Terminal

Codewick includes a full terminal emulator so you can run commands, install packages, start servers, and debug — all without leaving the workspace.

Opening the Terminal

Toggle the terminal panel with ⌘ + backtick (⌘ + `). The terminal slides up from the bottom of the workspace. Press the shortcut again to hide it.

The terminal opens in your project root directory by default, so commands like npm install or git status run in the right context immediately.

Terminal Tabs

You can run multiple terminal sessions simultaneously:

• Click the + button in the terminal tab bar to open a new tab.
• Each tab runs an independent shell session.
• Rename tabs by double-clicking the tab label (useful for keeping track of what each terminal is doing).
• Close a tab with the × button or by typing exit.

Dedicated Server Log Tab

When Codewick starts a local dev server for the built-in browser, a dedicated Server Log tab appears automatically. This tab streams the server’s stdout and stderr output so you can monitor your dev server without mixing its output into your working terminal.

The server log tab is labeled with the framework name (e.g., “Vite”, “Next.js”) and cannot be accidentally closed while the server is running.

Tip

If your dev server throws an error, switch to the Server Log tab to see the full stack trace. You can also ask the AI to read the terminal output for debugging help.

Shell Environment

The terminal runs bash on macOS with your standard environment variables and shell configuration loaded. Your PATH, aliases, and shell profile are available.

Supported Shells

Platform	Default Shell
macOS	bash
Windows (v1.1+)	PowerShell

Note

Windows support with PowerShell is planned for Codewick v1.1. The current release supports macOS only.

AI Terminal Integration

The AI can read terminal output to help with debugging:

1. Run a command that produces an error (e.g., a failing test or build error).
2. In the chat, mention the error or ask “why did my build fail?”
3. The AI reads the recent terminal output and uses it as context for its response.

This is particularly useful for:

• Build errors — the AI can read compiler output and suggest fixes.
• Test failures — paste or reference the failing test output and ask for a fix.
• Runtime errors — stack traces from the server log give the AI enough context to diagnose issues.

You do not need to copy and paste terminal output manually. The AI has access to the terminal buffer.

Common Workflows

Installing Dependencies

npm install
# or
yarn install
# or
pnpm install

The terminal runs in your project directory, so package managers resolve the correct package.json automatically.

Running Tests

npm test
# or
pytest
# or
cargo test

If a test fails, ask the AI to review the output and propose a fix.

Running Scripts

npm run build
npm run lint
python manage.py migrate

Any command you would run in a standalone terminal works here.

Git Operations

While Codewick has a dedicated Git UI, you can also use the terminal for git commands if you prefer the command line:

git status
git add .
git commit -m "fix: resolve login issue"
git push

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Toggle terminal	⌘ + `
New terminal tab	Click + in tab bar
Clear terminal	⌘ + K
Copy selection	⌘ + C
Paste	⌘ + V
Switch terminal tab	⌘ + Shift + [ / ]

Resizing the Terminal

Drag the top edge of the terminal panel to resize it vertically. The terminal remembers its height across sessions. You can also maximize the terminal to fill the full workspace area by double-clicking the drag handle.