The terminal interface

glob-tui is Glob's full-screen terminal interface. You use the keyboard to browse records, capture notes, complete tasks and follow links. It runs the installed glob command for its actions, so the selected binary and its configuration determine which store and account you use.

Open the interface#

Install the CLI, including Python 3 with curses, then run either command:

glob
glob-tui

The TUI uses ~/.local/bin/glob by default. If your binary is elsewhere, set GLOB_BIN to its executable path:

GLOB_BIN=/usr/local/bin/glob glob-tui

Having glob on PATH alone does not change that lookup. The TUI has no command-line options: extra arguments, including --help and --store, do not configure it. Use configuration and environment variables such as GLOB_STORE_DIR before launching it.

The screen needs at least 40 columns and 6 rows to draw. Make the terminal taller if channels, Settings actions or API key rows are clipped. The top bar shows the server, activity, pending changes and sign-in state. The left CHANNELS pane chooses a view; the right pane shows its contents. The bottom line shows the keys or text prompt for the current action.

Press ? for help. Any key closes help. The complete key reference explains the keys in each context.

Browse your records#

Use Left or h to focus the sidebar, Up/Down or k/j to choose a channel, then Enter to focus its contents. Tab switches focus. In a list, move to a record and press Enter to open it.

Today, Projects, Clusters, Data Jars, Habits, Timers, Flows and Prep Lists are dimmed and open an Unavailable pane. They have no working TUI controls. Use All Notes, Tasks, Pinned or Node to browse records.

Read details and follow links#

A record opens with its title, updated time, tags, body and Links. Times use your machine's local timezone. The body wraps to fit the pane. Use Up/Down to scroll, or Page Up/Page Down for larger steps.

Links show → for outgoing and ← for incoming links, with a label when one is present. Press n to select the next link, then g or Enter to follow it. Esc returns to the previous record and its scroll position. The TUI keeps up to 32 steps of link history; another Esc returns to the list. A record without links shows (none).

The detail pane lets you pin, change tags and complete or reopen a task. For title or body editing, archiving, or creating links, use the record commands.

Capture and manage records#

Choose All Notes, press i, type Book a rehearsal room, then press Enter. This captures a note with that text as its title. Esc cancels the input.

In Tasks, i adds a task. In Node, it creates a note or task in the current view, according to the t toggle. Task and Node titles are limited to the first 120 characters entered here. Pinned does not accept capture: create a record elsewhere, select it and press p.

• d completes the selected task, or reopens it if already completed. It also works in detail. On a note, this action turns the note into a completed task.
• p pins the selected record on Linux. It does not toggle the pin off; use the node commands to unpin.
• # opens the tag prompt with the existing tags. Enter a replacement such as music rehearsal, separating tags with spaces or commas. An empty replacement is rejected; this prompt cannot clear every tag.
• x or Delete requests deletion from a record list. Press y or Y to confirm; any other key cancels. Deletion is not available while detail or Global Search is open.

In Node, t switches the notes/tasks listing and 0 returns to the root view. To choose a particular container, use the node commands, then refresh with r.

The input line accepts printable ASCII characters. Backspace removes the last character; Enter submits. It has no multiline or cursor-based editor. Use the headless commands when you need text that the input line cannot enter.

Filter and search#

In a record list, / opens a filter. Type part of a title, press Enter, and the TUI narrows the records it has fetched. Matching ignores letter case. This does not search the bodies or fetch older records beyond the list's limit. The filter remains when you switch record channels; Esc clears it after you return from detail.

For a store search, start from All Notes, Tasks, Pinned or Node and press uppercase S. Enter a query to open Global Search, with up to 50 results and a short preview. Move between results and press Enter to open one. Press / or S to change the query, or Esc to close search after leaving detail. / also opens Global Search from an unavailable channel, but switch to a working record channel before searching if you want to open hits.

Capture and deletion are disabled in Global Search. Pinning, task completion and tag replacement remain available for a selected record. For search syntax and larger result limits, use the record commands.

Sign in and sync#

If no session is saved, the TUI opens LOGIN at startup. You can cancel it to browse local notes and tasks. Press uppercase L, or select Log in / switch account in Settings, to open it again.

The prompts ask for a server URL only when none is set, then your email and password. Password input is masked. After successful sign-in, the TUI asks for your sync passphrase; this is separate from your account password. Enter it to save it, or leave it blank to skip. A rejected sign-in returns to the email prompt with login error: …. Esc cancels an input prompt; once Authenticating… appears, wait for the result.

