Local-First Multi-Pane Terminal Manager for Developers
Native performance. Dynamic layouts. Keyboard-driven workflows.
Under Development -- Cortex Space is a native desktop terminal manager that replaces static terminal configurations with a dynamic, keyboard-driven multi-pane workspace. This repository is the official landing page and marketing website.
Cortex Space unifies terminal instances, workspaces, and developer tooling into a single cohesive desktop application.
- Multi-Pane Terminal Engine -- Split, resize, and manage terminal panels powered by Xterm.js and Tauri-based PTY processes with full shell support (PowerShell, Bash, Zsh)
- Dynamic Recursive Layouts -- Horizontal and vertical splits with ratio-based resizing, drag-and-drop pane reordering, and quadrant-based repartitioning
- Global Command Palette -- Triggered via
Ctrl/Cmd + Kfor switching workspaces, executing commands, and launching templates - Command Snippets -- Save, organize, and execute reusable shell commands with dynamic
{{VAR}}placeholder resolution - Workspace & Tab Management -- Multiple isolated workspaces, each containing sub-tabs with independent terminal layouts
- CLI Tool Registry -- Discover and verify installation status of developer CLI tools (AI agents, language servers, build tools) with one-click install commands
- Automatic Port Detection -- Live parsing of terminal output for localhost URLs with TCP-liveness checking
- Zen Mode -- Full-screen focused terminal view, hiding all chrome
- Theme System -- 14 bundled themes (Catppuccin, Dracula, Nord, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, and more) with dark/light/system scheme support and custom theme creation
| Layer | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 15 (App Router) | Server-rendered pages, routing, metadata, API routes |
| Frontend | React 19, TypeScript | Interactive UI components, hooks, state management |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS v4, PostCSS | Utility-first styling with CSS-first configuration |
| UI Components | Radix UI, Base UI, shadcn/ui | Accessible headless primitives and pre-built components |
| Animation | Framer Motion, GSAP | Spring-physics transitions, scroll-triggered animations |
| Icons | Huge Icons (Free) | Consistent iconography across the interface |
| Charts | Recharts | Data visualization for changelog and star history |
| Utilities | cmdk, sonner, vaul, embla-carousel-react | Command palette, toast notifications, drawers, carousels |
| Theme | next-themes | Light/dark mode with system preference detection |
| Deployment | Vercel | Edge-rendered hosting with automatic CI/CD |
- Multi-pane terminal with real PTY shell sessions
- Dynamic recursive split layouts (horizontal/vertical) with resize handles
- Pane drag-and-drop repartitioning with animated ghost overlays
- Global command palette for workspace switching and template launching
- Command snippet repository with
{{VAR}}placeholder resolution - Multiple workspace support with sidebar, pinning, and renaming
- Sub-tab system for multiple layouts per workspace
- CLI tool agent registry with install-status detection
- Automatic localhost port detection and TCP-liveness checking
- 14 bundled themes with dark/light/system scheme support
- Custom theme creation and management
- Zen Mode for distraction-free terminal work
- Settings persistence for terminal font, size, shortcuts, and appearance
- Onboarding flow with profile selection and tool scanning
- Pane keyboard navigation (
Alt+Arrows,Ctrl+1-9) - State restoration across app launches
- Custom titlebar with minimize/maximize/close controls
- Self-updater via GitHub Releases
- Sidebar style tabbing
- Project-based workspaces
- Drag and drop skills to AI agents
- Auto-PR (automated pull request workflows)
- Session management
- Enhanced command snippets with advanced variable resolution
We welcome contributions. See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions, development workflow, and pull request guidelines.
