Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai

AI-Powered, Non-Intrusive Terminal Assistant
https://github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai

ai assistant chatgpt tmux warp

Last synced: about 2 months ago
JSON representation

AI-Powered, Non-Intrusive Terminal Assistant

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          





  

    TmuxAI Logo

  

  
TmuxAI


  


    Your intelligent pair programmer directly within your tmux sessions.

    


    


    License

    Release

    Issues

    


    


    


    Screenshots |

    Report Bug |

    Request Feature

    


    


    Tmux Cheat Sheet |

    Tmux Getting Started |

    Tmux Config Generator

  





## Table of Contents



- [About The Project](#about-the-project)

  - [Human-Inspired Interface](#human-inspired-interface)

- [Installation](#installation)

  - [Quick Install](#quick-install)

  - [Manual Download](#manual-download)

  - [Install from Main](#install-from-main)

- [Post-Installation Setup](#post-installation-setup)

- [TmuxAI Layout](#tmuxai-layout)

- [Observe Mode](#observe-mode)

- [Prepare Mode](#prepare-mode)

- [Watch Mode](#watch-mode)

  - [Activating Watch Mode](#activating-watch-mode)

  - [Example Use Cases](#example-use-cases)

- [Knowledge Base](#knowledge-base)

  - [Creating Knowledge Bases](#creating-knowledge-bases)

  - [Using Knowledge Bases](#using-knowledge-bases)

  - [Auto-Loading Knowledge Bases](#auto-loading-knowledge-bases)

- [Model Configuration](#model-configuration)

  - [Setting Up Multiple Models](#setting-up-multiple-models)

  - [Switching Between Models](#switching-between-models)

- [Squashing](#squashing)

  - [What is Squashing?](#what-is-squashing)

  - [Manual Squashing](#manual-squashing)

- [Multiline Input](#multiline-input)

- [Core Commands](#core-commands)

- [Command-Line Usage](#command-line-usage)

- [Configuration](#configuration)

  - [Environment Variables](#environment-variables)

  - [Session-Specific Configuration](#session-specific-configuration)

- [Contributing](#contributing)

- [License](#license)



## About The Project



![Product Demo](https://tmuxai.dev/demo.png)



TmuxAI is an intelligent terminal assistant that lives inside your tmux sessions. Unlike other CLI AI tools, TmuxAI observes and understands the content of your tmux panes, providing assistance without requiring you to change your workflow or interrupt your terminal sessions.



Think of TmuxAI as a _pair programmer_ that sits beside you, watching your terminal environment exactly as you see it. It can understand what you're working on across multiple panes, help solve problems and execute commands on your behalf in a dedicated execution pane.



### Human-Inspired Interface



TmuxAI's design philosophy mirrors the way humans collaborate at the terminal. Just as a colleague sitting next to you would observe your screen, understand context from what's visible, and help accordingly, TmuxAI:



1. **Observes**: Reads the visible content in all your panes

2. **Communicates**: Uses a dedicated chat pane for interaction

3. **Acts**: Can execute commands in a separate execution pane (with your permission)



This approach provides powerful AI assistance while respecting your existing workflow and maintaining the familiar terminal environment you're already comfortable with.



## Installation



TmuxAI requires only tmux to be installed on your system. It's designed to work on Unix-based operating systems including Linux and macOS.



### Quick Install



The fastest way to install TmuxAI is using the installation script:



```bash

# install tmux if not already installed

curl -fsSL https://get.tmuxai.dev | bash

```



This installs TmuxAI to `/usr/local/bin/tmuxai` by default. If you need to install to a different location or want to see what the script does before running it, you can view the source at [get.tmuxai.dev](https://get.tmuxai.dev).



### Manual Download



You can also download pre-built binaries from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai/releases).



After downloading, make the binary executable and move it to a directory in your PATH:



```bash

chmod +x ./tmuxai

sudo mv ./tmuxai /usr/local/bin/

```



### Install from Main



To install the latest development version directly from the main branch:



```bash

go install github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai@main

```



**Note:** The main branch contains the latest features and fixes but may be less stable than official releases.



## Post-Installation Setup



TmuxAI reads its configuration from `~/.config/tmuxai/config.yaml`. To get running, create the file with a model entry that points at the provider you use.



