- name
- term
- description
- Fast, explicit terminal execution via OpenClaw exec (direct dispatch; you type the exact command).
- user-invocable
- true
- disable-model-invocation
- true
- command-dispatch
- tool
- command-tool
- exec
- command-arg-mode
- raw
- metadata
- { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🧰", "os": ["darwin","linux","win32"] } }
/term — direct terminal execution (exec dispatch)
/term is a power-user shortcut: whatever you type after /term is forwarded as-is to OpenClaw’s exec tool.
This is intentionally *“manual mode”*:
- You (the user) provide the exact shell command.
- OpenClaw does not rewrite, expand, or “helpfully” change it.
- It’s useful when you want quick, deterministic terminal actions without a planning loop.
How dispatch works (important)
OpenClaw supports command-dispatch: tool skills. When you run:
/term ls -la
the raw argument string (ls -la) is forwarded to the configured tool (exec) without extra parsing. In tool-dispatch mode, OpenClaw invokes the tool with params shaped like:
{ command: "<raw args>", commandName: "<slash command>", skillName: "<skill name>" }
See the Skills docs section on command-dispatch, command-tool, and command-arg-mode. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
When to use /term vs normal “agent runs”
Use /term when:
- You already know the exact command you want.
- You want a quick read-only check (files, git status, grep).
- You are debugging OpenClaw itself (skills folder, logs, Peekaboo bridge status).
Prefer normal agent flow when:
- You want the model to decide the best approach.
- The task may need multiple steps, safety checks, or file edits.
Safety model (read this once, then follow it)
/term is equivalent to letting an assistant type into your terminal. Good defaults:
1) Prefer read-only commands unless you *mean* to change state. 2) Avoid secrets in command lines (tokens, API keys, cookies). 3) Avoid remote execution one-liners: - no curl ... | sh - no “download and execute” pipelines 4) If the command could delete or overwrite files, slow down and double-check paths.
Host + sandbox notes
Your actual execution environment depends on how you invoke exec in your setup (sandbox vs host). Also note: when a session is sandboxed, environment variables are not automatically inherited by the container; you must inject them via sandbox env settings or bake them into the image. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
Practical examples
Quick inspection (safe, read-only)
/term pwd/term ls -la/term git status/term rg -n "TODO|FIXME" .
Debug Peekaboo bridge discovery (macOS)
/term peekaboo bridge status --verbose
If the output shows “no such file or directory” for all candidates and “Selected: local (in-process)”, you likely have no bridge host running (see troubleshooting below).
One-liners for structured output
If you want JSON output for parsing:
/term python -c 'import json,platform; print(json.dumps({"py":platform.python_version()}))'
Troubleshooting
“command not found”
The tool runs in whatever PATH your OpenClaw runtime provides. If you rely on Homebrew, ensure the runtime sees /opt/homebrew/bin.
“permission denied” / macOS privacy prompts
Some tools (screen capture / UI automation) require Screen Recording / Accessibility. Those permissions are per-process context on macOS; using PeekabooBridge is often the reliable path for automation.
I need richer guidance and guardrails
Install/use the companion skill terminal-helper (model-invocable) which teaches safe patterns, confirmations, and runbooks.