pi-extmgr

A better way to manage Pi extensions. Browse, install, enable/disable, and remove extensions from one place. Built on top of Pi's native package install, update, and config flows, so extmgr stays aligned with current upstream behavior.

🌐 pi-extmgr landing page

Install

pi install npm:pi-extmgr

If Pi is already running, use /reload.

Requires Node.js >=22.

Features

• Unified manager UI
  • Local extensions (~/.pi/agent/extensions, .pi/extensions) and installed packages in one list
  • Scope indicators (global/project), status indicators, update badges
• Package extension configuration panel
  • Configure individual extension entrypoints inside an installed package (c on package row)
  • Works with manifest-declared entrypoints and conventional extensions/ package layouts
  • Persists to package filters in settings.json (no manual JSON editing)
• Safe staged local extension toggles
  • Toggle with Space/Enter, apply with S
  • Unsaved-change guard when leaving (save/discard/stay)
• Package management
  • Install, update, remove from UI and command line
  • Quick actions (A, u, X) and bulk update (U)
• Remote discovery and install
  • npm search/browse with pagination
  • Install by source (npm:, git:, https://, ssh://, git@..., local path)
  • Supports direct GitHub .ts installs and standalone local install for self-contained packages
  • Long-running discovery/detail screens now show dedicated loading UI, and cancellable reads can be aborted with Esc
• Auto-update
  • Interactive wizard (t in manager, or /extensions auto-update)
  • Persistent schedule restored on startup and session switch
  • Background checks + status bar updates for installed npm + git packages
• Operational visibility
  • Session history (/extensions history)
  • Cache controls (/extensions clear-cache clears persistent + runtime extmgr caches)
  • Status line summary (pkg count • auto-update • known updates)
  • History now records local extension deletions and auto-update configuration changes
• Interactive + non-interactive support
  • Works in TUI and non-UI modes
  • Non-interactive commands for list/install/remove/update/auto-update

Usage

Open the manager:

/extensions

In the manager

| Key | Action | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | ↑↓ | Navigate | | Space/Enter | Toggle local extension on/off | | S | Save local extension changes | | Enter / A | Actions on selected package (configure/update/remove) | | c | Configure selected package extensions | | u | Update selected package directly | | X | Remove selected item (package/local extension) | | i | Quick install by source | | f | Quick search | | U | Update all packages | | t | Auto-update wizard | | P / M | Quick actions palette | | R | Browse remote packages | | ? / H | Help | | Esc | Exit |

Commands

/extensions                      # Open interactive manager (default)
/extensions local                # Alias: open interactive manager
/extensions list                 # List local extensions
/extensions remote               # Open remote package browser
/extensions packages             # Alias: remote browser
/extensions installed            # Installed packages view (legacy alias to unified flow)
/extensions search <query>       # Search npm packages
/extensions install <source> [--project|--global]  # Install package
/extensions remove [source]      # Remove package
/extensions uninstall [source]   # Alias: remove
/extensions update [source]      # Update one package (or all when omitted)
/extensions auto-update [every]  # No arg opens wizard in UI; accepts 1d, 1w, 1mo, never, etc.
/extensions history [options]    # View change history (supports filters)
/extensions clear-cache          # Clear persistent + runtime extmgr caches

Non-interactive mode

When Pi is running without UI, extmgr still supports command-driven workflows:

• /extensions list
• /extensions installed
• /extensions install <source> [--project|--global]
• /extensions remove <source>
• /extensions update [source]
• /extensions history [options]
• /extensions auto-update <duration>
  • Use 1mo for monthly schedules (/extensions history --since <duration> also accepts 1mo; 30m/24h are just lookback examples)

Remote browsing/search menus require the full interactive TUI.

RPC / limited-UI mode

In RPC mode, dialog-based commands still work, but the custom TUI panels do not:

• /extensions falls back to read-only local/package lists
• /extensions installed lists packages directly
• remote browsing/search panels require the full interactive TUI
• package extension configuration requires the full interactive TUI

History options (works in non-interactive mode too):

• --limit <n>
• --action <extension_toggle|extension_delete|package_install|package_update|package_remove|cache_clear|auto_update_config>
• --success / --failed
• --package <query>
• --since <duration> (e.g. 30m, 24h, 7d, 1mo; 1mo is supported for monthly lookbacks)
• --global (non-interactive mode only; reads all persisted sessions under ~/.pi/agent/sessions)

Examples:

• /extensions history --failed --limit 50
• /extensions history --action package_update --since 7d
• /extensions history --global --package extmgr --since 1mo

Install sources

/extensions install npm:package-name
/extensions install @scope/package
/extensions install git:https://github.com/user/repo.git
/extensions install git:[email protected]:user/repo.git
/extensions install ssh://[email protected]/user/repo.git
/extensions install https://github.com/user/repo/blob/main/extension.ts
/extensions install /path/to/extension.ts
/extensions install ./local-folder/

Tips

• Staged local changes: Toggle local extensions on/off, then press S to apply all at once.
• Package extension config: Select a package and press c (or Enter/A → Configure) to enable/disable individual package entrypoints.
  • After saving package extension config, run /reload to apply changes.
• Two install modes:
  • Managed (npm): Auto-updates with pi update, stored in pi's package cache, supports Pi package manifest/convention loading
  • Local (standalone): Copies to ~/.pi/agent/extensions/{package}/, so it only accepts runnable standalone layouts (manifest-declared/root entrypoints), requires tar on PATH, and rejects packages whose runtime dependencies are not already bundled with the package contents
• Auto-update schedule is persistent: /extensions auto-update 1d stays active across future Pi sessions and is restored when switching sessions.
• Auto-update/update badges cover npm + git packages: extmgr now uses pi's package manager APIs for structured update detection instead of parsing pi list output.
• Settings/cache writes are hardened: extmgr serializes writes and uses safe file replacement to reduce JSON corruption issues.
• Invalid JSON is handled safely: malformed auto-update.json / metadata cache files are backed up and reset; invalid .pi/settings.json is not overwritten during package-extension toggles.
• Reload is built-in: When extmgr asks to reload, it calls ctx.reload() directly.

License

MIT