1. **Create the config path**



   ```bash

   mkdir -p ~/.config/tmuxai

   vim ~/.config/tmuxai/config.yaml

   ```



2. **Add a minimal config**



   ```yaml

   models:

     primary:

       provider: openrouter  # openrouter, openai or azure

       model: anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5

       api_key: sk-your-api-key

   ```



   Swap the provider name and fill in the model/API key required by your account.



3. **Start TmuxAI**



   ```bash

   tmuxai

   ```



See [Model Configuration](#model-configuration) for more details.



## TmuxAI Layout



![Panes](https://tmuxai.dev/shots/panes.png?lastmode=1)



TmuxAI is designed to operate within a single tmux window, with one instance of

TmuxAI running per window and organizes your workspace using the following pane structure:



1. **Chat Pane**: This is where you interact with the AI. It features a REPL-like interface with syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and readline shortcuts.



2. **Exec Pane**: TmuxAI selects (or creates) a pane where commands can be executed.



3. **Read-Only Panes**: All other panes in the current window serve as additional context. TmuxAI can read their content but does not interact with them.



## Observe Mode



![Observe Mode](https://tmuxai.dev/shots/demo-observe.png)

_TmuxAI sent the first ping command and is waiting for the countdown to check for the next step_



TmuxAI operates by default in "observe mode". Here's how the interaction flow works:



1. **User types a message** in the Chat Pane.



2. **TmuxAI captures context** from all visible panes in your current tmux window (excluding the Chat Pane itself). This includes:



   - Current command with arguments

   - Detected shell type

   - User's operating system

   - Current content of each pane



3. **TmuxAI processes your request** by sending user's message, the current pane context, and chat history to the AI.



4. **The AI responds** with information, which may include a suggested command to run.



5. **If a command is suggested**, TmuxAI will:



   - Check if the command matches whitelist or blacklist patterns

   - Ask for your confirmation (unless the command is whitelisted). The confirmation prompt includes a risk indicator (✓ safe, ? unknown, ! danger) for guidance only - always review commands carefully as the risk scoring is not exhaustive and should not be relied upon for security decisions

   - Execute the command in the designated Exec Pane if approved

   - Wait for the `wait_interval` (default: 5 seconds) (You can pause/resume the countdown with `space` or `enter` to stop the countdown)

   - Capture the new output from all panes

   - Send the updated context back to the AI to continue helping you



6. **The conversation continues** until your task is complete.



![Observe Mode Flowchart](https://tmuxai.dev/shots/observe-mode.png)



## Prepare Mode



![Prepare Mode](https://tmuxai.dev/shots/demo-prepare.png?lastmode=1)

_TmuxAI customized the pane prompt and sent the first ping command. Instead of the countdown, it's waiting for command completion_



Prepare mode is an optional feature that enhances TmuxAI's ability to work with your terminal by customizing

your shell prompt and tracking command execution with better precision. This

enhancement eliminates the need for arbitrary wait intervals and provides the AI

with more detailed information about your commands and their results.



When you enable Prepare Mode, TmuxAI will:



1. **Detects your current shell** in the execution pane (supports bash, zsh, and fish)

2. **Customizes your shell prompt** to include special markers that TmuxAI can recognize

3. **Will track command execution history** including exit codes, and per-command outputs

4. **Will detect command completion** instead of using fixed wait time intervals



To activate Prepare Mode, simply use:



```

TmuxAI » /prepare

```



By default, TmuxAI will attempt to detect the shell running in the execution pane. If you need to specify the shell manually, you can provide it as an argument:



```

TmuxAI » /prepare bash

```



**Prepared Fish Example:**



```shell

$ function fish_prompt; set -l s $status; printf '%s@%s:%s[%s][%d]» ' $USER (hostname -s) (prompt_pwd) (date +"%H:%M") $s; end

username@hostname:~/r/tmuxai[21:05][0]»

```



## Watch Mode



![Watch Mode](https://tmuxai.dev/shots/demo-watch.png)

_TmuxAI watching user shell commands and better alternatives_



Watch Mode transforms TmuxAI into a proactive assistant that continuously

monitors your terminal activity and provides suggestions based on what you're

doing.



