Nanobot is an open-source terminal-based AI coding assistant developed by HKUDS. It provides an interactive agent environment directly in the terminal to inspect codebases, execute refactoring tasks, and generate code through multi-model backend integrations. In daily use, Nanobot functions through an interactive Terminal User Interface (TUI) alongside standard command-line workflows. Developers submit instructions through an active composer interface that supports queuing actions and managing execution prompts. Under the hood, Nanobot interfaces with large language model providers (such as OpenAI/Codex APIs) with specialized optimizations like prompt cache routing to reduce latency and token usage. Nanobot differentiates itself through its lightweight architecture, strict type checking (enforced via BasedPyright), and robust TUI navigation that separates task composition from agent execution queues. It also maintains asset tooling for supplementary interfaces such as WebUI components alongside the core terminal interface. Nanobot is released as free open-source software on GitHub. It operates on a bring-your-own-key (BYOK) model where users connect their own provider API keys.
Tags: ai agent, cli, developer tools, memory, OpenSource, personal assistant