---
source_hash: 4124ad295fa21f51611b69d6e2c7482d318d15a16c3f6b3aa422942693a7466f
post: /posts/ari-os/using-it
shape: doctrinal
---

# Context Pack: Using ARI-OS day to day

Agent reference for the rewritten daily guide. Only quoted excerpts are verbatim. Original command names and twenty combined command/skill entries are retained; factual corrections use inspected public commit 85bba5fccf42549b0507bc852ac8aaf47844b812, not executed workers.

## Verbatim excerpts

> Having a skill available doesn't authorise work outside the user's instructions.

> It does not send that answer to a live worker or restart one.

> A displayed completion still needs the evidence required by the brief.

## Session surface

Ten slash commands: `/brainstorm`, `/dispatch`, `/dream`, `/handoff`, `/monitor`, `/morning`, `/night`, `/prefetch`, `/recall`, `/remember`.

Ten skills: `advisor`, `brainstorm`, `dream`, `handoff`, `morning`, `night`, `prefetch`, `recall`, `remember`, `teach`. The two lists differ deliberately. A brief still needs its outcome, boundary and evidence; names do not establish success or authorise extra work.

## Memory interface

Server: `ari-os-cortex`. Manual registration: `claude mcp add ari-os-cortex -- python -m ari_os.tools.cortex.mcp_server stdio`.

Retained documented signatures:

- `brain.recall(query, mode='default', k=12, token_budget=4000, session_id)`
- `brain.remember(text, layer='semantic', source)`
- `brain.lineage(chunk_id)`
- `brain.regions()`
- `brain.tracts(n=100)`
- `brain.entities(kind, k=50)`
- `brain.relations(entity, k=50)`
- `brain.modes()`
- `brain.see(image_path, mode='visual')`
- `brain.lens(slug)`

When source is omitted, the remember wrapper trims text and derives a source ID from the first 16 hexadecimal characters of SHA-256. An explicit source changes that path; this is not a promise of unconditional deduplication. LENS starts off; lens reads a local or indexed card after that gate without a model call. See additionally needs enabled Cortex LLM configuration and an available vision backend. Check missing/unavailable responses.

## Worker execution and limits

The original start example is `python3 -m ari_os.tools.dispatch start --executor sonnet --task-file BRIEF.md --cwd ./worktree --label mytask`. Executors are haiku, sonnet and opus. `--add-dir` adds access scope.

Start launches one worker. The retained WorkerFanOutFidget is an illustration, not an implemented five-plus-two orchestration or preview gate supplied by this command.

The root check rejects a cwd equal to Git's reported repository root, including linked-worktree roots. The example directory must pass that check; its name is not enough. This is not filesystem isolation. `--read-only` disables Write, Edit, MultiEdit and NotebookEdit, not shell writes or every possible write path. Permission skipping defaults on; `ARI_OS_WORKER_SKIP_PERMISSIONS=0` omits that launch flag.

List/questions/answer remain documented commands. In the checked implementation, answer composes text, removes the question file and prints only the first 200 characters. It neither delivers nor resumes a worker. Verify a real continuation path rather than treating disappearance of a question as progress.

## Monitor and settings

`python3 -m ari_os.tools.monitor` opens `http://localhost:7777`. It is a view of reports, not an acceptance gate by itself.

`python3 -m ari_os.tools.arios` exposes keys, `theme <name>`, `toggle <feature> on|off`, update and `cortex <setting> [value]`. Cortex settings include status, `embeddings <auto|google|ollama|off>`, `mode <name>`, wander, ears and lens. Examples retained: `python3 -m ari_os.tools.arios cortex status` and `python3 -m ari_os.tools.arios cortex mode focus`. The global mode preference is distinct from the Cortex CLI per-workspace store and explicit recall/retrieve modes; direct calls default to default. Saving an embedding preference does not establish that the direct retrieval client honours it. The keys command only reports presence of expected environment variables, not configuration or validation. The control-panel update invokes installer `--update`, reapplying the local checkout without fetching a release.

[Dispatcher source](https://github.com/PUSHINGSQUARES/ARI-OS/blob/85bba5fccf42549b0507bc852ac8aaf47844b812/ari_os/tools/dispatch.py) · [MCP source](https://github.com/PUSHINGSQUARES/ARI-OS/blob/85bba5fccf42549b0507bc852ac8aaf47844b812/ari_os/tools/cortex/mcp_tools.py) · [Advanced guide](/documents/ari-os/advanced).