The command for each task, in each harness. Pick what you are working with, then read across: commands you type in your shell or a script and commands you type inside an open session are listed separately. Commands for renaming sessions are on Thread naming and importing from another harness on Migration.
From your shell
Commands you run in a terminal or script, outside a session.
| Task | Codex CLIchecked at 0.162.1 | Claude Codechecked at 2.1.296 | Cursor Agentchecked at 2026.10.12-d47ca18 | OpenCode 2.xchecked at 2.0.28 | pichecked at 1.2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up | |||||
| Add |
Register a stdio or streamable-HTTP MCP server. 1 note--env is stdio-only; --bearer-token-env-var, --oauth-client-id, --oauth-client-secret, --oauth-client-registration and --oauth-resource are HTTP-only. |
Add a stdio, SSE or HTTP MCP server. 1 noteWebSocket servers can only be added with add-json or .mcp.json.
Add a stdio, SSE, HTTP or WebSocket MCP server from a JSON string. | — | Add an MCP server to the project config, or the global config with --global. 1 noteThe name is now required. |
Add or replace a stdio or Streamable HTTP server in mcp.json. 1 noteWrites ~/.pi/agent/mcp.json, or .pi/mcp.json with -l. Does not connect; run pi mcp list. SSE is rejected. |
| Import | — |
Import MCP servers from Claude Desktop on macOS or WSL. | — | — | — |
| Sign in or pair | Start an OAuth login for a configured streamable-HTTP MCP server. 1 note--no-browser prints the URL to paste the callback by hand; --scopes; --oauth-client-registration. |
Sign in to an HTTP, SSE or claude.ai connector MCP server. | Sign in to an MCP server configured in .cursor/mcp.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. | Sign in to an OAuth-capable remote MCP server. |
Sign in to an OAuth MCP server through the browser. 1 noteDefault timeout 300 seconds; a pasted redirect URL is accepted. |
| Use | |||||
| List | List configured MCP servers. | List configured MCP servers and their health. 1 noteUnapproved .mcp.json servers show as pending and are not connected. | List configured MCP servers and their status. | Connect to every enabled server and print its state, tools and errors. 1 noteExits 1 on an invalid entry or a server that fails to connect. | |
| Show details | Show one MCP server's configuration. 1 note--json prints the raw config entry. | Show an MCP server and its approval or health state. 1 noteHides the command, arguments and environment of plugin-provided stdio servers. |
List the tools an MCP server exposes and their argument names. | — | — |
| Start or run | — | Run Claude Code as a stdio MCP server. | — | — | — |
| Change | |||||
| Enable | — | — | Add an MCP server to the local approved list. 1 note--approve-mcps approves every server for one run. | — | — |
| Disable | — | — |
Disable an MCP server so it is neither loaded nor offered for approval. | — | — |
| Reset approvals | — |
Reset approved and rejected .mcp.json server choices. | — | — | — |
| Remove | |||||
| Sign out | Remove stored OAuth credentials for an MCP server. | Clear stored OAuth credentials for an MCP server. | — | Remove stored OAuth credentials for an MCP server. | Delete a server's stored OAuth credentials. |
| Remove | Delete a stored MCP server definition. |
Remove an MCP server from a chosen or detected scope. 1 noteAlso deletes a remote server's stored OAuth tokens. | — | — | Remove a server from mcp.json. 1 noteStored OAuth credentials are kept; use pi mcp logout. |
Inside a session
Slash commands you type into an open session.
