Pair Mode

Pair mode watches your files and gives you instant suggestions every time you save. It's designed to feel like a lightweight pair programmer sitting next to you.

Start

nimbus pair

How it works

Every time you save a file, Nimbus waits 3 seconds (debounce), then analyzes the file with Claude Haiku and prints a suggestion:

  pair  extracted function, add null guard on line 42
       suggested fix? [y/n] (60s)

• y — Nimbus implements the fix immediately
• n — dismiss
• No response for 60 seconds — suggestion expires automatically

Debounce

The 3-second debounce prevents noise while you're typing. If you save multiple times in quick succession, only the final save triggers an analysis.

You can adjust the debounce in ~/.nimbus/config.toml:

[local]
pair_debounce_seconds = 5

Suggestion expiry

Each suggestion expires after 60 seconds if you don't respond. This keeps the terminal clean when you're focused on something else.

Difference from watch mode

Feature	nimbus pair	nimbus watch
Trigger	Every file save	File changes, 30s debounce
Response timeout	60 seconds	No timeout
Snooze	No	Yes
Use case	Active coding session	Background ambient monitoring

Use pair when you're actively writing code and want suggestions as you go. Use watch for background ambient monitoring while you work on something else.