herdr: The GitHub Trending AI Agent Multiplexer That Replaces tmux

What is herdr?

herdr = AI Agent dedicated terminal multiplexer. Core positioning: host all AI coding agents in a single terminal, keep tasks running across reboots, automatically recognize 15+ mainstream code agents, support inter‑agent scheduling.

Key specifications

Language: Rust, single‑binary ~10 MB, no Electron or GUI dependencies.

Supported agents: pi, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Devin CLI, GitHub Copilot, Kimi Code, Grok CLI and other mainstream coding agents (15+).

License: AGPL‑3.0 (modifications must be open‑sourced).

Cross‑platform: macOS, Linux, Windows PowerShell preview; compatible with nested tmux.

Comparison with tmux (2007)

Session persistence / reconnect: both ✅.

Split screen, tabs, workspaces: both ✅.

SSH remote & cross‑device reconnect: both ✅.

Agent real‑time status detection: tmux ❌, herdr ✅ (four‑color blocked/working/done/idle).

Zero‑config out‑of‑the‑box: tmux ❌ (requires .tmux.conf, plugins), herdr ✅ (no config files).

Native mouse drag‑split & click: tmux ❌ (manual enable), herdr ✅ (right‑click panel menu).

Agent autonomous orchestration: tmux ❌ (manual scripts), herdr ✅ (Unix Socket API).

Deep semantic integration: tmux ❌, herdr ✅ (one‑click install, auto‑recover).

Seamless service migration: tmux ❌, herdr ✅ (herdr update --handoff).

Three core capabilities

1. Global four‑color Agent status

Side‑panel shows real‑time status of each Agent: 🔴 blocked (waiting for approval or input), 🟡 working (executing), 🔵 done (completed, awaiting review), 🟢 idle (ready for new tasks). Detection uses process‑name matching plus heuristic output parsing; deep integration via herdr integration install <agent> provides precise semantic status.

2. Zero‑configuration out‑of‑the‑box

Installation is a single command; no .tmux.conf or plugin management required. All tmux keyboard shortcuts are preserved (e.g., ctrl+b v vertical split, ctrl+b - horizontal split, ctrl+b c new tab, ctrl+b q detach). Mouse drag‑and‑drop and right‑click menu are native.

3. Unix Socket API for autonomous orchestration

herdr exposes a local Unix socket that allows an Agent to create panes, launch other agents, and react to status changes. Example workflow: after pi finishes code generation, it calls the API to open a new pane running Codex for code review; a master agent can split panes for tests, documentation, and interface generation in parallel; completed agents push notifications, switch workspaces, and clean up idle processes.

Installation

One‑line script: curl -fsSL https://herdr.dev/install.sh | sh Package managers:

# macOS Homebrew
brew install herdr

# cross‑platform mise
mise use -g herdr

# Nix
nix run github:ogulcancelik/herdr

Build from source:

git clone https://github.com/ogulcancelik/herdr
cd herdr
cargo build --release
./target/release/herdr

Basic usage workflow

Start the main program: herdr.

Split panes (e.g., ctrl+b v) and launch agents such as Claude, Codex, pi.

Observe the side‑panel; prioritize red “blocked” tasks.

Detach client with ctrl+b q to keep agents running in the background.

Reconnect later with herdr attach or herdr --remote <name>.

Advanced features

Deep integration commands: herdr integration install claude, herdr integration install codex.

Experimental handoff update: herdr update --handoff migrates running panes to a newer herdr version without stopping tasks.

Remote SSH sessions: herdr --remote ssh://user@server:2222 with optional flag [remote].manage_ssh_config = false.

Risks and caveats

License: AGPL‑3.0 may require source disclosure for commercial redistribution.

Status detection may miss niche agents (e.g., Gemini CLI); blocked‑state detection is still improving.

Rapid version updates (current v0.6.7) mean preview channels may be needed for the latest fixes ( herdr channel set preview).

Nested usage inside tmux is supported but can slightly reduce mouse interaction smoothness; single‑layer use is recommended.

Windows support is limited to PowerShell preview; CMD has TUI rendering issues.

Resources

Website: https://herdr.dev

GitHub repository: https://github.com/ogulcancelik/herdr