Every elastos command has one explicit runtime expectation. Commands are organized into five runtime classes.
Runtime Classes
| Class | Contract |
|---|
| Managed dashboard | Auto-starts loopback runtime, renders PC2 |
| Managed user | Auto-starts local runtime after setup |
| No runtime | Runs directly, no persistent runtime session |
| Operator | Requires explicit elastos serve running |
| Starts own service | Starts its own daemon process |
Managed Dashboard
These commands automatically start a loopback runtime and render the PC2 home surface.
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos | Open the PC2 home surface (default command) |
elastos pc2 | Explicit PC2 home surface |
Managed User
These commands automatically start a local runtime after setup.
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos chat --nick <name> | Start a P2P chat session with the given nickname |
No Runtime (Direct Commands)
These commands execute their task and exit. They do not require a persistent runtime session.
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos share <file> | Share a file via IPFS, produce elastos://<cid> link |
elastos open elastos://<cid> | Open shared content by CID |
elastos attest | Attest content provenance |
elastos update | Pull latest signed release and update components |
elastos setup | Initialize local environment (first run) |
elastos setup --with <component> | Add optional component (kubo, ipfs-provider, md-viewer) |
elastos site stage <dir> | Stage a local directory as a site |
elastos site publish | Publish a staged site |
elastos site activate | Activate a published site version |
elastos site rollback | Roll back to a previous site version |
Operator
These commands require an explicit runtime to be running via elastos serve.
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos agent | Launch an AI agent capsule |
elastos capsule | Manage capsule lifecycle |
elastos run | Run a capsule directly (requires explicit runtime and working directory) |
Starts Own Service
These commands start their own daemon process.
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos serve | Start the runtime server (required for operator commands) |
elastos gateway | Start a gateway server |
elastos site serve --mode <mode> | Serve a staged site (local or ephemeral mode) |
General
| Command | Description |
|---|
elastos --help | Show all available commands |
elastos --version | Show runtime version |