--- title: "commentware" description: "Every command the commentware binary takes, with its usage line and its options, as the newest release ships them." --- > Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://commentware.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # commentware `commentware` runs a server and manages its users, projects, sites, settings and database. **Usage:** `commentware [options] [command]` The Commentware server. Holds your comments in a database on this machine, and serves them to the browser extension and to AI agents. - `-V, --version` — output the version number This page lists version 0.17.0 of the server, the newest release. An entry that names no version it was added in was in version 0.13.0. Run `commentware --version` to print the version you have. Every command takes `-h, --help`, which prints what your version's command takes, and a command that holds others also takes `help [command]`. ## `init` **Usage:** `commentware init [options]` Write a commentware.config.json giving this directory its own comments. - `-g, --global` — write this user's own config instead, reached from every directory - `-p, --port ` — port the server will bind - `-n, --name ` — how the server introduces itself to clients - `--force` — replace a config file that is already there ## `start` **Usage:** `commentware start [options]` Start the server. - `-p, --port ` — port to bind (default: 7042) - `-H, --host ` — interface to bind; anything but loopback is reachable from outside this machine (default: 127.0.0.1) - `-n, --name ` — how this server introduces itself to clients (default: Commentware) - `--public-origin ` — address clients reach this server at, when a proxy answers for it (default: the address it binds) - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `--no-setup` — take the defaults instead of asking, on a first run - `--foreground` — keep the server in this terminal; at a terminal it runs in the background otherwise ## `stop` **Usage:** `commentware stop [options]` Stop the server the commands in this directory address, once it has finished what it is doing. - `--all` — stop every server running on this machine for this user, the ones `commentware servers` lists - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `restart` **Usage:** `commentware restart [options]` Restart the server the commands in this directory address, with the arguments and working directory it was started with. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `logs` **Usage:** `commentware logs [options]` Print what this directory's background server wrote to its log. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-n, --lines ` — how many lines from the end (default: 50) - `-f, --follow` — keep printing what it writes, until interrupted ## `servers` **Usage:** `commentware servers [options]` List every Commentware server running on this machine, wherever it was started. ## `service` **Usage:** `commentware service [options] [command]` Run this directory's server under systemd (Linux) or launchd (macOS): at login, and again after a crash. ### `service install` **Usage:** `commentware service install [options]` Install the server as a service and start it. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `service uninstall` **Usage:** `commentware service uninstall [options]` Stop the service and remove it. - `--all` — remove every Commentware service installed for this user, whichever database each is for - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `where` **Usage:** `commentware where [options]` Print which database, blobs and port the commands in this directory address. - `--json` — print the report as JSON, for a program to read, and nothing else - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `mcp` **Usage:** `commentware mcp [options] [command]` Print how to point an AI agent at this server's MCP endpoint. Starts nothing. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-p, --port ` — port to write into the printed URL; defaults to the port the running server bound - `-H, --host ` — host to write into the printed URL; defaults to the interface the running server bound - `--client ` — print only this client's lines: claude-code, codex, opencode, gemini-cli, vscode or cursor - `--entry ` — the entry's name in each client's config, so a second server's entry does not replace the first's; defaults to "commentware". Added in 0.16.0. - `--json` — print the same facts as JSON, for a caller that is not a person ### `mcp clients` **Usage:** `commentware mcp clients [options]` · **Added in:** 0.16.0 List the MCP clients this machine has and which are connected to this server. Never prints a key. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `--json` — print the same facts as JSON, for a program to read ### `mcp connect` **Usage:** `commentware mcp connect [options] ` · **Added in:** 0.16.0 Give an MCP client a user of its own and write its key into the client's config. Loopback servers only. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-p, --port ` — port of the address written into the client's config; defaults to the port the running server bound - `-H, --host ` — host of the address written into the client's config; defaults to the interface the running server bound - `--entry ` — the entry's name in the client's config; defaults to the name this server's entry already has, else "commentware" - `--replace` — replace an entry of that name this server did not write, such as another server's, or a browser sign-in to this one - `--json` — print what was done as JSON, for a program to read ### `mcp disconnect` **Usage:** `commentware mcp disconnect [options] [client]` · **Added in:** 0.16.0 Take this server's entry out of an MCP client's config and revoke its key. The client's user stays. