Two CLI surfaces ship with Hollow. They are not redundant — each one fits a different use case.
| Tool | Talks to | Needs tty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
hollow cli … |
host command socket | no | scripts, CI, automation |
hollow-cli |
OSC over tty | yes | prompt hooks, in-shell UI |
Both are documented individually:
- Native
hollow cli …— the recommended path - Python
hollow-cli— OSC transport client
The native subcommand wins on every axis that matters for scripts: it does not need a tty, it does not need shell integration sourced, and it is the fastest option when a Hollow window is already running. Use it for any host-side automation.
The Python client exists for shell-built-in use cases that have no host-side executable available (some WSL, SSH, and PowerShell flows). See Shell integration for the higher-level overview and HTP protocol for the wire format.
| Scenario | Use |
|---|---|
| A Python or PowerShell script in CI | hollow cli … |
| A bash script running inside Hollow | hollow-cli (OSC) or hollow cli |
| A prompt hook that reports cwd | hollow-cli (or the shipped shell-integration/ snippets) |
| A Lua plugin that drives Hollow | the hollow.term API directly |
| An automated test that talks to Hollow | hollow cli … |
| SSH from a remote box into the host | neither — neither is reachable |
- Shell integration — overview
- HTP protocol — wire format
hollow.htp— register custom channels