Shell Tool¶

Execute terminal commands with safety controls.

Basic Usage¶

Dial Code executes shell commands when needed:

> Run the tests
[run_shell_command: npm test]
Allow? (y/n)

Shell Passthrough¶

Use ! for direct shell access:

> !npm run build
> !git status
> !ls -la

Still requires confirmation unless in YOLO mode.

Environment¶

Working Directory¶

Commands run in your current working directory (where you started dial).

Environment Variable¶

Dial Code sets DIAL_CODE=1 so scripts can detect the environment:

if [ -n "$DIAL_CODE" ]; then
  echo "Running in Dial Code"
fi

Confirmation¶

Default Behavior¶

All shell commands require confirmation:

[run_shell_command] npm install express
Allow? (y/n)

YOLO Mode¶

Skip confirmations (use carefully):

dial --yolo

Or during session:

Shift+Tab  # Cycle to YOLO mode

Sandboxing¶

Enable Sandbox¶

Restrict command execution:

{
  "sandbox": true
}

Or via environment:

export DIAL_SANDBOX=docker
dial

Sandbox Options¶

Value	Description
`false`	No sandboxing (default)
`docker`	Docker container sandbox
`podman`	Podman container sandbox

What's Restricted¶

In sandbox mode:

File access limited to current directory
Network access may be restricted
System commands blocked

Interactive Commands¶

PTY Mode¶

For interactive commands, enable PTY mode:

{
  "interactiveShell": true
}

Supports:

Color output
Progress bars
Interactive prompts (limited)

Limitations¶

Some interactive commands don't work well:

Editors (vim, nano)
REPLs requiring input
Password prompts

Common Commands¶

Package Management¶

> Install lodash
[npm install lodash]

> Update all dependencies
[npm update]

Testing¶

> Run the tests
[npm test]

> Run tests in watch mode
[npm test -- --watch]

Git¶

> Show git status
[git status]

> Commit these changes
[git add . && git commit -m "..."]

Build¶

> Build the project
[npm run build]

> Start the dev server
[npm run dev]

Safety Features¶

Command Review¶

Before execution, review the command:

[run_shell_command] rm -rf node_modules
Allow? (y/n)

Dangerous Command Detection¶

Dial Code warns about potentially dangerous commands:

rm -rf
sudo
System-wide changes

Execution Modes¶

In Safe mode, shell commands go through the dialectic pipeline for review.

Configuration¶

Color Output¶

Enable colored command output:

{
  "shellColor": true
}

Timeout¶

Set command timeout:

{
  "shellTimeout": 60000
}

Troubleshooting¶

"Command Not Found"¶

The command isn't in your PATH. Verify:

which command-name

"Permission Denied"¶

Check file permissions
May need sudo (use carefully)

Hanging Commands¶

Press Ctrl+C to cancel. Some commands may need:

{
  "shellTimeout": 30000
}

Next Steps¶

File System - File operations
MCP - External tools