Commands Reference

Drift CLI accepts two kinds of input: natural language prompts and slash commands. Natural language prompts are interpreted by the AI agent. Slash commands execute immediately, without the agent.

Slash Commands

Command	Description
`/help`	Show comprehensive help with all commands and usage examples
`/init`	Scan the current workspace and write a starter `DRIFT.md` so Drift remembers your project on every prompt
`/skill add <path>`	Add a custom skill from a `.md` file. Drift will use it from the next prompt onward
`/skill list`	Show every skill currently active for this workspace
`/skill remove <name>`	Drop a custom skill
`/ps` (or `/processes`)	Show all running background processes (ROS2 nodes, Gazebo, MuJoCo viewer, etc.)
`/version`	Display the current Drift CLI version
`/update`	Update Drift CLI to the latest available version
`/login`	Sign in to your Drift account
`/logout`	Sign out of your Drift account
`/profile`	Show the signed-in account and usage info
`/clear`	Clear the terminal screen
`/exit` (or `/quit`)	Exit Drift CLI

CLI Flags

These flags are used when launching Drift from your shell (not from the drift> prompt):

Flag	Description
`drift --help`	Show help information
`drift --version`	Print version and exit
`drift init`	Initialize a new Drift project in the current directory
`drift simulate`	Start a simulation directly (skips the interactive prompt)
`drift -c "<prompt>"`	Run a single prompt non-interactively and exit

`drift init`

Run in an empty directory to scaffold a new project — workspace structure plus an initial DRIFT.md so the agent has context from prompt #1.

mkdir my-robot && cd my-robot
drift init
drift  # open the interactive shell in the initialized project

`drift simulate`

Launch a simulation from the command line without entering the interactive drift> shell. Useful for scripting or CI scenarios where you want to start a pre-built simulation non-interactively.

drift simulate

If no project is found in the current directory, Drift will prompt you to run drift init first.

`drift -c "<prompt>"`

Run a single prompt non-interactively — Drift executes the task, auto-approves all steps, and exits cleanly when done. Useful for CI pipelines, batch testing, or quick one-offs from a script.

drift -c "create a ROS2 package called sensor_fusion with ament_python build type"
drift -c "add a lidar to my robot's URDF at position 0 0 0.3"
drift -c "build the workspace and run the tests"

Natural Language Commands

At the drift> prompt, you can type any request in plain English. Common categories:

Create

Example	What it does
`create a differential drive robot with a lidar and camera`	Generates URDF with wheel geometry, sensor mounts, Gazebo plugins, launch files
`create a six-axis manipulator with a gripper`	Scaffolds full robot description with controller configs and launch files
`create a warehouse environment`	Generates a Gazebo world with warehouse objects
`build a 4-wheel mobile robot in MuJoCo with an IMU and force sensor`	Authors MJCF with bodies, joints, actuators, sensors
`set up a pick-and-place simulation`	Creates a complete simulation: robot, world, launch files

Modify

Example	What it does
`add a lidar sensor to my robot at position 0 0 0.3 and rebuild`	Updates URDF / MJCF, configures the sensor, rebuilds the workspace
`add an IMU sensor and update the launch file to bridge the IMU topic`	Edits URDF, bridge config, and launch file in one coordinated change
`change the gripper to a suction cup`	Updates the robot’s end effector configuration
`add three obstacle boxes to my MuJoCo scene at random positions`	Modifies the MJCF scene with new bodies
`add obstacles to my Gazebo world`	Modifies the SDF world file

Launch & Inspect

Example	What it does
`launch my robot in Gazebo with the warehouse world and open RViz`	Starts Gazebo, spawns robot, opens RViz with the right config, bridges topics
`open the scene in the MuJoCo viewer`	Opens the MuJoCo passive viewer for the current MJCF
`run the headless MuJoCo sim for 10 seconds and log IMU to CSV`	Runs a non-interactive sim with sensor logging
`what topics is my robot publishing?`	Lists active ROS2 topics
`echo the lidar scan data`	Streams live output from the topic
`set the max_velocity parameter on the navigation node to 1.5`	Sets a ROS2 node parameter directly
`run ros2 doctor`	Checks your ROS2 environment for common issues