### Activating Watch Mode



To enable Watch Mode, use the `/watch` command followed by a description of what you want TmuxAI to look for:



```

TmuxAI » /watch spot and suggest more efficient alternatives to my shell commands

```



When activated, TmuxAI will:



1. Start capturing the content of all panes in your current tmux window at regular intervals (`wait_interval` configuration)

2. Analyze content based on your specified watch goal and provide suggestions when appropriate



### Example Use Cases



Watch Mode could be valuable for scenarios such as:



- **Learning shell efficiency**: Get suggestions for more concise commands as you work



  ```

  TmuxAI » /watch spot and suggest more efficient alternatives to my shell commands

  ```



- **Detecting common errors**: Receive warnings about potential issues or mistakes



  ```

  TmuxAI » /watch flag commands that could expose sensitive data or weaken system security

  ```



- **Log Monitoring and Error Detection**: Have TmuxAI monitor log files or terminal output for errors



  ```

  TmuxAI » /watch monitor log output for errors, warnings, or critical issues and suggest fixes

  ```



## Squashing



As you work with TmuxAI, your conversation history grows, adding to the context

provided to the AI model with each interaction. Different AI models have

different context size limits and pricing structures based on token usage. To

manage this, TmuxAI implements a simple context management feature called

"squashing."



### What is Squashing?



Squashing is TmuxAI's built-in mechanism for summarizing chat history to manage

token usage.



When your context grows too large, TmuxAI condenses previous

messages into a more compact summary.



You can check your current context utilization at any time using the `/info` command:



```bash

TmuxAI » /info



Context

────────



Messages            15

Context Size~       82500 tokens

                    ████████░░ 82.5%

Max Size            100000 tokens

```



This example shows that the context is at 82.5% capacity (82,500 tokens out of 100,000). When the context size reaches 80% of the configured maximum (`max_context_size` in your config), TmuxAI automatically triggers squashing.



### Manual Squashing



If you'd like to manage your context before reaching the automatic threshold, you can trigger squashing manually with the `/squash` command:



```bash

TmuxAI » /squash

```



## Multiline Input



For longer or more complex prompts, you can open your current input in an external text editor. This is similar to how bash allows editing commands with `Ctrl+X Ctrl+E`.



**Keyboard Shortcuts:**

- `Ctrl+O` - Open current prompt in external editor (works on all platforms)

- `Alt+E` - Alternative binding (may not work on macOS due to Option key behavior)



When triggered, TmuxAI will:

1. Open your `$EDITOR` (falls back to `vim` if not set) with the current prompt content

2. Wait for you to edit, save, and close the editor

3. Replace the prompt with the edited content



This is useful for:

- Writing multi-line prompts or detailed instructions

- Editing long commands more comfortably

- Pasting and formatting complex content



## Knowledge Base



The Knowledge Base feature allows you to create pre-defined context files in markdown format that can be loaded into TmuxAI's conversation context. This is useful for sharing common patterns, workflows, or project-specific information with the AI across sessions.



### Creating Knowledge Bases



Knowledge bases are text files stored in `~/.config/tmuxai/kb/`. To create one:



1. Create the knowledge base directory if it doesn't exist:

   ```bash

   mkdir -p ~/.config/tmuxai/kb

   ```



2. Create a file with your knowledge base content:

   ```bash

   cat > ~/.config/tmuxai/kb/docker-workflows << 'EOF'

   # Docker Workflows



   ## Common Commands

   - Always use `docker compose` (not `docker-compose`)

   - Prefer named volumes over bind mounts for databases

   - Use `.env` files for environment-specific configuration



   ## Project Structure

   - Development: `docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up`

   - Production: `docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml up -d`

   EOF

   ```



