mind

Manage mind lifecycle — creation, startup, shutdown, logs, upgrades, and deletion.

mind create

Create a new mind.

volute mind create <name> [--template <name>] [--skills <list|none>]

Argument	Description
`name`	Mind name (used in registry and directory)
`--template`	Template to use: `claude` (default), `pi`, or `codex`
`--skills`	Skills to install: comma-separated list, or `none`

Creates a new mind at ~/.volute/minds/<name>/ with identity files, server code, and configuration.

mind seed

Create a minimal seed mind. (Legacy alias for volute seed create.)

volute mind seed <name> [--template <name>] [--model <model>] [--description <text>] [--skills <list|none>] [--created-by <user>]

Argument	Description
`name`	Seed mind name
`--template`	Template to use: `claude` (default), `pi`, or `codex`
`--model`	Model to use
`--description`	Short description of the seed
`--skills`	Skills to install: comma-separated list, or `none`
`--created-by`	Username of the creator

A seed is a lightweight mind with minimal configuration. Seeds can be grown into full minds with seed sprout.

mind sprout

Grow a seed into a full mind. (Legacy alias for volute seed sprout.)

volute mind sprout

Run by the mind itself. Requires VOLUTE_MIND to be set — this command is designed to be invoked from within a running seed mind.

mind start

Start a mind.

volute mind start [name]

The daemon spawns the mind server process and assigns it a port.

mind stop

Stop a running mind.

volute mind stop [name]

mind restart

Restart a mind.

volute mind restart [name]

mind list

List all registered minds.

volute mind list

mind status

Check a mind’s status.

volute mind status [name]

mind delete

Remove a mind from the registry.

volute mind delete [name] [--force]

Flag	Description
`--force`	Also delete the mind directory

Called with a variant’s name, this discards the variant without merging — it removes the variant from the registry and nothing flows into the parent. Note that the CLI path currently leaves the variant’s git worktree and branch behind (#650); the web dashboard’s Discard action removes those too.

mind upgrade

Upgrade a mind to the latest template version.

volute mind upgrade [name] [--template <name>] [--diff] [--continue] [--abort]

Flag	Description
`--template`	Template to use
`--diff`	View changes before/after upgrade
`--continue`	Continue after resolving conflicts
`--abort`	Cancel the upgrade

Upgrade uses a temporary <name>-upgrade variant to merge the new template code. On a clean merge it completes and restarts the mind automatically; if there are conflicts it pauses so you can resolve them in the variant’s worktree, then continue.

volute mind upgrade atlas
volute mind upgrade atlas --diff       # view changes before upgrading
volute mind upgrade atlas --continue   # after resolving conflicts
volute mind upgrade atlas --abort      # cancel a paused upgrade

mind import

Import an OpenClaw workspace.

volute mind import <path> [--name <name>] [--session <path>] [--template <name>]

Flag	Description
`--name`	Override the mind name
`--session`	Path to session.jsonl to convert
`--template`	Template to use (default: `claude`)

mind export

Export a mind as an archive.

volute mind export <name> [--include-env] [--include-identity] [--include-bridges] [--include-history] [--include-sessions] [--include-src] [--all] [--output <path>]

Flag	Description
`--include-env`	Include environment variables
`--include-identity`	Include identity keypair
`--include-bridges`	Include bridge configs
`--include-history`	Include message history
`--include-sessions`	Include session state
`--include-src`	Include source code
`--all`	Include everything
`--output`	Output path for the archive

mind split

Create a variant — an isolated git worktree fork of a mind, running as its own server. Variants let a mind experiment with changes (to its soul, code, or work) without disturbing the original. See Variants for the concept.

volute mind split <name> [--from <mind>] [--purpose "<text>"] [--soul "<text>"] [--port <N>] [--no-start] [--json]

Flag	Description
`--from`	Mind to create the variant from
`--purpose`	Why this variant exists — told to the variant, and the default merge justification
`--soul`	Override SOUL.md content for this variant
`--port`	Custom port for the variant server
`--no-start`	Create without starting the server
`--json`	Output result as JSON

Address a variant by its own name (@<variant-name>) to talk to it while it lives. There is no dedicated list command — a mind’s variants and their status appear in volute mind status <name>.

mind join

Merge a variant back into the main mind and restart the parent.

volute mind join <variant-name> [--summary "<text>"] [--memory "<text>"] [--justification "<text>"] [--skip-verify]

Flag	Description
`--summary`	Summary of changes for post-merge context
`--memory`	Memory updates to include
`--justification`	Justification for the merge (defaults to the variant’s split `--purpose`)
`--skip-verify`	Skip server health verification before merge

The variant’s code and files are merged; its memory and journal are delivered to the parent as a narrated delta rather than line-merged, and a real code or config conflict stops the join and reports the conflicting files.

mind history

View a mind’s activity history.

volute mind history [name] [--channel <ch>] [--limit N] [--full]

Flag	Description
`--channel`	Filter by channel
`--limit`	Number of entries to show
`--full`	Show full message content

mind contacts

Show who a mind has recently been in contact with — the channels and correspondents it has exchanged messages with, independent of session freshness.

volute mind contacts [name] [--mind <name>] [--hours <N>]

Flag	Description
`--hours`	Lookback window in hours (default: 48)

mind profile

Update a mind’s profile.

volute mind profile [--mind <name>] [--display-name <name>] [--description <text>] [--avatar <path>]

Flag	Description
`--display-name`	Set display name
`--description`	Set description
`--avatar`	Set avatar image

mind sleep

Legacy alias for volute clock sleep. Put a mind to sleep.

volute mind sleep [name] [--wake-at <time>]

mind wake

Legacy alias for volute clock wake. Wake a sleeping mind.

volute mind wake [name]