Build

Example	What it does
`build my workspace and fix any errors`	Runs colcon, reads errors, edits CMakeLists.txt / package.xml / setup.py as needed
`what went wrong with the last build?`	Analyzes build output and explains the root cause
`find all launch files in my workspace`	Searches across packages and lists matching files

Debug

Example	What it does
`why is my robot not moving when I publish to cmd_vel?`	Checks topic connections, QoS compatibility, controller chain
`why isn't my camera publishing images?`	Inspects topic list, sensor config, plugin setup
`my robot spawns but falls through the ground — fix it`	Validates URDF inertia tensors, collision geometry, chassis-z spawn rules
`qacc has NaN in my MuJoCo sim — what's causing it?`	Walks through inertia, timestep, contact tuning, joint damping checks
`the wheels spin but the robot doesn't move`	Diagnoses cylinder axis vs hinge axis, friction, contact configuration

Quick Reference

What you need	What to say
New robot project	`create a mobile robot with differential drive and a depth camera`
MuJoCo scene	`build a 4-wheel robot in MuJoCo and drive it forward for 5 seconds`
Fix a broken build	`build my workspace and fix the errors`
Debug simulation	`my robot spawns but doesn't move — figure out why`
Sensor setup	`add a 2D lidar to my robot and bridge it to ROS2`
Launch configuration	`generate a launch file for my robot in Gazebo with RViz`
ROS2 inspection	`list all active topics and show me what /camera/image_raw is publishing`
Parameter tuning	`set the PID gains on the left wheel controller to P=10 I=0.1 D=0.5`
File operations	`find all launch files in my workspace and show me which ones use Gazebo`
Quick automation	`drift -c "create a test world with 10 random obstacles"`
Hand off team knowledge	`/skill add ./team-docs/ekf-tuning.md`
Bootstrap project context	`/init`

Execution Control

Pausing mid-execution

Press ESC at any point during a multi-step execution to pause. Drift remembers exactly what’s been completed and what’s still pending — nothing is lost. When paused, you’ll be prompted to choose how to proceed:

Option	What it does
Yes — apply and continue	Run the next pending command and pause again
Yes to all (session)	Auto-approve every command for the rest of this session
Yes to all (this run)	Auto-approve for the current task only, then resume asking
No — skip and stop	Cancel execution and return to the `drift>` prompt

This gives you full control — step through carefully when trying something new, or let Drift run freely once you’re confident.

Auto-Update

When a new version is available, Drift shows a notification on startup:

ℹ️ A new version (x.x.x) is available. Type /update to install.

Run /update to install the latest version. If you see “Mandatory update required”, your version is too old to work with current services — /update (or re-install) is required before continuing.

Getting Started

Guides

Robot Showcase

Reference

Changelog

Commands Reference

Slash Commands

CLI Flags

`drift init`

`drift simulate`

`drift -c "<prompt>"`

Natural Language Commands

Create

Modify

Launch & Inspect

Build

Debug

Quick Reference

Execution Control

Pausing mid-execution

Auto-Update

​Slash Commands

​CLI Flags

​drift init

​drift simulate

​drift -c "<prompt>"

​Natural Language Commands

​Create

​Modify

​Launch & Inspect

​Build

​Debug

​Quick Reference

​Execution Control

​Pausing mid-execution

​Auto-Update

Slash Commands

CLI Flags

`drift init`

`drift simulate`

`drift -c "<prompt>"`

Natural Language Commands

Create

Modify

Launch & Inspect

Build

Debug

Quick Reference

Execution Control

Pausing mid-execution

Auto-Update