Claude Terminal Panel

A dedicated terminal in the secondary sidebar for running AI coding assistants

Run Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Aider, OpenCode and any other AI CLI tool directly from your VS Code sidebar.

Features

• Dedicated Sidebar Terminal - Run any AI CLI tool directly from VS Code's secondary sidebar, always accessible while you code
• Multi-Tab Support - Run multiple terminal instances simultaneously with keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation
• Prompt Notifications - Visual indicator (pulsing red dot) when the terminal is waiting for your input
• Custom Commands - Create new terminals with custom commands, intelligent flag suggestions from --help
• Working Directory Selection - Choose which workspace folder to use when creating new terminals
• Tab Accent Colors - Color-coded tabs per workspace folder for easy identification in multi-root workspaces
• Works with Any AI Tool - Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Aider, and more
• VS Code Theme Integration - Full 256-color support with automatic theme synchronization
• Dual Execution Modes - Choose between direct mode (cleaner output) or shell mode (full shell features)
• Auto-run on Startup - Optionally start your AI assistant automatically when VS Code opens
• Fully Configurable - Customize the command, arguments, shell, and environment variables
• Quick Actions - Restart the terminal with a single click

Requirements

• VS Code 1.106.0 or higher
• An AI CLI tool installed and accessible in your PATH (see Supported Tools)
• Node.js - Required for native module compilation

Supported Tools

This extension works with any command-line AI assistant. Here are some popular options with installation instructions and additional top CLI AI coding agents, including OpenCode:

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Claude Terminal Panel"
4. Click Install

From VSIX File

1. Download the .vsix file from the Releases page
2. Open VS Code
3. Run Extensions: Install from VSIX... from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
4. Select the downloaded .vsix file

Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/nolikzero/claude-terminal-panel.git
cd claude-terminal-panel

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the extension
npm run compile

# Package the extension
npm run package

Usage

1. Open the Sidebar - Click the Claude icon in the activity bar (secondary sidebar)
2. Interact with your AI - Type your prompts and interact with your AI assistant directly in the terminal
3. Use Quick Actions - Click the restart icon in the view title bar, or use the + button to add new tabs

Commands

Access commands via the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) or the view title bar icons.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Configuration

Configure the extension via VS Code Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,):

Configuration Examples

Claude Code (default):

{
  "claudeTerminal.command": "claude",
  "claudeTerminal.args": []
}

Gemini CLI:

{
  "claudeTerminal.command": "gemini",
  "claudeTerminal.args": []
}

Aider:

{
  "claudeTerminal.command": "aider",
  "claudeTerminal.args": ["--model", "gpt-4"]
}

OpenAI Codex:

{
  "claudeTerminal.command": "codex",
  "claudeTerminal.args": []
}

GitHub Copilot CLI:

{
  "claudeTerminal.command": "gh",
  "claudeTerminal.args": ["copilot"]
}

Running with shell features:

{
  "claudeTerminal.directMode": false,
  "claudeTerminal.shell": "/bin/zsh"
}

Adding environment variables:

{
  "claudeTerminal.env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
    "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
  }
}

Prompt Notifications

The extension can detect when the terminal is waiting for user input and show a visual notification (pulsing red dot) on the tab. This helps you notice when your AI assistant needs attention, even when you're working in another part of VS Code.

Built-in Detection Patterns

The extension automatically detects common prompt patterns:

• Yes/No prompts: [Y/n], (y/n), [yes/no]
• Confirmation prompts: Confirm?, Continue?, Accept?, Proceed?, Apply?
• Interactive menus: ❯, ›, numbered selections
• REPL prompts: >, >>>, command>
• Claude Code hints: Plan file prompts, "Would you like to" questions
• General prompts: "Press enter to confirm", "Esc to cancel"

Custom Prompt Patterns

If your AI tool uses custom prompts not detected by default, you can add your own regex patterns:

{
  "claudeTerminal.promptPatterns": ["^mybot> $", "\\[waiting\\]", "^Input: $"]
}

Disabling Notifications

To disable prompt notifications entirely:

{
  "claudeTerminal.promptNotification": false
}

Custom Commands

Click the CLI icon button (next to the + button) in the tab bar to create a terminal with a custom command instead of the default.

Command Input

When creating a custom terminal, you'll be prompted to enter:

1. Command: The CLI tool to run (e.g., aider, gemini, opencode)
2. Arguments: Additional flags and options

Intelligent Flag Suggestions

As you type, the extension fetches available flags from the command's --help output and suggests them. This works with most CLI tools including:

• Claude Code
• Gemini CLI
• Aider
• OpenCode
• And any tool that supports --help

Working Directory Selection

In multi-root workspaces, you'll be prompted to select which folder the terminal should start in. Each folder gets a unique accent color on its tab for easy identification.

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm

Setup

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Watch for changes
npm run watch

Running in Debug Mode

1. Open this project in VS Code
2. Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
3. The extension will be active in the new VS Code window

Available Scripts

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

For bugs and feature requests, please open an issue.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• xterm.js - The terminal emulator powering the UI
• node-pty - Native pseudoterminal support

Made with care for the AI-assisted development community