# Tools and workspace
Rho uses the current working directory as the workspace for file reads, edits, and shell commands. Start the [interactive TUI](/interactive-tui) or [automation command](/automation-cli) from the repository or directory you want Rho to work in.
## Built-in tools
Rho currently ships these compiled-in workspace tools on all platforms:
```text
list_dir
read_file
write_file
edit_file
```
It also exposes the `skill` tool, web access tools with zero-config invocation, and one native shell tool for the current platform:
```text
web_search search with optional provider credentials and store snippets by default
fetch_content fetch pages, GitHub URLs, local files, PDFs, and video targets
get_search_content retrieve stored content from a prior web_search or fetch_content call
start_process start a managed background shell process
poll_process read retained output or wait for process changes
write_process write to a process's standard input or close it
stop_process stop a managed process tree
list_processes list managed process metadata
bash macOS and Linux
powershell Windows
```
Web access tools keep normal prompts small. They return concise previews, snippets, citations or warnings when available, and response handles for stored content. `web_search` uses optional provider credentials for live results and stores fetched source pages only when `includeContent` succeeds. GitHub repository URLs prefer a local clone so the agent can inspect real files; oversized repositories fall back to the GitHub API unless `forceClone` is set.
These tools can read and modify files, run shell commands in the working directory, and fetch external or local content when invoked.
## Managed background processes
Use `start_process` to launch a background shell command owned by the current Rho instance. `poll_process` returns retained stdout and stderr chunks with cursors, can wait for new output or a state change, and may return a bounded subset of available chunks. Continue polling from the returned `next_cursor` to avoid duplicates and retrieve later output. Retention is bounded, so sufficiently old output can be discarded; the response reports when a requested cursor predates the retained range.
Use `write_process` to send data to the process's standard input or close it, `stop_process` to request termination of the managed process tree, and `list_processes` to inspect process metadata without returning retained output. Rho owns these processes only within the running instance: it cleans them up when that instance shuts down, and process records do not persist across Rho restarts.
Managed processes use standard input, output, and error pipes rather than a pseudo-terminal. Commands that require an interactive terminal, terminal emulation, or direct user keystrokes may not behave as they do in a foreground shell. These tools execute shell commands with the same user permissions as Rho and do not add sandboxing or approval prompts.
## File writes and diffs
File write results include a unified diff so the model and transcript can inspect what changed. In the interactive TUI, added lines are highlighted in green, removed lines in red, and diff headers in the accent color. This is useful in both the [interactive TUI](/interactive-tui) and [automation mode](/automation-cli).
## Sandbox and approvals
Rho does not currently sandbox or prompt for approval before tool calls. Run Rho only in workspaces where you are comfortable allowing file changes and shell commands.
For session storage separate from the workspace, see [sessions](/sessions). For output-size settings, see [configuration](/configuration#tool-output-limit).