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `--all` — every client on this machine that this server connected - `--json` — print what was done as JSON, for a program to read ## `purge` **Usage:** `commentware purge [options]` Delete resolved threads past the retention window, end idle reviews, and remove the files only they held. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `--dry-run` — print what would be deleted and delete nothing ## `db` **Usage:** `commentware db [options] [command]` Look after the database this server keeps your comments in. ### `db restore` **Usage:** `commentware db restore [options]` Put the pre-migration backup back, database and screenshots. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-y, --yes` — do not ask for confirmation ## `projects` **Usage:** `commentware projects [options] [command]` The groupings this server keeps comments apart in. ### `projects list` **Usage:** `commentware projects list [options]` Every project and what it holds. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `projects new` **Usage:** `commentware projects new [options] ` Create an empty project. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `projects rename` **Usage:** `commentware projects rename [options] ` Rename a project. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `projects patterns` **Usage:** `commentware projects patterns [options] [action] [pattern]` List the addresses a project claims, or add or remove one: acme.com, \*.acme.com, localhost:5173, acme.com/admin. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `projects delete` **Usage:** `commentware projects delete [options] ` Delete a project, if it holds no sites. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `sites` **Usage:** `commentware sites [options] [command]` The domains this server holds comments on. ### `sites list` **Usage:** `commentware sites list [options]` Every site, and whether screenshots are on for it. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `sites screenshots` **Usage:** `commentware sites screenshots [options] ` Stop capturing screenshots for one site, or follow the server again. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `--project ` — which project's copy of the domain; needed only when it is in more than one ## `users` **Usage:** `commentware users [options] [command]` Manage the people and agents that can reach this server. ### `users list` **Usage:** `commentware users list [options]` List users. Never prints an access key. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users new` **Usage:** `commentware users new [options] [name]` Create a user and print their connection string. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-p, --port ` — port to write into the printed connection string; defaults to the port the running server bound - `-H, --host ` — host to write into the printed connection string; defaults to the interface the running server bound - `--permissions ` — comma-separated, from can\_admin and can\_collaborate; asks when left off. "" is a key that may do nothing ### `users permissions` **Usage:** `commentware users permissions [options] [list]` Set what a user's key may do (can\_admin, can\_collaborate); asks when the list is left off. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users edit` **Usage:** `commentware users edit [options] ` Rename a user. Mentions follow the id, so they are unaffected. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users delete` **Usage:** `commentware users delete [options] ` Delete a user and every access key they hold. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users generate` **Usage:** `commentware users generate [options] ` Mint another access key for a user and print their connection string. Leaves their other keys working. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory - `-p, --port ` — port to write into the printed connection string; defaults to the port the running server bound - `-H, --host ` — host to write into the printed connection string; defaults to the interface the running server bound - `-n, --name ` — what to call this key, unique per user; defaults to the next "key-N" - `--json` — print the key and its connection string as JSON, for a program to read, and nothing else ### `users keys` **Usage:** `commentware users keys [options] ` List the access keys a user holds, by name and date. Never prints a key. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users revoke` **Usage:** `commentware users revoke [options] ` Revoke one named access key, and every agent that user authorized. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `users clear` **Usage:** `commentware users clear [options] ` Revoke every access key a user holds, and every agent they authorized. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ## `settings` **Usage:** `commentware settings [options] [command]` Read and write this server's configuration. ### `settings list` **Usage:** `commentware settings list [options]` Show every setting, its value, and where this shell finds that value. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `settings set` **Usage:** `commentware settings set [options] ` Store a setting. Beats the environment variable. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory ### `settings unset` **Usage:** `commentware settings unset [options] ` Forget a stored setting, restoring the environment or default. - `--config ` — commentware.config.json to use; the default searches upward from this directory