Pi Just Got Fullscreen Transcript Search — An

Pi v0.84.2 dropped August 14. This isn’t a headline-grabber — it’s a polish release that fixes the daily friction points that make you curse at your terminal. Fullscreen transcript search. Configurable startup tools. Per-run themes. Experimental strict JSON tool schemas. Plus 25 bug fixes.

If you live in Pi’s TUI, this is the update you’ve been waiting for.

The Feature You’ll Use Every Session: Fullscreen Transcript Search

Ctrl+Shift+F opens fullscreen search across your entire conversation history. Incremental match highlighting. Configurable search match theme colors. Enter/Ctrl+G for next match, Shift+Enter/Ctrl+Shift+G for previous.

Why this matters: Before this, finding “that thing I asked about three hours ago” meant scrolling. Endless scrolling. Now you search, jump, done. The matches highlight in your configured colors. You navigate with muscle memory.

Docs: TUI Fullscreen Viewport

Configurable Default Tools: Your Agent, Your Toolbox

defaultTools setting — choose which built-in tools load at startup, globally or per project.

// ~/.config/pi/settings.json or .pi/settings.json per project
{
  "defaultTools": ["read", "write", "edit", "bash", "grep", "task"]
}

Why this matters: You don’t need web_search on every project. You don’t want bash exposed in a read-only review session. Now you declare intent once — the agent respects it.

Docs: Tools Settings

Per-Run Themes Without Touching Saved Settings

pi --use-theme dracula
pi --use-theme "dracula/nord"  # light/dark pair

Pick a theme for this run only. Your saved settings stay untouched. Perfect for pairing sessions, screenshots, or just trying a new vibe.

PR: #7722 by @rwachtler

Experimental Strict JSON-Schema Tool Sampling

PI_EXPERIMENTAL=1 pi

The default read, bash, edit, and write tools now support strict JSON-schema constrained sampling. The model cannot emit malformed tool calls — the schema enforces structure at generation time.

Why this matters: Tool call parsing errors are the #1 cause of “agent went off the rails” moments. Strict schemas eliminate a whole class of failures before they happen.

Experimental: Enable with PI_EXPERIMENTAL=1. Not default yet.

Fullscreen Exit Output: Choose What You See

New setting: print full transcript on exit OR only session resume hint.

{
  "fullscreenExitOutput": "transcript"  // or "resumeHint"
}

If you’re piping output to logs, you want the transcript. If you’re iterating fast, you want the one-line resume hint. Now you choose.

Docs: Interactive Mode

Cloudflare AI Gateway Without API Tokens

Inherited createGatewayBindingFetch() routes Cloudflare AI Gateway requests through a Workers AI binding — no API token needed.

// Zero-token Cloudflare AI Gateway access
const fetch = createGatewayBindingFetch(env.AI_GATEWAY_BINDING);

PR: #7901 by @Maximo-Guk

25 Bug Fixes That Fix Your Daily Annoyances

Fix	Why You Care
Managed-tool downloads no longer block TUI startup	TUI mounts first, progress shows inside it — no more staring at blank screen
Model selector no longer cancels catalog refresh	Open selector immediately after startup? It works now
GitHub Copilot login rate limits fixed	Concurrent policy updates limited — no more 429 storms
Fullscreen search stays put during manual scroll	No more snapping back to current match while you’re reading
Subagent examples fixed	YAML array syntax for `tools` works. Parent model/thinking/tools preserved
Custom system prompts stop concatenating CWD	Your prompt stays your prompt
OpenAI Responses tool calls keep namespaces	Streaming, proxying, replay — namespaces survive
DeepSeek compatibility detection fixed	Uppercase letters in base URL hostname? Handled
Google/Vertex tool call stops handled correctly	Output-limit and provider-error stops no longer masquerade as normal tool use
Fullscreen mouse drag + OSC 8 links work	Generic SGR mouse release codes handled
Focused overlays receive mouse wheel / PageUp/PageDown	Scroll works in overlays
Selection copy uses host clipboard	Reports failure if OSC 52 unsupported — no false success
Idle sessions stop repainting/clearing selection on focus loss	Your selection survives alt-tab
Split `Alt+Enter` over SSH fixed	`PI_TUI_ESC_TIMEOUT` for high-latency terminals
LaTeX control spaces across line endings fixed	Math expressions don’t fall back to raw source
Extension tool results collapse long output	Respects tool expansion setting
JSON/RPC `message_update` events include cumulative usage	Streaming usage tracking works
`pi.sendMessage(..., { triggerTurn: false })` fixed	Records custom message without steering active run
Mistral SDK transport replaced with native HTTP	Eliminated generated client + schema overhead
Kimi Coding uses Pi’s `User-Agent`	Proper identification
`nanoid` dev dependency updated	DoS vulnerability patched

Fullscreen Rendering: Less Churn, More Frames

Reduced fullscreen rendering allocation churn by painting full-width layout rows directly instead of recompositing every frame. The TUI feels snappier, especially on longer conversations.

Subagent Inheritance: Model, Thinking, Tools Preserved

Subagent examples now correctly inherit:

Parent session model
Thinking configuration
Tool configuration

No more “why is my subagent using a different model?” surprises.

PR: #7897 by @virtuald

Extension API: Explicit Prompt Template Expansion

pi.sendUserMessage() now accepts expandPromptTemplates option for explicitly dispatching commands and expanding skills/prompt templates.

PR: #7857 by @mrexodia

Quick Reference: v0.84.2 at a Glance

Feature	Category	Beginner Value
Fullscreen transcript search (`Ctrl+Shift+F`)	UX	🔍 Find anything instantly
Configurable default tools	Config	🎯 Right tools for the job
Per-run themes (`--use-theme`)	UX	🎨 Try themes without commitment
Strict JSON-schema tool sampling	Reliability	🛡️ Fewer tool call errors
Fullscreen exit output choice	UX	📄 Transcript or resume hint
Cloudflare Workers AI binding	Cloud	🔐 Zero-token Gateway access
25 bug fixes	Polish	✨ Daily friction gone

How to Update

# npm
npm update -g @earendil-works/pi
# or fresh install
npm install -g @earendil-works/pi@0.84.2

# Verify
pi --version
# Should show 0.84.2

Bottom Line

Pi v0.84.2 doesn’t add a flashy new capability. It makes the existing experience feel finished.

Fullscreen search alone changes how you navigate history. Configurable default tools means your agent stops offering bash when you only want read. Per-run themes let you experiment. Strict JSON schemas (experimental) point toward a future where tool calls just work.

The 25 fixes read like a “thank you” to everyone who filed an issue: SSH Alt+Enter, Copilot rate limits, subagent inheritance, selection copy, idle repaint — the stuff that makes you trust the tool.

If you use Pi daily, update today. The fullscreen search feature pays for the upgrade in one session.

Release: Pi v0.84.2 · Full Changelog · Discord

Pi Just Got Fullscreen Transcript Search — And It Changes How You Find Things