Once several coding assistants are running, finding the one waiting for you can become a job of its own. Herdr puts their terminal sessions in one workspace and shows which appear to be working or need attention. Its server can keep them running while you detach the viewing terminal, provided the host stays on. You still install and sign in to each assistant separately. Herdr is most useful when you like the assistants you have and want an easier way to follow their conversations, leave the workspace and return to unfinished work.
01Fit
02Requirements
The Herdr runtime is Apache 2.0 licensed. The assistants, model usage and any remote machine running the sessions have separate costs. Herdr Cloud is currently described as coming soon, so this guide uses a host you provide.
Check current access and pricing03Setup
The command below installs Herdr on macOS or Linux using its official script, which you should review first. The installation guide also covers Homebrew and Windows. Choose the host with continued work in mind: closing your view is useful only if that machine remains available.
curl -fsSL https://herdr.dev/install.sh | shRun herdr from a disposable project directory. In a shell pane, start an assistant you have already configured, such as codex, claude or pi. Begin with a familiar task so you can concentrate on how Herdr presents the conversation and its status.
herdrPress Ctrl+B, release the keys, then press Q. This detaches your view while the server and its processes keep running. Run herdr again to return. The host still needs to stay on; detaching does not move the work to another machine.
04Using Herdr
Suppose you have asked an assistant to compare a runbook with the configuration in a repository. You want to leave it reading while you do something else, then return to its findings or a question it needs you to answer. This illustrative review gives you a reason to try Herdr’s status display and detach behavior without starting several unfamiliar jobs at once.
What to ask
Compare this runbook with the checked-out configuration. Show me where the instructions match the files and where they disagree, with file references. Explain what cannot be established from this repository. Do not change files.
You can find the session that needs attention, understand what it was doing and continue the review. If that is easier than your current terminal arrangement, there is a practical reason to bring another task into the workspace.
05Next steps
Herdr’s detection guide notes that Codex may remain in an unknown state after it responds. Open the pane to see whether it has answered, stopped or needs something from you. A wait for completion can time out because detection is uncertain, so investigate the conversation before treating that timeout as a failed task.
Read the guidanceTwo panes can still point at the same files. For independent editing tasks, give each assistant a Git worktree, a separate directory with its own checked-out branch, or an equivalent isolated copy. The Herdr guide explains how to keep the resulting changes tied to the revision each assistant examined, which makes them easier to review and combine afterward.
Read the guidanceDetaching leaves the original processes alive. A full server restart can restore the layout while those original processes are gone. Saved screen history and an assistant’s own conversation restoration have separate conditions, so a familiar-looking pane may not mean the work continued. The full guide explains the differences and how to rehearse recovery on disposable work.
Read the guidance06Alternatives
07Evidence and scope
Based on official documentation reviewed September 30, 2026. The example is illustrative; this guide does not report an installation, benchmark or production test.
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