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rudder

<p> <a href="https://rudder.exla.ai"> <img src="https://rudder.exla.ai/favicon.svg" width="36" height="36" alt="Rudder logo" /> </a> </p>

Rudder is a TUI for managing coding agents. Run Claude Code, Codex and opencode side by side in one native dashboard: every task you type gets its own isolated jj workspace, so agents never step on each other. See which agent needs you, approve prompts, steer any agent mid-turn, and merge the results back with one key. /main puts an agent in the main checkout when you want one there, and /plan turns a bigger goal into a reviewed multi-agent DAG.

AI agents and contributors: this README is for using Rudder. If you are an AI agent (or a human) working on the Rudder codebase itself, read AGENTS.md first; it is the engineering reference and the source of truth for architecture, conventions, and release rules.

Run it anywhere

<p> <a href="https://rudder.exla.ai/app"><img alt="Open in your browser" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Open_in_your-Browser-111318?style=for-the-badge&logo=googlechrome&logoColor=white&labelColor=111318" height="36"></a> <a href="https://rudder.exla.ai/download/mac"><img alt="Download for Mac" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download_for-Mac-111318?style=for-the-badge&logo=apple&logoColor=white&labelColor=111318" height="36"></a> <a href="https://testflight.apple.com/join/JV4dwM6E"><img alt="Get it for iPhone on TestFlight" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/iPhone-TestFlight-5B7CFA?style=for-the-badge&logo=apple&logoColor=white&labelColor=111318" height="36"></a> <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@exla/rudder"><img alt="Install the terminal app from npm" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Terminal-npm_i_--g_@exla/rudder-111318?style=for-the-badge&logo=npm&logoColor=white&labelColor=CB3837" height="36"></a> </p>

Same agents everywhere: the web app at rudder.exla.ai/app, the signed Mac app, the iPhone app (beta on TestFlight), or the terminal.

Install

npm install -g @exla/rudder@latest
rudder

After the global install, every user-facing rudder launch checks npm and auto-updates itself before running when a newer version is available. Set RUDDER_DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE=1 to opt out. Run without a global install using npx @exla/rudder@latest.

Rudder used to be published as @viraatdas/rudder. Existing installs move themselves to @exla/rudder on their next update; nothing to do by hand.

Requirements

• Node.js 22 or newer
• Git
• Claude Code and/or Codex installed and logged in
• macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) or Linux x64; the dashboard binary for each ships in the package

Rudder runs agents in isolated jj (Jujutsu) workspaces; your repo stays plain git. You do not need to install jj: if it is not already on your PATH, Rudder sets up its own copy in ~/.rudder/bin during install (or on first run). A jj you installed yourself is always used instead.

Check your setup at any time:

rudder doctor

Quick start

rudder

With no arguments, rudder opens the dashboard. Type a task in the bottom input and press Enter: Rudder starts one worker for it in its own jj workspace. It lands in Review when done and merges back with m. Use /main <task> for an agent that works directly in the main checkout (for release, push and deploy work), /gam <task> to pair a builder with a reviewer from another model, /plan <task> when you want a reviewed multi-agent DAG, or /swarm [n] <task> to run many competing experiments at one goal and keep the ones that work.

If a task needs shared local context like API tokens, private URLs, account ids, or environment values, save it with /share <text> in the task input. Rudder also captures obvious token-looking lines like APIFY_TOKEN=... from task-bar messages. The text is written to RUDDER_SHARED.md, which is gitignored and mirrored into worker workspaces; all agents are explicitly told to read it when present.

You can also start a task directly from the shell:

rudder "fix the failing tests"
rudder claude "fix the auth redirect bug"
rudder codex --model gpt-6.1-sol "refactor the parser"

Onboarding and auth

rudder onboard

Onboarding uses the auth you already have, so you usually do not need API keys:

• Claude Code auth from the macOS Keychain or ~/.claude/.credentials.json
• Codex auth from ~/.codex/auth.json
• ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / OPENAI_API_KEY if you prefer keys

If auth is missing you can skip it and set up a backend later. Config is written to ~/.rudder/config.json.

The dashboard

┌───────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ agents        │ worker                                       │
│ task list     │ live Claude Code or Codex terminal           │
│ status/model  │ DAG-over-orchestrator, scrollback, review    │
├───────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ task input: main owner by default, /plan DAG, /run isolated   │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
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