Navigate the TUI

The interactive terminal user interface (TUI) keeps the session model separate from its visual tree. Closing a picker or changing a theme alters the view; it does not rewrite the session JSON Lines (JSONL) file.

How do I move through the session tree?

Use /tree to open the branch navigator. Arrow keys move between visible nodes, Enter selects a branch, and Escape closes the overlay. A selected historical node changes the active leaf only through the session operation exposed by the interface; it does not delete sibling branches.

How do I read the active keyboard map?

Open /hotkeys for the bindings registered by the running build. The prompt editor handles text navigation before global shortcuts, while overlays receive keys while focused. Treat the displayed map as current, because terminal key encodings and extension-provided actions change the available set between builds.

How do I select and customize a theme?

Open /settings to reach the theme selector, or set the keys directly:

xcsh config set theme.dark <THEME_NAME>
xcsh config set theme.light <THEME_NAME>
xcsh config set theme.forceSlot auto|dark|light

theme.dark and theme.light each name one theme, defaulting to xcsh-dark and xcsh-light, and the terminal’s reported background selects between them. Set theme.forceSlot to dark or light where that detection is unreliable, as inside tmux.

Theme files define semantic tokens rather than terminal escape sequences, so components share colors for text, borders, status, tools, diffs, and diagnostics. Keep custom themes under the configured xcsh data roots and check contrast in both the main transcript and modal overlays.

Open /tree before branching so the highlighted leaf and parent chain are visible. Navigation changes the context used by later turns; it does not erase sibling branches. In any selector, read the on-screen key legend because the focused component can override editor keys. After changing a theme, inspect ordinary text, dim text, links, selection, errors, and focus in both light and dark terminals, then restore the prior theme if contrast regresses.