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Herdr has released a native desktop app for organizing terminal work and monitoring coding agents across local and SSH-connected machines. The app is available for Linux, macOS and Windows, while terminals can continue running after the app window closes as long as Herdr’s core remains active.
Herdr has released a native desktop app for organizing terminal sessions and monitoring coding agents, with installers for Linux, macOS and Windows. The release gives developers a graphical way to group work into spaces, inspect agent status and connect to terminals on other machines, while a separate Herdr core runs the terminal processes.
The app organizes work into spaces, tabs and split panes. A space usually corresponds to work in one repository on one machine; panes can show terminals or panels side by side. Herdr also provides an agents sidebar that gathers agents from a user’s spaces. Agents that report status can appear as working, blocked, done or idle, allowing users to find work that needs attention without checking every terminal individually.
Herdr’s documentation says the window and terminal processes have separate roles: the app arranges and displays terminals, while Herdr core runs them. Closing the window leaves terminals running; closing a pane or tab ends its terminals. A remote space runs on its connected machine and can continue after the local window closes or a laptop sleeps, provided that the remote machine and its core remain running. After a reboot or core crash, retained panes start fresh shells in their previous folders rather than restoring the programs that had been running.
The project lists Linux builds for x86-64 and ARM64, macOS builds for Apple Silicon, and an installer for x64 Windows. Intel Mac users can build from source, according to the release documentation. The installers also install herdr-core if it is missing, and the project warns that the shell and PowerShell installation commands download and run code. Users can inspect those installer scripts before running them.
Keeping Agent Work in View
Terminal-based coding agents can run alongside a developer’s other work, but their progress may be spread across separate sessions. Herdr’s main offering is a single workspace for terminals and agent status, including workers started by another agent. The status labels are intended to help users spot agents that are blocked or have finished while they were looking elsewhere.
The distinction between the app and its core also affects how users manage long-running work. A user can close the graphical window without ending terminal processes, and remote work can persist while a laptop is asleep. That can make it easier to leave tasks running, though continuity depends on the core and machine staying available. The release documentation does not report adoption, performance results or measured productivity gains, so the practical benefits remain to be established by users.
Herdr also allows users to change layouts and add JavaScript mods that draw panels, menus and dialogs. The documentation cautions that mods are trusted code and are not sandboxed. That warning matters for teams considering customizations or third-party mods: the flexibility comes with a need to review code before installing it.
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How Herdr Separates App and Core
The release describes Herdr as a desktop app for terminals and coding agents rather than a replacement for the command-line tools themselves. Users can create spaces on their own computer or add a machine through SSH configuration or a manually entered SSH connection. Terminals for a remote space run on that remote machine, while connected screens share the machine’s spaces, tabs, splits and live terminals. Each screen keeps its own focus and zoom.
The app includes a command palette, customizable settings and several built-in layouts. Users can modify layouts and mods by making copies; the supplied versions are updated by Herdr when the app starts. The project also provides command-line tools for inspecting the open window and its status, plus a skill guide intended to help coding agents operate the app. Its documentation recommends using herdr-core to run and coordinate programs and the desktop app to change what is visible.
Release builds check for updates in the background and download a new app alongside the running one. The new version takes over after the user quits and reopens the app, or selects the update action; the documentation says terminal processes remain in the core. Usage telemetry is on by default in release builds and can be disabled in Settings under Privacy. Builds made from source do not update themselves.
“The window arranges terminals. The core runs them.”
— Herdr project documentation on GitHub
Availability and Capabilities Still Unclear
The supplied release report does not give a publication date, pricing details, license terms or minimum system requirements for the finished app. It also does not state whether the app is distributed through any app stores or provide independent testing of its performance, reliability or security. The project lists supported operating-system architectures, but that alone does not establish compatibility with every device or desktop environment.
Herdr’s documentation explains that agent status depends on whether agents report status, but it does not specify which coding-agent tools are supported or how integrations are configured. It is also unclear how many users have installed the app, whether the release is considered stable, or what telemetry data is collected beyond the statement that usage telemetry is enabled by default in release builds. Those details were not provided in the supplied material.
Install, Update and Test the Release
Users can follow the project’s installation instructions for their platform or build the app from source using the versions of Rust and Zig listed in its repository. Before installing, Herdr recommends reading the relevant shell or PowerShell installer, since each command downloads and runs code. Linux users also need a desktop session and a working Vulkan driver; the project documents a drag-and-drop disk-image option for Apple Silicon Macs.
After installation, users can connect an SSH machine, create spaces and review settings for updates and privacy. Herdr says release builds check for updates in the background and apply a downloaded app after a restart or through the update action. The supplied report gives no schedule for a next release; further details will depend on project updates and documentation.
Key Questions
What is Herdr’s new app?
It is a desktop app for organizing terminals and coding-agent work. Users can arrange terminals in spaces, tabs and panes, and view agent statuses in a sidebar.
Which operating systems can run Herdr?
The project lists Linux builds for x86-64 and ARM64, macOS builds for Apple Silicon, and an installer for x64 Windows. Intel Mac users can build from source, according to the release documentation.
Do terminals keep running when the app closes?
Yes, according to Herdr’s documentation, closing the window leaves terminals running in the core. Closing a pane or tab ends its terminals. Remote sessions also depend on the remote machine and core staying up.
Does Herdr support work on remote machines?
Yes. Users can add an SSH machine through Settings or the sidebar. Spaces created on that machine run their terminals there, and connected screens share its work structure and live terminals.
What should users know before installing or adding mods?
The project says its installers download and run code, so users can read the scripts first. Herdr also says mods are trusted code, not sandboxed; users should review third-party mods before installing them. Usage telemetry is on by default in release builds and can be turned off in Settings under Privacy.
Source: github.com