### Using Knowledge Bases



Once created, you can load knowledge bases into your TmuxAI session:



```bash

# List available knowledge bases

TmuxAI » /kb

Available knowledge bases:

  [ ] docker-workflows

  [ ] git-conventions

  [ ] testing-procedures



# Load a knowledge base

TmuxAI » /kb load docker-workflows

✓ Loaded knowledge base: docker-workflows (850 tokens)



# List again to see loaded status

TmuxAI » /kb

Available knowledge bases:

  [✓] docker-workflows (850 tokens)

  [ ] git-conventions

  [ ] testing-procedures



Loaded: 1 KB(s), 850 tokens



# Unload a knowledge base

TmuxAI » /kb unload docker-workflows

✓ Unloaded knowledge base: docker-workflows



# Unload all knowledge bases

TmuxAI » /kb unload --all

✓ Unloaded all knowledge bases (2 KB(s))

```



You can also load knowledge bases directly from the command line when starting TmuxAI:



```bash

# Load single knowledge base

tmuxai --kb docker-workflows



# Load multiple knowledge bases (comma-separated)

tmuxai --kb docker-workflows,git-conventions

```



### Auto-Loading Knowledge Bases



You can configure knowledge bases to load automatically on startup by adding them to your `~/.config/tmuxai/config.yaml`:



```yaml

knowledge_base:

  auto_load:

    - docker-workflows

    - git-conventions

  # path: /custom/path  # Optional: use custom KB directory

```



**Important Notes:**

- Loaded knowledge bases consume tokens from your context budget

- Use `/info` to see how many tokens your loaded KBs are using

- Knowledge bases are injected after the system prompt but before conversation history

- Unloading a KB removes it from future messages immediately



## Model Configuration



TmuxAI supports configuring multiple AI model configurations and easily switching between them. This allows you to define different AI providers, models, and settings for various use cases.



### Setting Up Multiple Models



Configure multiple AI models in your `~/.config/tmuxai/config.yaml`:



```yaml

# Optional: specify which model to use by default

# If not set, the first model alphabetically will be used automatically

default_model: "fast"



models:

  fast:

    provider: "openrouter"

    model: "anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5"

    api_key: "sk-or-your-openrouter-key"



  smart:

    provider: "openrouter"

    model: "google/gemini-2.5-prod"

    api_key: "sk-or-your-openrouter-key"



  # You can use any chat completion compatible endpoint as base_url

  anthropic:

    provider: "openrouter"

    model: "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022"

    api_key: "your-anthropic-api-key"

    base_url: "https://api.anthropic.com"



  github-copilot:

    provider: "openrouter"

    model: "claude-sonnet-4.5"

    api_key: "your-github-copilot-api-key"

    base_url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com"



  local-llama:

    provider: "openrouter"

    model: "gemma3:1b"

    api_key: "sk-or-your-openrouter-key"

    base_url: http://localhost:11434/v1



  # Responses API

  codex:

    provider: "openai"

    model: "gpt-5-codex"

    api_key: "sk-or-your-openrouter-key"



  azure-gpt4:

    provider: "azure"

    model: "gpt-4o"

    api_key: "your-azure-openai-api-key"

    api_base: "https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/"

    api_version: "2025-04-01-preview"

    deployment_name: "gpt-4o"



  # Gemini API (direct access)

  gemini-flash:

    provider: "gemini"

    model: "gemini-2.5-flash"

    api_key: "${GOOGLE_API_KEY}"

```



**Supported Providers:**

- `openai` - OpenAI Responses API (GPT-4, GPT-5, etc.)

- `openrouter` - Universal Chat Completion API, defaults to openrouter base url

- `azure` - Azure Chat Completions API

- `gemini` - Google Gemini API (direct access via go-genai SDK)



**Interactive Commands:**

```bash

# List available models and see current selection

TmuxAI » /model



Available Models

  [ ] claude-sonnet (openrouter: anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet)

  [ ] fast (openrouter: anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5)

  [✓] smart (openrouter: google/gemini-2.5-prod)

  [ ] local-llama (openrouter: meta-llama/llama-3.1-8b-instruct:free)



Current Model:

  Configuration: smart

  Provider: openrouter

  Model: google/gemini-2.5-prod



# Switch to a different model

TmuxAI » /model claude-sonnet

✓ Switched to claude-sonnet (openrouter: anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet)



# Status bar shows current model when using non-default

TmuxAI [claude-sonnet] »

