pi-ghost

Ephemeral side conversation overlay for pi.

Open a temporary "ghost" session inside the current pi UI, ask something quick, hide it, bring it back, then close it without saving any session history.

Install

pi install npm:@ogulcancelik/pi-ghost

Or add it manually to ~/.pi/agent/settings.json:

{
  "packages": ["npm:@ogulcancelik/pi-ghost"]
}

Then reload pi:

/reload

What it does

pi-ghost adds a /gpi command that opens a floating overlay backed by a separate in-memory AgentSession.

So:

• it starts with the same currently selected model as the main session
• it uses no persisted session file
• it renders with native pi components for user messages, assistant messages, thinking blocks, and tool execution cards
• it can be hidden without losing the temporary conversation
• when you close it, the ghost session is disposed completely

Usage

/gpi

Open the ghost overlay, then type directly into the ghost UI.

/gpi

Main flow:

1. run /gpi
2. the overlay opens
3. type into the ghost prompt
4. press Enter

/gpi <prompt>

You can also pass the first message inline as a shortcut:

/gpi what file owns this route?
/gpi check how this helper is used across the repo

If the overlay is already open, /gpi <prompt> sends another message into the ghost session. If the overlay is hidden, run /gpi again to bring it back.

Controls

• Enter — send message to ghost pi
• ↑ / ↓ — scroll the transcript
• PageUp / PageDown — scroll faster
• Home / End — jump to top or bottom
• Ctrl+S — hide the overlay
• Esc — close the ghost session completely

When hidden, a small widget is shown above the prompt:

/gpi is running • run /gpi to bring it back

Behavior

Ghost pi is not your main session.

The overlay opens at the latest message and stays in follow mode while new output streams. Scroll up to inspect older output, then use End to jump back to live output.

It has its own temporary conversation state:

• hide it → state stays in memory
• run /gpi again → continue where you left off
• close it → state is gone

The ghost session uses the main session's model at the moment it is created. If you change models in the main session later, the already-open ghost session keeps using its existing model until you close and reopen it.

Why

Useful when you want to:

• ask a small side question without polluting the main thread
• inspect a file or run a quick command in parallel
• keep a temporary tangent around while continuing the main conversation

pi-ghost is for those little "btw" moments without leaving the current TUI.

Requirements

• pi with extension support
• interactive mode (the overlay is TUI-only)

Development

Run from this repo with:

pi -e /absolute/path/to/packages/pi-ghost/index.ts

License

MIT