| Task | Codex CLIchecked at 0.162.1 | Claude Codechecked at 2.1.296 | Cursor Agentchecked at 2026.10.12-d47ca18 | OpenCode 2.xchecked at 2.0.28 | pichecked at 1.2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up | |||||
| Sign in or pair | — | — | — | Sign in to an OAuth MCP server from a session. 1 noteThe session uses the new credentials on its next turn. | |
| Use | |||||
| Open the manager | — | Open the MCP pager to browse tools, sign in or out, enable or disable servers. | View, connect, disconnect or sign in to MCP servers. 1 noteRemoving a server means editing the config. | List servers and inspect, reconnect, sign in or out, enable or disable one. 1 noteProvided by the built-in MCP extension; absent with --no-mcp or when another extension registers /mcp. | |
| List | also /mcp verbose List the MCP servers and tools available in the session. 1 note/mcp verbose adds server diagnostics. | — | — | — | — |
| Show details | — | — | — | Show MCP server connection status. | — |
| Change | |||||
| Enable | — | Re-enable a disabled MCP server, or all of them. | — | — | — |
| Disable | — | Stop connecting to an MCP server while keeping its configuration. 1 noteRecorded per project in ~/.claude.json. | — | — | — |
| Reconnect | — | Reconnect one MCP server, or retry every failed one. | — | — | |
| Remove | |||||
| Sign out | — | — | — | — | Delete stored OAuth credentials from a session. |
Notes and sources
Codex CLI
- The shell CLI installs and removes plugins but has no enable, disable, update or validate command; the /plugins browser can switch plugins on or off.
- --worktree starts new sessions in a managed Git worktree and works with codex fork given an explicit session; resume, queue, archive, unarchive and delete reject it at run time.
- MCP protocol capabilities are recorded in mcp.json; these records cover the operator commands.
- codex-cli-0.162.1 help observation, live observation, checked 2026-10-14
- Codex developer commands, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
Claude Code
- Some plugin authoring and evaluation commands are newer than the public reference, so each command keeps its live help evidence.
- Plugin installs that run a marketplace-declared command need --accept-command <sha256> without a TTY.
- Interactive commands are recorded separately from their shell equivalents.
- 2.1.304 adds /auto-mode-setup across Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry, Claude apps gateway and telemetry-disabled sessions; help output was corrected for several flags, and plugin validate no longer predicts where mod hooks run. Existing command help observations retain their versions.
- claude plugin can also be written claude plugins.
- claude-cli-2.1.296 help observation, live observation, checked 2026-10-14
- Claude Code MCP, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code plugin CLI reference, Documentation, checked 2026-10-14
- Claude Code: Manage multiple agents with agent view, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code commands, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code CLI reference, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code sessions, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code costs and usage, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Claude Code 2.1.304 published changes; no runtime probe, Documentation, checked 2026-10-21
Cursor Agent
- Nested --help at this version prints the top-level help, so subcommand syntax for plugin marketplaces and in-session commands comes from the docs and changelog.
- agent env, agent cloud and agent automations exist behind feature flags and are not recorded.
- cursor-agent-2026.10.12 help observation, live observation, checked 2026-10-14
- Cursor CLI MCP, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Cursor CLI changelog, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Cursor CLI overview, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Cursor CLI parameters, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15
- Cursor self-hosted pools, Documentation, checked 2026-10-14
OpenCode 2.x
- @opencode/cli 2.x runs one shared background service per user, managed with opencode service. Session sharing is not supported yet.
- 2.1 restores archiving through client.session.update({ sessionID, archived: true|false }) and archive filtering in client.session.list. These are SDK/HTTP operations, not newly claimed shell subcommands.
- 2.1 adds editable saved-grant action/resource patterns through client.permission.saved.update / PATCH /api/permission/saved/:id. Action is a tool/action name, not an allow/deny effect.
- 2.1.1 fixes provider reasoning variant generation after package normalization; other command observations retain their earlier help/source versions.
- opencode-2.0.28 help observation, live observation, checked 2026-10-14
- OpenCode v2 CLI commands, Documentation, checked 2026-10-14
- OpenCode 2.0.29 source, Source code, checked 2026-10-15
pi
- Shell MCP commands always use the built-in MCP and do not load extensions. In-session behaviour is documented, not live-probed.
- pi-1.2.0 help observation, live observation, checked 2026-10-14
- pi 1.2.0 documentation, Documentation, checked 2026-10-15