Axolot

Axolot is a terminal AI coding assistant that runs directly in your terminal — no gateways, no proxies, no external servers. Just you, your terminal, and your choice of AI provider.

🚀 Quick Start

npm install -g axolot-ai
axolot

Then press /model to pick your provider and authenticate.

📦 Other install options

# Linux/Mac (curl)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JaredBautist/AXOLOT/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
axolot

# GitHub direct
npm install -g github:JaredBautist/AXOLOT
axolot

✨ Features

🔌 Multi-Provider — Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, MiniMax, GLM, Kimi, Hydra, and NVIDIA NIM (bring your own model). Switch anytime with /model.

axolot use anthropic claude-sonnet-5
axolot use openai gpt-5.6
axolot use gemini gemini-3.1-pro

⭐ Your favorite model — Pick option 9 in /model and bring any OpenAI-compatible provider: set a custom base URL and your API key, and Axolot auto-discovers the available models from /models. Not locked to any single vendor — point it wherever you like (OpenRouter, a gateway, self-hosted, ...).

🛠️ 30+ Built-in Skills — Invoke with /<skill-name>. The model auto-selects them based on your task.

| Category | Skills | |----------|--------| | 🎨 Frontend | codex-frontend-master, frontend-design, v0-frontend, ui-ux-pro-max | | ✅ Code Quality | verify, review, test, refactor, simplify, self-test | | 📐 Architecture & Docs | spec, architecture, docs, commit | | ⚙️ Backend & Infra | api-design, database, deploy, backend-security | | ⚡ Productivity | debug, onboard, instructions, session, batch, stuck, remember, learn, token-saver | | 🤖 AI & Providers | ai-provider, skillify, keybindings, update-config |

📋 Spec-Driven Development — Define requirements, design, and tasks in .axolot/SPEC.md. The model reads and updates them as you work.

🔍 Web Search & Fetch — Built-in web search and URL fetching. The model uses them automatically when it needs current information.

💾 Session Persistence — Save and restore session state across terminal sessions with /session save and /session resume.

🕘 Session History — Browse your recent sessions from the terminal with axolot sessions (this folder) or axolot sessions --all (every project). Shows when each ran, its message count, and the opening prompt — most recent first. Jump back in with axolot resume <id> (or axolot continue for the latest); inside the TUI, /resume does the same.

📝 Custom Instructions — Add project-specific rules in .axolot/instructions/. They load every turn automatically.

🧠 Adaptive Learning — Axolot learns your preferences over time. Use /learn to manage memory, skill preferences, and suggestions.

🪙 Token Optimization — /token-saver with 4 modes (auto, eco, turbo, budget) to control token consumption. Per-message usage display shows in:X out:Y for every response.

💻 Usage

⌨️ CLI Commands

axolot                    # Open the TUI
axolot chat "prompt"      # One-shot query, no TUI
axolot auth <provider>    # Configure API key
axolot use <provider> <model>  # Switch model
axolot sessions           # 🕘 Recent session history (this folder)
axolot sessions --all     # History across every project
axolot resume <id>        # ↩️  Resume a session by id (picker if no id)
axolot continue           # ↩️  Continue the most recent session
axolot -p openai -m gpt-5.6 chat "hi"  # Override

🖥️ Inside the TUI

/model                    # Choose provider & model
/effort normal            # Set response depth

/spec init                # Start project spec
/review                   # Code review
/test                     # Write & run tests
/refactor                 # Safe refactoring
/commit                   # Conventional commit
/self-test                # Run Axolot's own checks
/session save             # Save state
/learn                    # Manage learning & preferences
/token-saver eco          # Optimize token usage
/v0-frontend              # Vercel-v0-style frontend

📋 Requirements

• Node.js 20+
• An API key or OAuth for your chosen provider

⚙️ Configuration

Config is stored outside the repo:

~/.config/axolot/direct-providers.json
~/.config/axolot/axolot-runtime/

Or use environment variables:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-..."
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export GEMINI_API_KEY="..."
export HYDRA_API_KEY="..."

🔌 Provider Support

| Provider | Models | Auth | |----------|--------|------| | 🟣 Anthropic | Opus 5, Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Fable 5 | 🔑 API key / OAuth | | 🟢 OpenAI | GPT-5.6 (Sol · Terra · Luna), GPT-5.5 | 🔑 API key / OAuth | | 🔵 Google Gemini | Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key | | 🐳 DeepSeek | DeepSeek V4, V4-Flash | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key | | 🟠 MiniMax (via NVIDIA NIM) | minimaxai/minimax-m3 | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key | | 🧊 GLM (via NVIDIA NIM) | z-ai/glm-5.2 | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key | | 🌙 Kimi (via NVIDIA NIM) | moonshotai/kimi-k2.6 | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key | | 🐉 Hydra | axolot | 🔑 HYDRA_API_KEY | | ⭐ Your favorite model | Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint (option 9) | 🌐 custom base URL + 🔑 API key |

🌐 Your favorite model — bring any OpenAI-compatible provider: set a custom base URL and its API key in /model, and Axolot auto-discovers the available models from /models. Not tied to any single provider.

Hydra

axolot auth hydra
axolot use hydra axolot
axolot

Hydra uses the fixed axolot model at https://ftnezbtydnviwduydqsk.supabase.co/functions/v1/hydra-chat. Set HYDRA_MODE to override the default request mode (balanced). Hydra is provider 8 in /model; “Your favorite model” is provider 9.

🧑‍💻 Development

git clone https://github.com/JaredBautist/AXOLOT.git
cd AXOLOT
npm install
npm start

🆚 How It Differs

Axolot is a direct-provider TUI. Unlike tools that require a proxy server or gateway:

• Your API calls go directly to the provider — nothing in between
• You own your keys and your data
• No external dependencies beyond Node.js and npm

The skills system is built for Axolot with Spec-Driven Development, session persistence, structured project memory via .axolot/, adaptive learning, and per-message token tracking.

🗂️ Project Structure

.claude/skills/             # Compatible skill format (auto-discovered)
.axolot/                   # Project specs, instructions, session state
  SPEC.md                   #   Requirements, design, tasks
  instructions/             #   Custom project rules
  session.json              #   Current session state
  learning/                 #   Adaptive learning data
    state.json              #     Skill usage, preferences, memories
src/skills/bundled/         # Built-in TypeScript skills (30+)
skillpacks/                 # Curated skill packs

📄 License

MIT

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built on ideas from the open-source AI tooling ecosystem.