arbiter --setup-tools
Interactive OpenTUI wizard for the three optional agent tool surfaces that are not covered by the first-run API-key flow:
| Surface | What it enables | Where it writes |
|---|---|---|
| Web search | /search <query> | ~/.arbiter/search_api_key |
| Browse | /browse <url> via Playwright | playwright entry in mcp_servers.json |
| MCP servers | /mcp tools / /mcp call | ~/.arbiter/mcp_servers.json |
arbiter --setup-tools
Requires a TTY. Non-interactive callers get a clear error and exit 1.
Menu
The top-level screen shows live status for search, browse, and every registered MCP server, then offers:
- Web search — paste or replace a Brave Search API key, or clear the saved
file. Environment variables (ARBITER_SEARCH_API_KEY, BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY) still win over the file; the wizard warns if a key is coming from the env.
- Browse — enable Playwright (headless or headed), reinstall, or remove the
playwright registry entry. /browse needs that exact server name.
- MCP servers — add Playwright, add a hosted server via
mcp-remote
(name + HTTPS URL), add a custom stdio command, or remove an entry. Names are stored lowercase; reusing a name prompts before overwrite. On open, the wizard normalizes any mixed-case names already on disk.
Arrow keys move, Enter selects, Esc cancels a prompt (keeps changes already written). Secrets are masked while typing.
First-run offer
After the provider-key / model / starter-agent wizard finishes, arbiter asks whether to configure tools now. Choosing Configure search / browse / MCP opens this same wizard. Skip for now leaves tools unset; run --setup-tools later.
When changes apply
Files are written immediately. A running arbiter or arbiter --api process does not reload them — restart to pick up a new search key or MCP registry.
See also
- Web search
- MCP servers
- Environment — env-vs-file precedence for the search key