CrispyVibe

Terminal Spotlight

Terminal Spotlight opens a focused overlay for persistent terminals, files, browser tabs, ACP panes, VibeCast, and Vibe Lanes. Its Tab Shelf keeps those items available and lets you combine two of them into one carousel position.

Opening Spotlight

Open Spotlight from any of these entry points:

  • Double-click a terminal tile.
  • Double-click a rail card.
  • Click a session preview in the Sessions list.
  • Use your configured keyboard shortcut.

Dismissing Spotlight

  • Press Esc.
  • Click Close Terminal Spotlight.
  • Click the backdrop outside the card.
  • Double-click the focused terminal.

Using the Tab Shelf

The shelf includes persistent project and standalone terminals, files, browsers, ACP panes, VibeCast, and Vibe Lanes. Temporary terminals and temporary file or browser previews stay outside the shelf.

  • Click a complete shelf chip to select and focus that item.
  • Click the side arrows or swipe horizontally over content below the shelf to move one saved position. A two-item combo counts as one position.
  • Swipe horizontally over the shelf to scroll its chips. Vertical gestures that begin on the shelf continue to the content below.
  • Click the grid-and-count control to open All Tabs. The number is the total count of persistent shelf members, including both members of a combo.

A single click, arrow action, or carousel swipe selects and focuses its target. You do not need to repeat the action when switching quickly.

Finding a tab with All Tabs

All Tabs shows every persistent shelf member in saved order:

  1. Click the grid-and-count control, or double-click a shelf member to open All Tabs with search focused.
  2. Type in Search tabs to filter the overview.
  3. Select a result with the pointer or arrow keys.
  4. Press Return to open the selected item.

Press Esc to close All Tabs without dismissing Spotlight.

The three-column overview uses status and location metadata rather than live content. Terminal cards show activity and a folder name; file cards show a file and parent name; browser cards show a title and redacted location. It does not display screenshots, terminal output, commands, or live editor and browser pixels.

Arranging and combining tabs

Drag a shelf item toward another saved position. The drop highlight shows the result:

  • Drop in the left quarter to place the item before the target.
  • Drop in the middle half to create a two-item combo.
  • Drop in the right quarter to place the item after the target.

A combo contains at most two different persistent items. Drag its shared handle to move both members together. To separate a combo, drag either member out and drop it in a new position.

Working with a combo

A new combo opens side by side. Click Toggle combo orientation in the shared header to stack its members, or switch back to side by side.

Click either half to focus it. The focused half controls the shared title, actions, and keyboard focus. Both members remain live, so a terminal, browser, file, or agent pane continues from its existing state.

Each terminal half keeps its own compose draft, pasted images, and Up/Down recall history. Clicking or sending from the unfocused half activates it before delivery, so a command cannot be sent to the other terminal by mistake. See Compose History.

Terminal gestures

You can magnify or shrink a terminal inside Spotlight with a trackpad pinch.

  • Above 1×, two-finger scrolling pans the terminal instead of changing Spotlight positions.
  • At 1× or below, a horizontal gesture over terminal content can switch positions, while vertical scrolling continues through terminal scrollback.
  • A horizontal gesture that starts on the shelf scrolls the shelf instead of switching positions.

Navigating Markdown and browser content

For Markdown, use Back, Forward, Cmd+[, or Cmd+] to move through section jumps and linked files. For browsers, use their back and forward controls or mouse navigation buttons.

These controls navigate inside the current item. They do not switch or dismiss Spotlight. Press Esc, click Close Terminal Spotlight, or click the backdrop to return to the prior Spotlight item or the view where Spotlight opened.

Sending terminal commands

  1. Type a command in the compose box for the terminal you want to use.
  2. Press Cmd+Return to send it.

If the terminal is one half of a combo, its compose box retains a separate draft and recall history.

Launching an agent CLI

The terminal actions button in the shared header is labeled Send signals or run saved shortcuts. Its menu includes an Agent CLI submenu:

  1. Focus the terminal that should receive the command.
  2. Click Send signals or run saved shortcuts.
  3. Open Agent CLI.
  4. Select an agent and trust mode.

The agent starts in the focused persistent or temporary terminal. See Terminal Presets for supported agents and trust modes.

Temporary items and return behavior

Temporary terminals and file or browser previews do not appear in the persistent shelf and cannot join a combo. Dismiss any temporary presentation with Esc, Close Terminal Spotlight, or a backdrop click. A temporary terminal can also be dismissed with a terminal double-click and closes automatically when its process exits.

Spotlight returns to the nearest available prior item. If no valid item remains, it dismisses the overlay.

Saved arrangements and detached windows

Shelf order, combos, focused members, and orientation are saved separately for the main VibeSpace and each detached board window. Rearranging Spotlight does not change Terminal Board rows, columns, tile sizes, minimized state, or running sessions.

If one combo member closes, the remaining member becomes a regular shelf item. If both close, Spotlight moves to the nearest available position or dismisses when none remain.