A passphrase entered during login is saved in ~/.glob/passphrase, with file permissions 0600. At startup, GLOB_SYNC_PASSPHRASE takes precedence over that file. A passphrase entered at a later sync prompt lasts for the running TUI session. An inherited GLOB_SYNC_PASSPHRASE also takes precedence in the sync command itself, so change or unset it before restarting when correcting a passphrase.

On Linux, press lowercase s, or choose Sync now, to run one sync. The TUI does not start continuous syncing. It asks for a missing passphrase and shows a spinner while the request runs. A completion begins with synced ↑<pushed> ↓<pulled>. It adds any conflict or skipped counts, document failures with the first reason, and skipped holders reported by the command. A failure shows sync error: ….

New accounts must first complete interactive glob sync now --passphrase-stdin outside the TUI: save the recovery key and type SAVED. The TUI displays RECOVERY_ENROLLMENT_REQUIRED until that setup is complete. Existing accounts without recovery keep syncing and receive a status reminder to run glob keys recovery later. The recovery reveal box remains compatible with older native binaries; the new CLI never returns recovery keys in JSON.

The sync command is unavailable in the macOS build, although the TUI still shows its controls. See sync for availability and recovery, and sign-in for other login methods or changing the server.

Ask Glob and Prompt Architect#

Both channels require a configured server and sign-in. They use hosted AI and the same credit-charging path as glob ask.

In Ask Glob, press i or Enter, type a question and submit it. The pane shows You, Glob, and either the answer or an Error. Use Up/Down to scroll. You can keep several turns visible, but each question is sent on its own: earlier questions and answers are not supplied as context. The displayed transcript lasts only for this TUI session. Wait for a question to finish before sending another.

In Prompt Architect, press i or Enter and describe a rough goal, such as Plan three rehearsals for a five-song set. The TUI asks hosted AI to turn it into a prompt under Role, Context, Task, Constraints and Output format, preserving your intent and avoiding invented facts. The result is an AI response, so review it before using it.

Up/Down scrolls the result. Starting another goal replaces the previous displayed result. Uppercase S captures the result as a note; lowercase s syncs. If no result exists, S shows design a prompt before saving. The TUI has no model selector; use the command reference for glob ask options.

Manage API keys#

Open API Keys while signed in. Loading… appears while keys load; No active keys. Press i to create one. appears for an empty list.

1. Press i, or choose Generate API key… in Settings.
2. Enter an API key label, then an agent nickname. The command adds -AI unless the nickname already has it.
3. Accept the prefilled readonly scope, or replace it with readwrite. Those are the two accepted choices. The TUI creates a key with account reach; it does not ask for a container or expiry.
4. Copy the token from GLOB DATA API KEY before pressing Esc. The TUI displays the new token once. As with the recovery key, dismissal has a short keypress guard.

Select an existing key and press uppercase R to rotate it, or x/Delete to revoke it. Confirm with y or Y. The rotation prompt warns that the current secret stops working immediately; the replacement appears in the same token display. Revocation cannot be undone. Press r to refresh the list.

A FROZEN label is a state indicator. The TUI has no freeze, unfreeze or usage controls. See API keys for scope details, expiry and the additional commands.

Settings and troubleshooting#

Settings shows Server URL, Authenticated, Sync cursor, Pending changes, Passphrase set, Store path, Client version and glob binary. These are information rows. Move between the actions below them and press Enter to activate one.

Alongside sign-in, sync and key creation, the actions include:

• Export… asks for a destination directory. On Linux it writes Glob Portable v1 plus the readable Markdown tree and reports the portable record count.
• Import… asks for a source directory, then confirmation. It validates first and creates separate copies with fresh IDs, keeping existing records. Import accepts portable files and older flat or Node/Note/Task Markdown directories. Read export and import before choosing a directory.
• Log out asks for confirmation, then removes the stored session token. The TUI reports logged out.

Paths may use ~; relative paths are resolved from the directory where you launched the TUI. Press r outside API Keys to refresh client information and the current list.

Authentication, AI, sync and API key work show progress or wait states. Navigation remains available during AI and sync work; login and API key wait boxes ignore normal keys until the result arrives. For command errors and platform limitations, see troubleshooting.