CLI reference

Run hokan --help or append --help to a subcommand for the complete current argument list.

Session and installation

Command	Purpose
hokan	Start a session with the shell selected from $SHELL
hokan --shell zsh	Select zsh, bash, or fish explicitly
hokan --login	Start the child as a login shell
hokan --version / hokan -V	Print the installed version
hokan install	Install or update shell integration
hokan install --on-demand	Install the hk command without automatic startup
hokan install --rc-file <path>	Select an explicit rc file
hokan setup	Compatibility alias for install
hokan init zsh	Print shell integration code
hokan doctor --json	Inspect the environment as stable JSON

--shell and --login are global flags. For common workflows, see installation and shell integration.

Configuration and AI

Command	Purpose
hokan config path	Show the config path
hokan config init	Create the default config without overwriting an existing file
hokan config show	Show configuration
hokan config validate	Validate the config
hokan config ai	Inspect AI configuration
hokan config ai --disable	Disable AI
hokan ai setup	Run the interactive provider wizard

See explicit AI actions for endpoint, model, environment-variable, and stdin credential options.

History

Command	Purpose
hokan history import --shell zsh	Import a supported shell's history
hokan history import --path <path> --shell bash	Import a specific history file
hokan history stats --json	Report statistics
hokan history prune --keep 10000	Retain a bounded number of entries
hokan history repair	Repair an incomplete final record
hokan history compact	Merge duplicate events into an atomic snapshot
hokan history clear --yes	Clear Hokan's own history store

Clearing Hokan history does not clear the source shell's history file.

Command specifications

Bash
hokan spec listhokan spec show lshokan spec validate

Specs live in the configured specs directory. For the schema and examples, see the built-in command specifications.

Upgrades

Bash
hokan upgrade --checkhokan upgradehokan upgrade --channel beta

--check only reports availability. --channel persists a stable or beta selection. --force reinstalls the current release, and --yes skips the upgrade confirmation. See updates and maintenance.

Uninstall

Remove installer-managed integrations, executable, man page, and updater backup:

Bash
hokan uninstall

Configuration, credentials, custom specs, history, and diagnostics are preserved. Keep the executable and remove only shell integration:

Bash
hokan uninstall --integration-only

Package-manager installations remain owned by their package manager. For Cargo:

Bash
hokan uninstallcargo uninstall hokan