Settings

Settings: Helm

Choose the engine, model and rules of the Helm assistant, the routine model for small background jobs, terminal recaps, Helm memory, project access, the unattended-run switches, and the system prompt.

On this page

Purpose

The Helm pane of Settings controls the Helm assistant and the small AI jobs that Orkestra runs in the background. It has six groups: Assistant, Routine model, Terminal recap, Memory, Project directory access and System prompt. The list of launchers (engines) that Helm picks from is edited in a different pane, Engines. See Settings: task defaults and engines. The settings are global. They do not change per project.

Where to find it

  1. Click the Settings button (gear icon, tooltip "Settings") at the right of the top bar.
  2. Click Helm in the list on the left of the Settings window.

Search, Apply, OK, Cancel and Reset are explained in Settings: the window, appearance, terminal, workbench and notifications. A change takes effect after you click Apply or OK.

What you see

Assistant

  • Engine — choose which launcher runs Helm. The list contains launchers that support Helm: Claude Code (the default), Codex, Cursor and OpenCode. Antigravity is not available here. Claude Code and Codex use the same installed programs as your terminals, found on your PATH or configured in Engines under Executable resolution.
  • Model — choose a model from the selected engine or leave Default (engine-managed) to let it choose. The list loads from the engine; click Reload the list from the engine to refresh it. Claude Code and Codex supply their own model lists, which may include Default (Claude Code) or Default (Codex).
  • Effort — available for Claude Code and Codex, not Cursor or OpenCode. Choose a reasoning level supported by the selected model, or let the engine decide.
  • Permission mode — choose an approval policy offered by the selected engine. Codex offers Default, Read-only, Agent and Agent (full access). Claude Code offers Default, Accept edits, Plan, Do not ask, Auto and Bypass permissions. Project directory access still limits Helm's file and command access.
  • Access scope — choose Active project only (default) or All Orkestra projects to control which project files Helm can access.

Each engine keeps its own model, effort and permission mode. Helm has no engine picker of its own, so this group is the one place to choose.

Routine model — a group that is closed at first. Click its title (with the chevron) to open it.

  • This separate engine and model run small background jobs such as chat titles, commit messages and terminal recap names. By default, they reuse the Helm engine above.
  • Engine — choose the routine-task engine, or Default (use Helm engine). Changing the engine resets the model to its default.
  • Model — a drop-down with the same refresh icon button. It has no Effort and no Permission mode row.

Terminal recap

  • Automatic terminal recap — a check box. Off by default.
  • Refresh cadence — choose 30m, 60m (default), 120m or 240m between automatic refreshes after a new user turn.
  • Automatic ceiling — choose 3/h, 6/h (default), 12/h or 24/h automatic refreshes per rolling hour. When the ceiling is reached, the next automatic refresh waits for the limit to roll over. Manual and MCP recaps are unaffected.
  • A closing text: "Recaps are generated from the terminal's own history using the routine model. With this off, recaps still happen on demand (the Recap button and the MCP tool) and once per terminal after its first real turn. Automatic work beyond the ceiling waits rather than being skipped; the cadence only governs refreshes."

Memory

  • Enable Helm memory — a check box. On by default.
  • Auto-extract lessons after turns — a check box. On by default.
  • DreamCycle (automatic memory sweep) — a check box. On by default.
  • DreamCycle cadence — choose 1h, 6h (default), 12h or 24h between automatic sweeps. Sweeps run only while Helm is idle.
  • Run DreamCycle now — click Start now to sweep chats for lessons and consolidate memory in the background. The button reads Dreaming… while it runs; a result appears below when it finishes.
  • A closing text: "Helm distills durable lessons, preferences, and conventions into a persistent memory it recalls in later sessions. Inspect and manage them from the Memory button in the Helm header. Turn this off to disable recall, extraction, and the memory tools entirely."

Project directory access

  • Read files (context) — a check box. On by default.
  • Write files — a check box. Off by default.
  • Run commands — a check box. Off by default.
  • A text: "Applies to Helm itself. Helm can always act through Orkestra's MCP tools — launching agents and terminals that run with their own permissions."
  • Let unattended runs control terminals — off by default. When on, scheduled and routine runs can run commands and send keys without an approval card. It does not allow them to launch agents or open terminals.
  • Let unattended runs open terminals and launch agents — off by default and independent of the control switch above. When on, unattended runs can open terminals and launch agent terminals, tasks and groups without an approval card.

System prompt

  • A large text field (8 lines) with the text that tells Helm who it is. It has no label except the group title.
  • Reset to default — a button under the field.

How to

Choose the Helm engine

  1. Open the Engine drop-down in the Assistant group.
  2. Click an engine, for example Codex.
  3. Click Apply in the Settings window.

Result: Orkestra saves the engine. The Model, Effort and Permission mode rows now show the choices of that engine.

Choose the model, effort and permission mode of Helm

Before you start, wait until the rows stop showing "Loading…".

  1. Open the Model drop-down in the Assistant group.
  2. Click a model, or Default (engine-managed).
  3. Open the Effort drop-down. This row shows only for some engines.
  4. Click a level.
  5. Open the Permission mode drop-down.
  6. Click a mode.
  7. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra saves the three choices on the selected engine. If a list looks old, click the refresh icon button next to Model.

