Cursor desktop and Agent CLI
Cursor desktop Agent/Composer conversations and Cursor Agent CLI conversations are separate surfaces, even when opened in the same project.
| Surface | Reviewed integration |
|---|---|
| Cursor desktop | Native worker plus editor bridge extension/MCP configuration |
| Cursor Agent CLI | Separate provider-owned CLI manager, discovery, metadata and worker |
Editor extension stack
The reviewed Cursor extension is JavaScript in the editor extension host, packaged with a manifest and generated VSIX. Its declared activation and bridge-command paths connect the editor environment to the selected native worker.
Extension registration, extension-host activation, workspace context and actual conversation identity are different states. Installing a VSIX does not prove the current window loaded the bridge.
The native delivery target must remain the intended Agent/Composer conversation. A focused editor widget is not a substitute for exact native session identity.
CLI manager
The CLI provider has its own inventory, installed executable/topology, MCP configuration and native session metadata. Its repair/install controls are mutations, not steps to insert before every ordinary Send.
A CLI manager status row describes that provider's configuration/contract. It does not validate all desktop routes or all source-to-target combinations.
Operations and data
The desktop inventory describes discovery, delivery, Create/Rename and lifecycle capabilities under its worker protocol; CLI declares its own Send/Create/Rename/discovery set. The installed adapter and provider commands determine actual availability.
Project paths, conversation names and native identifiers can enter local discovery/operation records. Authored content is delivered into the selected provider account and can be processed under that provider's policies.
Updates and diagnosis
An independent update must close the exact selected Cursor application or CLI process scope before changing declared integration assets. Preserve unrelated workspaces, extensions, provider settings and profile/login state.
For a missing destination, inspect correct window/profile/surface and bridge activation. For uncertainty after admission, retain the same operation reference and pinned destination rather than selecting whichever Cursor chat is now newest.
See provider catalog, conversation management, Send and compatibility.