> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ngram.space/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# One Entity, several ways to run

> Choose a foreground conversation, a scheduled runtime, or a headless worker.

An Entity is the persistent unit. A process runs it, an inference provider generates responses, and surfaces connect people and environments to it.

| Mode                  | Command                         | Background daemon |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Single request        | `uv run ngram ask rook "Hello"` | No                |
| Terminal conversation | `uv run ngram talk rook`        | No                |
| Full runtime          | `uv run ngram run rook`         | Yes               |
| Headless worker       | `uv run ngram worker rook`      | Yes               |

The worker runs the same cognition, tools, and memory behavior as the full runtime. It omits the interactive terminal so a service can run without a TTY.

## Keep one owner of active state

Connect several surfaces to the same Entity process. Do not launch duplicate workers against one file workspace or assume independent processes serialize each other's turns. The runtime's turn lock protects the surfaces sharing that running Entity.

An opened portable Entity also has its own canonical-state and lease rules. See [portable Entities](/build/portable-inference) before moving a running instance between hosts.

## Add presence deliberately

Start with a foreground conversation to confirm inference. Add messaging and spatial connections once that path works. Enable always-on operation when you want background schedules and proactive behavior.

The shared [inference pause](/guides/usage-and-controls) works across the Entity's model consumers. It gives you a direct way to stop model use while keeping the runtime and its connections available.