Reference Documentation¶

Complete technical reference for clinvk commands, configuration, and APIs.

Overview¶

This reference section provides detailed documentation for all clinvk features, options, and behaviors. Use this section when you need precise information about specific commands, configuration options, or API endpoints.

How to Use This Reference¶

CLI Commands: Look up specific commands for syntax, flags, and examples
Configuration: Find all available configuration options and their defaults
Environment Variables: Discover environment-based configuration options
Exit Codes: Understand program exit codes for scripting
API Reference: Integrate clinvk with your applications

Section	Description	Use When...
CLI Commands	Command-line interface reference	You need command syntax or flags
Configuration	Configuration file options	Setting up or modifying config
Environment Variables	Environment-based settings	Configuring via environment
Exit Codes	Program exit codes	Writing scripts with clinvk
API Reference	HTTP API documentation	Integrating with applications

CLI Commands Overview¶

Command	Purpose	Common Use Case
`clinvk [prompt]`	Execute a prompt	Daily AI assistance
`clinvk resume`	Resume a session	Continue conversations
`clinvk sessions`	Manage sessions	Clean up or inspect sessions
`clinvk config`	Manage configuration	View or change settings
`clinvk parallel`	Parallel execution	Run multiple tasks
`clinvk compare`	Compare backends	Evaluate different AIs
`clinvk chain`	Chain execution	Multi-step workflows
`clinvk mcp`	MCP server	MCP integrations and tool serving
`clinvk serve`	HTTP API server	Application integration

Configuration Priority¶

Configuration values are resolved in this order (highest to lowest priority):

CLI Flags - Command-line arguments override everything
Environment Variables - CLINVK_* variables
Config File - ~/.clinvk/config.yaml
Defaults - Built-in default values

# Example: CLI flag wins over environment variable
export CLINVK_BACKEND=codex
clinvk -b claude "prompt"  # Uses claude, not codex

Common Flags Reference¶

These flags work across most commands:

Flag	Short	Description	Example
`--backend`	`-b`	Backend to use	`-b codex`
`--model`	`-m`	Model override	`-m o3-mini`
`--workdir`	`-w`	Working directory	`-w ./project`
`--output-format`	`-o`	Output format	`-o json`
`--config`		Custom config path	`--config /path/to/config.yaml`
`--dry-run`		Show command only	`--dry-run`
`--help`	`-h`	Show help	`-h`

Backends Reference¶

Backend	Binary	Default Model	Best For
Claude	`claude`	Backend default	Complex reasoning, code review
Codex	`codex`	Backend default	Quick coding tasks
Gemini	`gemini`	Backend default	General assistance

Output Formats¶

Format	Description	Best For
`text`	Plain text output	Human reading
`json`	Structured JSON	Scripting, parsing
`stream-json`	Streaming JSON events	Real-time processing

API Compatibility¶

clinvk provides three API styles for integration:

API Style	Endpoint Prefix	Best For
Native REST	`/api/v1/`	Full clinvk features
OpenAI Compatible	`/openai/v1/`	OpenAI SDK users
Anthropic Compatible	`/anthropic/v1/`	Anthropic SDK users

Getting Help¶

Use --help with any command for quick reference
Check Troubleshooting for common issues
See FAQ for frequently asked questions