The board is the product.

dc                  # this folder (cwd, then git root) — same as dc-tui
dc ~/src/app
dc --all            # every labeled workspace

Startup draws the dc-cli mark (host frame + phosphor pip) on first launch. Any key skips. After a successful start or shell the splash stays off. DC_TUI_NO_SPLASH=1 skips it always. The compact mark stays in the header.

While containers are discovered the header shows checking… — not stopped. stopped is only after a successful empty result. Discovery failure shows unknown (r retries). Manual reload keeps the last snapshot and shows refreshing…. Fleet / folder switches clear old context first.

Header load line is dc-stats. Press t or click top.

Primary row: start · shell · stop. Meta is quieter. rm asks y/n. Stack / fleet: up / down, j/k or click, Enter to open or exec.

Keys

Button	Key	Does
start	u	dc up — .devcontainer uses official CLI + forward; compose-kind uses docker compose (no forward); no config confirms then dc try (default localhost ports)
shell	e	dc exec — app only
stop	s	full stack dc down
rm	x	dc-down --rm after y
open	o	host editor on the bind-mount
attach	a	VS Code Remote URI; Zed prints Connect Dev Container steps. N/A for compose-kind.
ports	p	dc-forward (Colima sidecar)
url	1–9 / click	open a published website in the host browser
logs	l	follow docker logs for the selected stack row (highlighted; q back). Fleet refuses.
restart	R	restart the selected stack sibling. Labeled app row refuses (u/s). Fleet refuses. r still reloads.
top	t	CPU / RAM for this folder (stays in TUI). Fleet refuses.
nets	n	this folder’s declared compose nets. y creates missing externals then start. Fleet refuses.
db	b	dc-db — host TablePlus on a declared db port
files	m	dc-files — yazi/nnn in the box; Enter opens code/cursor on this container (DC_FILES_EDITOR=vim keeps vim)
fleet	f	other workspaces
workspaces	w	recent folders this board opened. Type to filter, Enter open, Ctrl+F favorite, Ctrl+D forget, Esc back. Works while Docker is down.
actions	c	project actions (personal + trusted .dc/actions.json). Enter runs one via dc-exec --no-start; off entries open a review. Fleet refuses.
activity	v	this folder’s container events, latest 200 in memory. j/k, PgUp/PgDn, g/G scroll; c clears; Esc back. Fleet refuses.
upgrade	U	when a newer release is available — confirms then dc-upgrade --yes
more / quit	? / q	legend / exit
disk	d	dc-df report (stays in TUI). P = safe prune when the header says CRITICAL
rows	j/k, Enter	cursor; fleet opens a folder, stack execs

Header shows a compact disk line from dc-df, an app load pulse from dc-stats, and declared compose nets when present. When a newer GitHub release exists, a banner points at U / dc upgrade. d is still the disk document. When usage looks ≥85%, the disk line says CRITICAL and P confirms dc-prune --yes on the board. t is live CPU/RAM for this folder (q back). n lists this folder’s required nets (y creates missing external: true bridge nets, then dc-up --create-nets). Fleet refuses t and n. Desktop guest is cap only. CLI twins: dc-stats / dc-net. Docker not ready opens the Recover board — [f] applies dc-recover --yes, then start/shell return.

App vs other services

Target	Command	How
labeled app	dc-exec / key e	devcontainer exec
any other compose service	click the stack row, or dc-exec --service NAME	start if down, then exec

dc with no args (or dc tui) is the board. Hyphenated dc-tui stays.

Project actions

Same files as dc actions (dc-actions). Personal file: ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-~/.config}/dc-cli/actions/<sha256 of the folder path>.json. Shared file: <folder>/.dc/actions.json (dc-cli never writes it).

{"schemaVersion": 1, "actions": [
  {"id": "test", "label": "Run tests", "argv": ["go", "test", "./..."]},
  {"id": "psql", "label": "DB shell", "argv": ["psql", "-U", "app"], "service": "db"}
]}

• argv runs as-is — no shell. service targets that compose sibling (docker exec); without it the labeled app (devcontainer exec, keeps remoteUser / workdir).
• A personal id overrides the shared one.
• Shared actions are off until trusted. The review lists every shared command (overridden ones too) with its exact argv and target. Trust is tied to the folder and the file’s exact bytes; any change turns them off.
• Actions never start containers (dc-exec --no-start). Start with u first.
• Actions run inside your containers and can modify data.

dc actions list --json
dc actions trust          # preview, then y/N (non-TTY needs --yes)
dc actions run test
dc actions run -- -id     # an id that starts with -

Activity

v opens a timeline of this folder’s container events: created, started, stopped, exited (exit code), restarted, removed, out of memory, health. Each line is time, service (or container name), and a short description — never env or logs.

• One docker events stream, pinned to the engine the board is showing, runs while the board is on a folder. It stops when you switch folders, enter fleet, leave for a shell / start / files / action, Docker goes away, or you quit; it resumes (and the board rescans) when you are back.
• Only containers that belong to this folder count: the ones the last refresh listed, or a new one that a read-only docker inspect proves is the labeled app, one of its compose siblings, or (compose-kind) the project whose working dir is this folder. Port sidecars and other projects are left out.
• Events refresh the board at most once per 300ms burst.
• Stream lost → a gap line, retries after 1s, 2s, 4s, then every 10s, and a full rescan on reconnect.
• Latest 200 lines, memory only. Cleared on folder switch, fleet, or c in the view.

See also ports.