```



## Core Commands



| Command                     | Description                                                      |

| --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |

| `/info`                     | Display system information, pane details, and context statistics |

| `/clear`                    | Clear chat history.                                              |

| `/reset`                    | Clear chat history and reset all panes.                          |

| `/config`                   | View current configuration settings                              |

| `/config set  ` | Override configuration for current session                       |

| `/model`                    | List available models and show current active model              |

| `/model `             | Switch to a different model configuration                        |

| `/squash`                   | Manually trigger context summarization                           |

| `/prepare [shell]`          | Initialize Prepared Mode for the Exec Pane (e.g., bash, zsh)    |

| `/watch `      | Enable Watch Mode with specified goal                            |

| `/kb`                       | List available knowledge bases with loaded status                |

| `/kb load `           | Load a knowledge base into conversation context                  |

| `/kb unload `         | Unload a specific knowledge base                                 |

| `/kb unload --all`          | Unload all knowledge bases                                       |

| `/exit`                     | Exit TmuxAI                                                      |



## Command-Line Usage



You can start `tmuxai` with an initial message, task file, model configuration, or knowledge bases from the command line:



- **Direct Message:**



  ```sh

  tmuxai your initial message

  ```



- **Task File:**

  ```sh

  tmuxai -f path/to/your_task.txt

  ```



- **Specify Model:**

  ```sh

  # Use a specific model configuration

  tmuxai --model gpt4 "Write a Go function"

  tmuxai --model claude-sonnet

  ```



- **Load Knowledge Bases:**

  ```sh

  # Single knowledge base

  tmuxai --kb docker-workflows



  # Multiple knowledge bases

  tmuxai --kb docker-workflows,git-conventions

  ```



- **Combine Options:**

  ```sh

  tmuxai --model gpt4 --kb docker-workflows "Debug this Docker issue"

  ```



- **Yolo Mode (Skip Confirmations):**

  ```sh

  # Skip all confirmation prompts - commands execute immediately

  tmuxai --yolo "Install and configure nginx"

  ```

  

  > **Warning**: Use `--yolo` with caution. This mode skips all safety confirmations and executes commands directly. Only use when you trust the AI's command suggestions completely.



## Configuration



The configuration can be managed through a YAML file, environment variables, or via runtime commands.



TmuxAI looks for its configuration file at `~/.config/tmuxai/config.yaml`.

For a sample configuration file, see [config.example.yaml](https://github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai/blob/main/config.example.yaml).



### Environment Variables



All configuration options can also be set via environment variables, which take precedence over the config file. Use the prefix `TMUXAI_` followed by the uppercase configuration key:



```bash

# General settings

export TMUXAI_DEBUG=true

export TMUXAI_MAX_CAPTURE_LINES=300

export TMUXAI_MAX_CONTEXT_SIZE=150000



# Quick setup with environment variables (alternative to model configurations)

export TMUXAI_OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key-here"

export TMUXAI_OPENAI_MODEL="gpt-4"

export TMUXAI_OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-openrouter-api-key-here"

```



You can also use environment variables directly within your configuration file values. The application will automatically expand these variables when loading the configuration:



```yaml

# Example config.yaml with environment variable expansion

openai:

  api_key: "${OPENAI_API_KEY}"

  model: "${OPENAI_MODEL:-gpt-4}"



openrouter:

  api_key: "${OPENROUTER_API_KEY}"

  base_url: "${OPENROUTER_BASE_URL:-https://openrouter.ai/api/v1}"

```



### Session-Specific Configuration



You can override configuration values for your current TmuxAI session using the `/config` command:



```bash

# View current configuration

TmuxAI » /config



# Override a configuration value for this session

TmuxAI » /config set max_capture_lines 300

TmuxAI » /config set wait_interval 3

```



These changes will persist only for the current session and won't modify your config file.



## Contributing



If you have a suggestion that would make this better, please fork the repo and create a pull request.

You can also simply open an issue.




Don't forget to give the project a star!



## License



Distributed under the Apache License. See [Apache License](https://github.com/alvinunreal/tmuxai/blob/main/LICENSE) for more information.