Orca IDE Unifies Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode for Parallel AI Development

Orca: A Desktop IDE for Multi-Agent AI Coding

Orca is an MIT-licensed open-source desktop development environment (stable version 1.4.255) that lets you manage Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and other agents in a single window. You download the platform-specific installer from the official download page. Each agent authenticates via subscription login or API credentials; costs and quotas follow the provider's rules. The UI runs locally, but when agents call cloud models, your code context may still be sent upstream.

Separate Agents and Quotas

Before starting, verify each agent's permissions. In Settings → Agents , set Agent Permissions to Manual and review any custom launch parameters. Global settings do not automatically apply to already-running sessions, so check active agents too. Work copies are not permission sandboxes — they share Git refs, repository config, ports, databases, and credentials.

Parallel Worktrees for the Same Task

For a given bug, create two Git worktrees from the same commit and assign a different agent to each. This isolates file changes while keeping shared resources. The article illustrates with a Java pagination validation task:

pageSize 只允许 1～100
正常值：保持现有分页结果
0、负数、101：返回约定的参数错误，不执行查询
不增加依赖，不顺手重构其他接口
两份方案运行相同的回归用例

Both solutions start from the same commit and are validated against the same regression suite. Even if both agents report "done", you cannot simply pick one — you must compare.

Built-in Browser with Design Mode

Orca includes a browser panel. In Design Mode you can select a DOM element and send its HTML, computed CSS, and a screenshot to the agent — far more precise than describing button locations. This only works when your dev server provides source maps that map back to your project's source files; opening an arbitrary website does not guarantee the agent can locate your components.

After the agent makes changes, manually walk through the interactions, check layout and error messages. A preview alone does not confirm the requirement is met.

Iterative Review via Diff Annotations

The diff view supports line-level annotations. You can highlight missing conditions, unnecessary queries, or style violations and send that feedback directly to the agent for the next iteration. After reviewing diffs, run the test suite. Choose the solution with the smallest, most conventional change set, merge it, then run a full regression.

GitHub and Linear integrations can link work items to worktrees, but code review remains mandatory after status updates.

Remote SSH and Mobile Pairing

SSH lets you run Git and the agent on a remote host. The target machine must have the required tools, authorization, and runtime environment. Verify host identity and scope of access first. Mobile pairing connects to a running desktop or remote runtime; using Relay requires login. Closing the local desktop does not automatically hand off the agent to the mobile device. SSH worktrees and a remote Orca Server are distinct execution modes — always confirm where the agent actually runs.

Start with a Failing Test

Running multiple agents, dev servers, and test suites increases resource and review overhead. For Java projects, agree on JDK version, test commands, ports, and test database upfront. Begin with two worktrees. When finished, save unmerged changes, stop unused processes, then clean up worktrees and branches. Deleting directories does not revert external database changes or deployment actions.