Three modes

Remote and hybrid need vev installed on the remote host. Use vev host add --transport ssh user@host for SSH only. See remote sessions.

Features

• No prefix key: Alt shortcuts plus a command palette with short codes.
• Tabs, splits, stacks, and a floating terminal per tab.
• Persistent sessions: detach and re-attach; named sessions survive daemon restarts.
• Browser terminal: the same UI in a private web page.
• Copy mode with vim motions, notifications, and a fuzzy session picker.
• Scriptable: vev cmd controls a running daemon; --ui-driver drives it headlessly.

Install

curl -fsSL https://git.bnema.dev/vev/raw/main/install.sh | sh
# Arch Linux: yay -S vev-bin
# or: go install github.com/bnema/vev@latest

Releases support Linux x86_64/arm64 and macOS Apple silicon.

Usage

vev                              new numbered session
vev new <name>                   new named session
vev attach <name>                attach (alias: a)
vev attach user@host[:session]   attach to a remote host
vev ls [<host>|--all]            list sessions
vev host add|rm|list             manage remote hosts
vev kill <name>|--sessions       kill one or all sessions
vev kill --all                   stop vev entirely
vev --web-daemon                 start the browser terminal

• Numbered sessions survive detach, not a daemon stop. They close when their last client exits (ephemeral.close-on-exit).
• Named sessions also come back after kill --all or a daemon restart (recovery).
• The daemon starts on first use. Exiting the last shell of a session returns you to your previous one.

Keys and palette

Type a code or fuzzy-search the palette. Common default codes:

• Session picker (SSP): ↑/↓ or j/k to move, / to search, s to sort, x to kill, Escape or q to close.
• Copy mode: scroll up, then vim motions, v to select, y to copy.
• With local and remote daemons attached, CNS asks where to create the session.

Configuration

Optional file: ~/.config/vev/config. Changes apply live.

theme = auto                 # auto, dark, or light
open-palette = alt+space     # any binding can be changed
code.new-tab = CNT           # any palette code can be changed
floating.command =           # empty = your shell
scrollback.megabytes = 50
bar.top-right = date +%H:%M  # status command shown in the bar

Full list: configuration.

Browser terminal

vev --web-daemon serves the UI on 127.0.0.1:8778 and prints a private link. Use --web-listen and --web-origin behind an HTTPS proxy. See browser terminal.

Scripting

vev cmd controls a running daemon without starting one:

vev cmd split-right
vev cmd toast -l warn "build failed"
vev cmd list-panes --json
vev cmd env --json

Use vev cmd --help for all commands. For headless capture and input, see UI driver.

To refresh WAYLAND_DISPLAY, SSH_AUTH_SOCK, and other desktop variables in a running shell after you attach from another place, hook vev env fish | source (or eval "$(vev env sh)") into your prompt. See environment.

Documentation

• Configuration: bindings, palette, theme, overlays, and bar anchors
• Terminal compatibility
• Remote sessions
• Session navigation
• Durable session recovery
• Browser terminal
• UI driver

Development

Use VEV_ENV to keep development runs separate from your installed vev and from other builds:

VEV_ENV=dev go run .
VEV_ENV=dev go run . kill --sessions
rm -rf .dev/dev

Each name gets its own daemon, config, sessions, and logs under .dev/<name>/. It is not a sandbox.

make test   # go test ./... -race
make lint   # goimports check, go vet
make mocks  # regenerate mocks
make demo   # regenerate docs/assets/demo.gif (needs Docker)

Contributor docs: architecture, protocol, performance measurement.