Common issues

Things that go wrong on Linux, and how to unblock yourself. Most fixes start with the same move: ask your assistant.

Canonical URL: /docs/help/common-issues

First things first

1. Ask the assistant. "Why didn't that work?" It has its own tools and recent errors.
2. Restart the desktop app. Transient IPC and wake issues often clear here.
3. Confirm the model. A missing or rejected provider key looks like a dead chat. Re-save the OpenAI-compatible (or local Hive) endpoint in Settings.

There is no hosted web hatch in 0.1. If the window is blank, stay on the Linux app.

Hatch and sign-in

I expected a cloud login

0.1 is a local hatch. There is no Cadence Cloud account, magic link, or App Store sign-in. Name the assistant, add a model key, talk. "Log In" that talks to a hosted platform is leftover chrome and will not provision an assistant.

I'm talking to a different assistant than last time

You can hatch more than one instance on one machine. Switch which assistant the window is pointed at, or check cadence ps for what is actually running.

Desktop app (Linux)

The AppImage will not launch

1. Confirm the execute bit: chmod +x Cadence-*-x86_64.AppImage.
2. Launch from the desktop icon for a quiet terminal. A TTY launch prints logs to that terminal.
3. Session logs live under ~/.config/@aevumcadence/linux/logs/.

The window opened, but chat never answers

1. Confirm a model provider is saved (OpenAI-compatible URL and key, or local Hive).
2. Ask in chat: "What model are you using?" If it cannot reach the provider, the error is usually there.
3. Restart the app. If an update just installed, restart the assistant when the app asks.

cadence is not on PATH

Launch the packaged app once, then open a new terminal. Expect $HOME/.local/bin/cadence. File → Install cadence Command if it is still missing. See Installation.

cadence upgrade failed

On the bundled Linux desktop, that is the wrong command. Packed Linux has no npm runtime. Use Help → Check for Updates, or install a new AppImage / run sudo apt install --only-upgrade cadence for deb.

Approvals

It keeps asking me to approve the same kind of thing

Each action is prompted by default. When you approve, choose Allow and Create Rule if you want similar future actions to auto-approve. Review rules in Settings → Permissions. See The permissions model.

The approval disappeared

Requests expire after a few minutes with no response. Tell the assistant "try that again."

I clicked Deny by accident

Tell it to retry: "go ahead and read that file." A new prompt appears.

Memory

It forgot something I told it

• It may never have saved. Be explicit: "Remember this: I prefer meetings before noon."
• It may be saved but not recalled this turn. Ask specifically: "What do you remember about Project Moonshot?"
• Some memories fade if they never come up again. Tell it again.

See Memory and context.

It remembers something I want gone

Tell it directly: "Forget that I work at Acme." You can also browse memories in Settings.

Channels and skills

A channel is not responding

Ask "Is Telegram set up?" (or Slack, mail, phone). Local installs only receive while this computer is on and the assistant is running. Reconnect if the token or webhook went stale. See Channels.

OAuth or a token that worked yesterday died

Tokens expire. Ask the assistant to reconnect that service. Sign in with the same account. Corporate workspaces sometimes block third-party OAuth.

A custom skill is not loading

Custom skills need a valid SKILL.md in the workspace skills directory. Ask "Why isn't the [name] skill loading?" Guide: Your first skill.

Performance

Slow replies

• Start a fresh conversation if the current thread is huge.
• Check the path to your model provider (local Hive vs hosted API).
• Switch the default model in Settings → Models & Services if one provider is saturated.

Still stuck?

If the assistant cannot self-diagnose, Getting help is next. Bring Linux distro, Cadence version (Help → About), what you tried, and the exact error text.