The TUI

Gaius renders a full terminal interface built on the Textual framework. The interface draws inspiration from Bloomberg Terminal (information density), Plan 9’s Acme (everything is a file), and CAD orthographic views (multiple synchronized projections).

Launch the TUI with:

uv run gaius

Five Components

The interface is composed of five primary widgets:

MainGrid

The 19x19 grid occupies the center of the screen. It is the primary workspace – a spatial representation of high-dimensional data projected onto a Go board layout. Grid positions correspond to embedded data points, and the cursor indicates your current focus.

The grid supports three view modes (cycled with v): Go, Theta, and Swarm. Each mode changes how the underlying data is rendered. Four overlay modes (cycled with o) layer additional information on top: topology, geometry, dynamics, and agent positions.

MiniGridPanel

Below the MainGrid sit three 9x9 orthographic projections. These are CAD-style views that show the data from different angles – like top, front, and side views of a 3D object. They update automatically as you move the cursor, providing spatial context around your current position.

FileTree (Left Panel)

The left panel presents a Plan 9-inspired file tree where knowledge base entries, agents, and system state are navigated as a directory structure. Agents appear as files under /agents/, and KB entries are organized by domain. Toggle visibility with [.

ContentPanel (Right Panel)

The right panel displays detailed content for the currently selected item: file contents, agent output, position context, health reports, or command results. It is the primary output area for slash commands. Toggle visibility with ].

CommandInput (Bottom Bar)

The bottom command bar accepts slash commands. Press / to focus it, type a command (e.g., health, evolve status, gpu status), and press Enter. Press Escape to cancel. The command bar supports history navigation with up/down arrows and tab completion.

Layout Flexibility

Toggle panels to adjust the layout to your task:

• Full layout: all panels visible – maximum context
• Grid-focused: press \ to hide both panels – maximum grid space
• Research mode: hide left panel with [ – more room for content output
• Navigation mode: hide right panel with ] – focus on the file tree and grid

Design Principles

The TUI is keyboard-first. Every action is reachable without a mouse. Information density is high by design – the interface shows as much relevant data as possible without requiring navigation to separate screens. Modes and overlays let you shift perspective without losing your place.