Better Agent Terminal 3.0 drops Electron for Tauri
The MIT-licensed desktop app stacks project terminals next to a Claude Code agent panel, and version 3.0 ships on a Rust host instead of Electron.
In short
Better Agent Terminal is an MIT-licensed desktop app that gathers several project terminals into one window and adds Claude Code as an extra panel through the Anthropic agent SDK, and since version 3.0 it runs on a Rust host built with Tauri 2 rather than Electron.
At a glance
- Repo tony1223/better-agent-terminal: 518 stars, 127 forks, 1,591 commits on main, MIT license - counted when the page was fetched.
- Version 3.0 is Tauri-only: a Rust host, a React renderer and a bundled Node sidecar only where a JavaScript SDK is still required.
- Two agents built in: Claude Code through @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk and a Codex agent through a bundled @openai/codex runtime.
- Platforms: Windows x86_64, macOS arm64 and x86_64, Linux x86_64 and arm64; the mobile apps need v3.1.3 or later.
- WebSocket remote access is marked experimental; Bypass permission mode is limited to sandboxes or IS_SANDBOX=1.
Better Agent Terminal puts several project terminals in a single window and parks an AI agent panel beside them. With version 3.0 the app sits on a Rust host built with Tauri 2, and the Electron runtime is gone. The project, published by GitHub user tony1223 under the MIT license, lists 518 stars, 127 forks and 1,591 commits on its main branch.
One window instead of a dozen tabs
The layout splits into a large working area and a narrow strip of preview terminals, a 70/30 division according to the project. Workspaces can be reordered by drag-and-drop, grouped, and swapped through profiles. Around the terminals sit a file browser with syntax highlighting, a Git view covering commit history, diffs, branches and GitHub pull requests and issues, and a snippet manager backed by SQLite. A separate worker panel starts multiple processes from a Procfile.
Why the Electron removal matters
Replacing Electron with Tauri is the headline change of the 3.0 jump: Rust handles the host layer, React stays as the renderer, and a small bundled Node sidecar survives only where JavaScript SDK support is still needed. Prebuilt packages are listed for Windows x86_64, macOS arm64 and x86_64, and Linux as AppImage in x86_64 and arm64. A headless bundle called bat-server targets always-on machines with no desktop. Building from source calls for Node 18 or newer plus a stable Rust toolchain.
Claude Code and Codex side by side
Claude Code arrives through the @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk package, with streamed replies, visible thinking blocks, subagent tracking and four permission modes: Default, Accept Edits, Plan and Bypass. Sessions persist, resume and fork, and slash commands such as /resume, /model and /abort drive them from the prompt. A statusline exposes 15 configurable items, among them token counts, Git branch and cache efficiency. The alternative is a Codex agent running on the bundled @openai/codex runtime with its own sandbox modes.
Limits the project states itself
Remote access over WebSocket, including linking two installations or pairing a phone by QR code, carries an explicit experimental label. The Claude features require a sign-in, either through /login or through an already authenticated Claude Code CLI. Bypass mode is restricted to sandboxed environments or to runs with IS_SANDBOX=1. Semantic code navigation through the cx tool stays optional and off by default.
What is not independently confirmed
Everything above comes from the repository page itself, so no newsroom has tested the feature list or the stability claims. The project publishes no measured figures on users, crash rates or memory use before and after the Electron removal, which leaves the practical gain of the Tauri move unquantified. The version labels also disagree: the release badge reads v3.0.0 while the mobile section demands v3.1.3 or later. Star, fork and commit counts are a snapshot taken at retrieval time and keep moving.
FAQ
What is Better Agent Terminal?
An open-source desktop app under the MIT license that groups several project terminals into managed workspaces and runs an AI coding agent in its own panel. Under the hood it pairs a Rust host built on Tauri 2 with a React interface, using xterm.js and node-pty for the terminals.
Which AI agents does Better Agent Terminal support?
Two. Claude Code runs through the @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk package with permission modes, subagent tracking and resumable sessions, and a Codex agent runs on a bundled @openai/codex runtime. Plain shell terminals with no agent attached work alongside both.
Which platforms does Better Agent Terminal 3.0 run on?
The project lists Windows x86_64, macOS arm64 and x86_64, and Linux x86_64 and arm64. Installation goes through a Homebrew cask, a DMG, an NSIS installer, a ZIP or an AppImage depending on the system, with a bat-server bundle for machines without a desktop. Mobile apps are said to need v3.1.3 or later.
