in Raw (raw.tool-api/2, raw.panel/2, raw.hook/2).
- [Architecture](https://raw.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/architecture.md): How Raw is organized, what each part owns, what the model receives on each request, and where session, configuration, and permission state lives.

## Optional

- [Complete documentation](https://raw.tlelabs.com/llms-full.txt): Every docs page in one Markdown file
- [Source code](https://github.com/lploc94/raw-cli): MIT-licensed repository, examples and changelog
- [npm package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@tlelabs/raw): Published releases of @tlelabs/raw