Two commands to three tools
Install the binary, register it as an MCP server, restart your client. That's it.
Restart your client. Three tools appear:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| ss | Edit files. ss(path, old_str, new_str) for one edit. ss(ops=[...]) for many. Self-contained — no setup needed. |
| ss_session | Read files and manage sessions. ss_session("read <path>") to read. Run ss_help for advanced session control. |
| ss_help | Full reference card — ops format, session control, advanced options. |
macOS + Linux · Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or any MCP-compatible client
What one daemon gives your agent
One edit, one call
ss(path, old_str, new_str) — auto opens, replaces, flushes, closes. Same ergonomics as native Edit, but through slipstream.
51 edits, still one call
ss(ops=[...]) handles any mix of str_replace, write, and read ops across unlimited files. Self-contained — no session setup needed.
Named concurrent sessions
Multiple agents edit different files simultaneously without conflicts. Each session tracks its own buffer state independently.
External changes caught
External modifications detected before flush. Force-flush available when you know what you're doing.
All or nothing
Edits accumulate in memory, hit disk only on flush. Streaming writes with content hashing — no full-file allocation.
60% fewer tokens
FCP-style prefix lines (~ edit, > flush, @ read, ! error) plus a status bar. No JSON walls. Same information, fraction of the cost.
Measured, not promised
One agent, one task, four tool strategies. 20 Python files × 3 cross-cutting edits = 60 assertions. Every strategy scored 60/60 on correctness — the difference is cost.
| Strategy | Tool Calls | Tokens | Wall Time | Correct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS + mish | 6 | 16.7K | 57s | 60/60 |
| SS MCP (batch) | 7 | 19.5K | 90s | 60/60 |
| Traditional sed via Bash |
7 | 14.9K | 56s | 60/60 |
51 file operations (20 header inserts + 20 logging adds + 11 renames) across 20 files. Run 4: Opus 4.6 subagents. The Traditional agent discovered sed batching on its own — fewer tokens, but no conflict detection, no sessions, no undo.