https://github.com/mcaden/arborist
Cross-platform desktop app for managing AI coding-assistant sessions across Git worktrees.
https://github.com/mcaden/arborist
ai-tools git-worktree react rust tauri typescript
Last synced: 8 days ago
JSON representation
Cross-platform desktop app for managing AI coding-assistant sessions across Git worktrees.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/mcaden/arborist
- Owner: mcaden
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-04-28T21:37:43.000Z (about 2 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-21T17:41:25.000Z (24 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-24T22:36:00.975Z (21 days ago)
- Topics: ai-tools, git-worktree, react, rust, tauri, typescript
- Language: Rust
- Homepage: https://arborist.tools
- Size: 12.2 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 5
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
- Security: SECURITY.md
- Support: SUPPORT.md
- Roadmap: docs/roadmap.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Arborist
[](https://github.com/mcaden/arborist/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://sonarcloud.io/summary/new_code?id=mcaden_arborist)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://github.com/mcaden/arborist/releases)
**Arborist is a cross-platform desktop app for managing AI coding-assistant sessions across Git worktrees.**
It gives each worktree its own persistent terminal-backed context for Claude CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI, and configured custom processes. Worktree tabs
live in a sidebar; the main area shows the active worktree dashboard or terminal while background PTYs keep running.
Website: [https://arborist.tools](https://arborist.tools)
## Status
Arborist is a public open-source desktop app. Expect active changes to docs, workflows, and APIs while the project stabilizes.
## What it does
- **Workspace-first:** one running app binds to one primary Git clone.
- **Worktree tabs:** Arborist-created worktrees live under `/.arborist/.worktrees/`.
- **Persistent PTYs:** background AI and terminal sessions keep running across tab switches.
- **CLI-native auth:** Claude and Copilot authentication stay with their CLIs; Arborist does not store credentials.
- **Custom processes:** launch shells, editors, file browsers, and other commands from a worktree context.
- **Restore on launch:** open sessions are restored from persisted records.
- **Safe command composition:** worktree paths are passed as process `cwd`, not interpolated into shell commands.
## Install for users
Download signed installers from the [Releases page](https://github.com/mcaden/arborist/releases). Contributors can also use the setup below to run
Arborist locally from source.
Release artifacts are OS-signed and notarized where each platform supports it. Published assets include GitHub build attestations:
```sh
gh attestation verify --repo mcaden/arborist
```
Runtime requirements:
- `git` on `PATH`.
- At least one authenticated AI CLI for AI sessions: Claude CLI or GitHub Copilot CLI. Arborist does not handle CLI sign-in.
- Windows WebView2 runtime, if not already present.
Optional runtime dependency:
- Linux X11 application-sub-tab focusing uses `wmctrl`. Wayland focus is unsupported by design; launched applications still run.
## Run from source for contributors
Prerequisites are covered in [docs/development.md](docs/development.md).
```sh
git clone https://github.com/mcaden/arborist.git
cd arborist
nvm use
pnpm install
pnpm dev
```
`pnpm dev` starts a local development build. To create a local desktop bundle instead, run `pnpm tauri:build`.
Common verification commands:
```sh
pnpm run lint
pnpm test --run
pnpm run build
cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets --features test-helpers -- -D warnings
cargo test --workspace --features test-helpers
```
## Documentation
Long-form project docs live under [docs](docs/index.md). GitHub community-health docs use the conventional root filenames so GitHub can discover them.
| Topic | Link |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Mental model | [docs/overview.md](docs/overview.md) |
| Product contract | [docs/product.md](docs/product.md) |
| Architecture and API | [docs/architecture.md](docs/architecture.md) |
| Runtime flows | [docs/runtime-flows.md](docs/runtime-flows.md) |
| Configuration | [docs/configuration.md](docs/configuration.md) |
| Worktrees | [docs/worktrees.md](docs/worktrees.md) |
| Development | [docs/development.md](docs/development.md) |
| Testing | [docs/testing.md](docs/testing.md) |
| Contributing | [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) |
| Security | [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) |
| Support | [SUPPORT.md](SUPPORT.md) |
| Code of conduct | [CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) |
| Releasing | [docs/releasing.md](docs/releasing.md) |
| Roadmap | [docs/roadmap.md](docs/roadmap.md) |
## Contributing
Public contribution guidance is in [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md). Use the GitHub issue templates for bugs and feature requests, and read
[SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) before reporting a vulnerability.
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)