🏹 Chiron

Free and open-source Augment Code alternative, and even better for terminal-first Gemini CLI workflows.

Turn a rough request into a repo-aware execution prompt, then keep working in the same terminal.

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Why Chiron

Chiron is built for people who want an Augment-like prompt enhancement flow in the terminal:

• write a rough request
• enhance it with repository context
• keep editing or submit immediately
• stay inside Gemini CLI or Claude Code

The positioning is simple:

• free and open-source
• terminal-first
• repo-aware
• hackable
• a better fit than a heavyweight IDE agent when your main goal is prompt enhancement inside an existing CLI workflow

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure these are installed:

Dependency	Version	Check
Node.js	18+	node -v
Git	any	git --version
Gemini CLI	latest	gemini --version

Note: Gemini CLI is Google's official terminal client. Install it with npm install -g @google/gemini-cli if you don't have it yet.

What Gets Added During Enhancement

Chiron does not just wrap your text in a fixed template. Before it rewrites a request, it can read:

• project stack and framework
• relevant files and nearby code
• current branch and local git state
• task scope and acceptance criteria
• verification guidance and implementation risks

That is why the output should change with the repository and the task.

Install Into Existing Gemini CLI

You do not need to run a custom Gemini clone from /tmp, and you do not need npm run start just to use Chiron.

If you already use the normal gemini command, install Chiron into that existing CLI:

git clone https://github.com/EdwinjJ1/chiron-prompt.git ~/.chiron
node ~/.chiron/cli/bin/install-gemini-command.mjs --name chiron

Then open any project and use:

gemini
/chiron fix login bug

What the installer does:

• keeps your current gemini binary
• writes a Chiron command into ~/.gemini/commands/
• points that command at Chiron's enhancer with an absolute path

If you want a shorter alias, you can install /e instead:

node ~/.chiron/cli/bin/install-gemini-command.mjs --name e --force

Main Workflows

1. ⭐ Gemini CLI /chiron command (recommended)

This is the recommended path for most users. No custom Gemini build required.

After running the installer above:

gemini
/chiron fix login bug

Flow:

1. Chiron scans the repository.
2. Chiron finds relevant files.
3. Chiron builds an enhanced prompt.
4. Gemini executes against the enhanced prompt.

2. Project-local Gemini CLI /e command

This repository ships a project-level Gemini custom command at .gemini/commands/e.toml.

gemini
/e fix login bug

If this repository is inside the project root, gemini can pick up /e automatically.

3. ⭐ Gemini CLI overlay installer (Augment-style)

One command gives you a user-owned, patched Gemini CLI with double Ctrl+E enhance-in-place:

node cli/bin/install-gemini-overlay.mjs

What it does:

1. Copies your global Gemini CLI into ~/.chiron/gemini-cli
2. Copies Chiron runtime into ~/.chiron/cli
3. Patches the overlay with double Ctrl+E enhancement
4. Writes ~/.local/bin/gemini wrapper

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+E × 1	Move cursor to end of line (default behavior)
Ctrl+E × 2 (within 500 ms)	Enhance prompt in place (shows 🏹 Chiron enhancing...), keep editing
Enter	Submit as normal

Updating the overlay:

If you update your global Gemini CLI (e.g. npm update -g @google/gemini-cli), re-run the installer to bring the overlay up to date:

node cli/bin/install-gemini-overlay.mjs

Important: After updating, you must quit all running gemini sessions and start new ones. Already-running processes still use the old code loaded into memory.

Rollback:

rm -f ~/.local/bin/gemini
rm -rf ~/.chiron
hash -r

Install locations:

• Wrapper: ~/.local/bin/gemini
• Overlay Gemini: ~/.chiron/gemini-cli
• Chiron runtime: ~/.chiron/cli

Your original global Gemini CLI stays untouched.

4. Gemini CLI in-place patch (manual)

If you'd rather patch the global Gemini CLI directly instead of using an overlay:

node cli/bin/install-gemini-inplace-enhance.mjs

Or apply the patch manually:

# inside your gemini-cli clone
git apply /path/to/chiron/cli/patches/gemini-cli/double-ctrl-e-enhance-in-place.patch

Full details: cli/patches/gemini-cli/README.md

Note: This path patches your global install. The overlay approach (above) is safer.

5. Claude Code /e command

This repository also ships a Claude Code slash command at .claude/commands/e.md.

With the MCP server enabled, /e gives a visible enhancement pipeline instead of a silent rewrite.

6. Reusable skill

If you only want the reusable skill behavior and do not care about CLI integration, start with SKILL.md.

Before / After

A rough request:

fix login bug

A Chiron-style enhanced prompt in a Next.js project might become:

Fix the login flow bug in `src/auth/middleware.ts`.
Project stack: Next.js 14 + TypeScript + Prisma.
Relevant files: `src/auth/middleware.ts`, `src/api/auth/login.ts`, `src/lib/auth.ts`.
Focus on authentication flow, session handling, input validation, and regression risk.
After the change, explain root cause, files changed, and how the fix was verified.