Change the access scope of Helm

  1. Click Active project only or All Orkestra projects next to Access scope.
  2. Click Apply.

Result: The chosen button is highlighted. Orkestra saves the scope.

Choose a routine engine and model

  1. Click the title Routine model to open the group.
  2. Open the Engine drop-down in this group.
  3. Click an engine, or Default (use Helm engine).
  4. Open the Model drop-down in this group.
  5. Click a model, or Default (engine-managed).
  6. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra saves the routine engine and model. Small background jobs use them.

Turn on automatic terminal recaps

  1. Click the check box Automatic terminal recap.
  2. Click a button next to Refresh cadence, for example 120m.
  3. Click a button next to Automatic ceiling, for example 6/h.
  4. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra refreshes recaps by itself, inside the cadence and the ceiling. See The terminal info menu.

Turn Helm memory on or off

  1. Click the check box Enable Helm memory.
  2. Click Apply.

Result: With memory off, the check boxes Auto-extract lessons after turns and DreamCycle (automatic memory sweep), the cadence and Start now look dimmed and do not respond.

Change the automatic memory sweep

Before you start, Enable Helm memory must be on.

  1. Click the check box DreamCycle (automatic memory sweep).
  2. Click a button next to DreamCycle cadence, for example 12h.
  3. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra sweeps chats for lessons at the chosen cadence, only while Helm is idle. Lessons show in the Memory panel. See Helm memory.

Run a memory sweep now

Before you start, Enable Helm memory must be on and applied.

  1. Click Start now next to Run DreamCycle now.

Result: The button reads Dreaming…. When the sweep ends, a line such as "Dreamed 2 chats · saved 1 lesson · consolidated 12→10." shows under the row.

Change what Helm may do in the project directory

  1. Click one check box in Project directory access: Read files (context), Write files or Run commands.
  2. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra saves the access. It applies to Helm itself, not to the agents that Helm starts.

Allow unattended runs to use terminals or launch agents

Both switches are off by default. A run is unattended when a routine or a scheduled task starts it. See Scheduler and routines.

  1. Click Let unattended runs control terminals to allow commands and keys in terminals.
  2. Click Let unattended runs open terminals and launch agents to allow new terminals and agents.
  3. Click Apply.

Result: Unattended runs may do the allowed actions with no permission card. The two switches work alone.

Edit the system prompt

  1. Click in the text field of the System prompt group.
  2. Change the text.
  3. Click Apply.

Result: Orkestra saves your text as the Helm system prompt.

Reset the system prompt

  1. Click Reset to default in the System prompt group.
  2. Click Apply.

Result: The field shows the default text again. The button is disabled while the text already matches the default.

States and messages

  • "Loading…" in a drop-down means Orkestra reads the live list from the engine. A small "loading…" text shows next to it. A red text shows if the read fails: the engine's error text, or "Could not load options.". A saved choice that the list no longer offers shows as "<id> (saved)".
  • A program that is not installed — when Claude Code or Codex is not found, the red text under Model reads like: "Could not load options: The codex CLI could not be found (looked for "codex"). Set its executable path in Settings → Engines → Executable resolution." Install the program, or set its path in Executable resolution, and click the refresh icon button next to Model.
  • Cursor and sign-in. If the read-only sign-in check says Cursor is signed out, the red text under the drop-down reads "Could not load options: Cursor is not signed in. Run agent login in a terminal, then try again." Orkestra does not open your web browser for this check. Run agent login in a terminal, sign in, and click the refresh icon button (tooltip "Reload the list from the engine").
  • Engine warning under Engine — the selected launcher cannot run Helm. Choose Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode; Antigravity can run terminals but is not supported for Helm. If the selected launcher was removed, choose one that is still available.
  • Routine warning — the selected launcher cannot run background tasks, or it was removed. Choose Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode, or use Default (use Helm engine).
  • Start now is disabled while memory is off or while a sweep runs. It also reads Dreaming… when the automatic sweep or the Memory panel starts the sweep.
  • Start now results:
    • "DreamCycle skipped — memory is off, or a sweep is already running."
    • "DreamCycle failed — " and the reason.
    • "Dreamed 2 chats · saved 1 lesson · consolidated 12→10." (the numbers change; "1 chat" and "1 lesson" in the singular).
  • Reset to default is disabled when the prompt text equals the default.

Limits and tips

  • Helm settings are global. There is no per-project value.
  • Model and Effort apply to a Helm chat when it starts. For Claude Code and Codex, if Orkestra cannot apply the chosen model or effort, the chat does not start: Helm shows an error such as "… The session was not started with the requested model." instead of continuing on the default.
  • Start now uses the settings that you already applied. Click Apply first after you turn memory on.
  • Project directory access and Access scope limit Helm itself only. Helm can still start agents and terminals, which run with their own permissions.
  • The two unattended-run switches are independent. The first never lets a run launch agents or open terminals. Turn on only the one you need.
  • A cadence or ceiling button changes the value to a fixed preset. No other value can be typed.
  • The Routine model text names chat titles, commit messages and terminal recap names. Orkestra uses the same engine and model for the automatic Smart approval review, for lesson extraction in Helm memory and for the short last-output summary in Telegram. See Approvals.
  • Turning memory off hides the Memory button in Helm. See Helm memory.
  • The Reset button of the Settings window restores all settings. It is not the same as Reset to default in the System prompt group.