Amp has begun rolling out a rebuilt CLI called Neo, according to a post on its site. The company describes the update as the first piece of a broader revamp, with the terminal client now built on what it calls a "remote-controllable, compaction-first, plugin-powered" architecture.
One of the main additions is remote control from ampcode.com. Threads started in the new CLI can reportedly be monitored live from the web, with messages sent, queued, dequeued, or canceled remotely.
Amp also says Neo takes over manual context management. Instead of tracking context levels or using handoff, the CLI now automatically compacts a thread when the context window reaches 90% capacity. That process summarizes the current context, starts a fresh window, and continues from there.
The release also introduces the Amp Plugin API, which lets plugins handle events, add tools, add commands, show UI elements, and ask AI classification questions. Amp includes examples of a tool-registration flow in the announcement and points to documentation that also covers a permissions plugin.
Queuing is now the default when a message arrives while an agent is busy. Amp says queued messages can also be "steered" so they are delivered as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the agent to go idle. The company also notes that Esc Esc can still interrupt the agent and send immediately.
Another notable change is permissions. Amp says its former --dangerously-allow-all behavior is now the default for users without configured permissions. The older permissions system remains available as a built-in plugin for existing settings that already opt in through amp.permissions, amp.dangerouslyAllowAll: false, or amp.guardedFiles.allowlist.
Amp claims Neo is also faster and leaner on large threads. In a comparison using a thread with about 5,000 messages, the company reports lower CPU and memory use, including "79% less CPU" on mean usage and "70% less memory" at idle. It also says rendering performance has improved.
The rewrite also comes with removals. Handoff is gone, as are rollback of file changes when editing or restoring a message, skill-management commands, support for user-invokable skills, custom themes, and manual bash invocation through $ and $$ in the prompt editor. Amp says the rollout will continue over the next few days.
Source: Amp