The exact output is repository-dependent. In a React CLI project, or a Python backend, Chiron should produce a different enhanced prompt.

Prompt Enhancement Flow

flowchart TD
    A["User writes a rough request"] --> B["Scan repository context"]
    B --> C["Find relevant files"]
    C --> D["Read git branch and local changes"]
    D --> E["Build enhanced prompt"]
    E --> F["Inject into slash command or replace CLI input"]

Loading

The implementation behind this flow lives in:

• cli/src/context-engine.mjs
• cli/src/enhancer.mjs
• cli/bin/chiron-enhance.mjs

Choose A Mode

Mode	Best for	Entry point
Gemini /chiron command	Direct use in your existing global gemini install	cli/bin/install-gemini-command.mjs
Project-local Gemini /e	Use Chiron from a repo that already contains this project	.gemini/commands/e.toml
Overlay installer ⭐	Augment-style double Ctrl+E without touching global install	cli/bin/install-gemini-overlay.mjs
In-place patch	Patch global Gemini CLI directly	cli/bin/install-gemini-inplace-enhance.mjs
Manual patch	git apply the .patch file yourself	cli/patches/gemini-cli/README.md
Claude Code /e	Repo-aware slash command in Claude Code	.claude/commands/e.md
OpenAI Codex TUI	Double Ctrl+E enhance-in-place for Codex open-source clone	cli/patches/codex/
Claw Code (Rust)	Ctrl+E enhance + pre-fill for claw-code	integrations/claw-code/
Skill only	Reusable prompt-enhancement behavior without CLI wiring	SKILL.md

Repository Layout

.
├── README.md
├── README.zh-CN.md
├── SKILL.md
├── .gemini/                 # Gemini CLI command integration
├── .claude/                 # Claude Code command + runtime skill assets
├── cli/                     # Enhancer scripts, MCP server, patches, TUI experiment
├── integrations/            # Third-party CLI integrations (claw-code, etc.)
├── docs/                    # Examples, testing notes, references
├── tests/                   # Pytest coverage for prompt logging helpers
└── prompt-history/          # Optional prompt library/logging

Quick Start

Option A: Existing Gemini CLI install (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/EdwinjJ1/chiron-prompt.git ~/.chiron
node ~/.chiron/cli/bin/install-gemini-command.mjs --name chiron

Then:

gemini
/chiron explain why this auth middleware fails on refresh

Option B: Project-local Gemini CLI command

1. Make sure this repository is available inside the project you want to work on.
2. Start gemini from that project root.
3. Run /e <your request>.

Option C: Claude Code command

1. Add the MCP server from cli/README.md.
2. Keep .claude/commands/e.md in the project.
3. Run /e <your request>.

Option D: Overlay installer (Augment-style double Ctrl+E)

node cli/bin/install-gemini-overlay.mjs

1. Open a new terminal (or hash -r).
2. Run gemini in any project.
3. Type your prompt, press Ctrl+E twice to enhance in place.
4. Continue editing if needed, press Enter to submit.

Rollback: rm -f ~/.local/bin/gemini && rm -rf ~/.chiron && hash -r

Option E: Manual in-place patch

1. Run node cli/bin/install-gemini-inplace-enhance.mjs, or
2. git apply the patch per cli/patches/gemini-cli/README.md.

Option F: OpenAI Codex TUI

Chiron directly supports enhancing prompts in the open-source OpenAI Codex terminal client with the same double Ctrl+E experience.

node cli/bin/install-codex-overlay.mjs

The installer will automatically:

1. Download the latest codex source
2. Apply the double Ctrl+E patch
3. Compile the native binary to ~/.chiron/bin/codex
4. Create a wrapper script at ~/.local/bin/codex
5. Clean up the source files so no temporary code is left behind

As long as ~/.local/bin is in your PATH, you can simply run codex to enjoy the experience.

Option G: Claw Code (Rust CLI)

Integrate Chiron's prompt enhancement into claw-code, an open-source Claude Code alternative built in Rust.

# Apply the patch to your claw-code clone
cd /path/to/claw-code
git apply ~/.chiron/integrations/claw-code/ctrl-e-enhance.patch
cd rust && cargo build --package rusty-claude-cli --release

# Run with double Ctrl+E enhancement
./target/release/claw

Full details: integrations/claw-code/README.md

Related Docs

• README.zh-CN.md
• cli/README.md
• docs/README.md
• docs/examples.md
• docs/testing.md
• SKILL.md

Contributing

If you change enhancement behavior, keep the bar high:

• preserve repo-aware output instead of fixed templates
• keep CLI behavior predictable
• avoid marketing claims the project cannot prove
• document user-facing shortcuts and integration steps

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the normal contribution flow.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.txt.