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Push Notifications in VibeTunnel

VibeTunnel provides real-time alerts for terminal events via native macOS notifications and web push notifications. The system is primarily driven by the Session Monitor, which tracks terminal activity and triggers alerts.

How It Works

The Session Monitor is the core of the notification system. It observes terminal sessions for key events and dispatches them to the appropriate notification service (macOS or web).

Notification Settings Explained

When you enable notifications in VibeTunnel, you can choose which events to be notified about:

1. Session starts ✓

  • Notification: "Session Started" with the session name
  • Triggers when: A new terminal session is created
  • Use case: Know when someone starts using your shared terminal

2. Session ends ✓

  • Notification: "Session Ended" with the session name
  • Shows exit code: If the session crashed or exited abnormally
  • Triggers when: A terminal session closes
  • Use case: Monitor when sessions terminate, especially if unexpected

3. Commands complete (> 3 seconds) ✓

  • Notification: "Your Turn" with the command that finished
  • Shows duration: How long the command took to complete
  • Triggers when: Any command that runs for more than 3 seconds finishes
  • Use case: Get notified when long builds, tests, or scripts complete

4. Commands fail ✓

  • Notification: "Command Failed" with the failed command
  • Shows exit code: The specific error code returned
  • Triggers when: Any command returns a non-zero exit code
  • Use case: Immediately know when something goes wrong

5. Terminal bell (\u{0007}) ✓

  • Notification: "Terminal Bell" with the session name
  • Triggers when: A program outputs the bell character (ASCII 7/^G)
  • Common sources: vim alerts, IRC mentions, completion sounds
  • Use case: Get alerts from terminal programs that use the bell

Architecture

System Overview

The notification system in VibeTunnel follows a layered architecture:

Terminal Events → Session Monitor → Event Processing → Notification Service → OS/Browser

Key Components

1. Session Monitor (SessionMonitor.swift)

  • Role: Tracks all terminal sessions and their state changes
  • Key responsibilities:
    • Monitors session lifecycle (start/exit)
    • Tracks command execution and duration
    • Filters events based on thresholds (e.g., 3-second rule)

2. Server Event System (ServerEvent.swift)

  • Event types:
    • sessionStart, sessionExit: Session lifecycle
    • commandFinished, commandError: Command execution
    • bell: Terminal bell character detection
  • Event data: Each event carries session ID, display name, duration, exit codes, etc.

3. Notification Service (NotificationService.swift)

  • macOS integration: Uses UserNotifications framework
  • Event source: Connects to server via WebSocket v3 at /ws (global subscription for EVENT frames)
  • Preference management: Checks user settings before sending
  • Permission handling: Manages notification authorization

4. Configuration Manager (ConfigManager.swift)

  • Settings storage: Persists user notification preferences
  • Default values: All notification types enabled by default
  • Real-time updates: Changes take effect immediately

Event Flow

  1. Terminal Activity: User runs commands, sessions start/stop
  2. Event Detection: Session Monitor detects changes
  3. Event Creation: Creates typed ServerEvent objects
  4. Filtering: Checks user preferences and thresholds
  5. Notification Dispatch: Sends to OS notification center
  6. User Interaction: Shows native macOS notifications

Special Features

Command Duration Tracking

  • Only notifies for commands > 3 seconds
  • Tracks start time when command begins
  • Calculates duration on completion
  • Formats duration for display (e.g., "5 seconds", "2 minutes")

Bell Character Detection

  • Terminal emulator detects ASCII 7 (\u{0007})
  • Forwards bell events through WebSocket
  • Server converts to notification event

Native macOS Notifications

The VibeTunnel macOS app provides the most reliable and feature-rich notification experience.

  • Enable: Go to VibeTunnel Settings > General and toggle Show Session Notifications.
  • Features: Uses the native UserNotifications framework, respects Focus Modes, and works in the background.

Web Push Notifications

For non-macOS clients or remote access, VibeTunnel supports web push notifications.

  • Enable: Click the notification icon in the web UI and grant browser permission.
  • Technology: Uses Service Workers and the Web Push API.

HTTPS Requirement

⚠️ Important: Web push notifications require HTTPS to function. This is a security requirement enforced by all modern browsers.

  • Local development: Works on http://localhost:4020 without HTTPS
  • Remote access: Requires HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate
  • Why: Service Workers (which power push notifications) only work on secure origins to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks

Enabling HTTPS for Remote Access

If you need web push notifications when accessing VibeTunnel remotely, you'll need to serve it over HTTPS. Here are some solutions:

Tailscale Serve (Recommended)

Tailscale Serve is an excellent solution for automatically creating HTTPS connections within your network:

# Install Tailscale and connect to your network
# Then expose VibeTunnel with HTTPS:
tailscale serve https / http://localhost:4020

Benefits:

  • Automatic HTTPS with valid certificates
  • Works within your Tailscale network
  • No port forwarding or firewall configuration needed
  • Push notifications will work for all devices on your Tailnet

Other Options

  • Ngrok: Provides HTTPS tunnels but requires external exposure
  • Cloudflare Tunnel: Free HTTPS tunneling service
  • Let's Encrypt: For permanent HTTPS setup with your own domain

Troubleshooting

  • No Notifications: Ensure they are enabled in both VibeTunnel settings and your OS/browser settings.
  • Duplicate Notifications: You can clear old or duplicate subscriptions by deleting ~/.vibetunnel/notifications/subscriptions.json.
  • Claude Notifications: If Claude's "Your Turn" notifications aren't working, you can try forcing it to use the terminal bell: 
    claude config set --global preferredNotifChannel terminal_bell