KanVibe

Keyboard-first Kanban workspace for AI coding agents

KanVibe keeps AI coding work out of scattered terminal tabs. Track branch-based tasks on a real-time Kanban board, open each task's tmux/zellij session in the browser or desktop app, and let Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, and OpenCode hooks move tasks through the workflow automatically.

Use shortcuts for project filters, task search, notifications, task detail panels, and common task actions without losing terminal focus.

Buying me a coffee is nice, but honestly? A contribution would make my day even more. :)

KO | ZH

Watch Demo on YouTube

Key Workflows

1. Quick Task Search

Open task search from anywhere, filter by project or branch name, and jump directly into the task workspace without returning to the board first.

2. Task Detail Shortcuts

Use numbered dock shortcuts on a task detail page to open task metadata, hook status, AI chat, and PR actions before the keystroke reaches the embedded terminal.

3. Project Filter

Narrow the board to the active projects you care about, with keyboard navigation for switching between repositories quickly.

4. Notifications

Open the notification panel to review AI agent status changes, background sync results, and task events, then jump to the related task.

5. Quick Task Actions

Create follow-up branch TODOs directly from the highlighted search result, preserving project and branch context for the next piece of work.

6. Vim-Style Board Controls

Turn on Vim-style board controls in Settings → Keyboard, then move across task cards with h/j/k/l, find visible task text with /, open the new-task modal with n, move statuses with :move progress, and delete a focused task with dd.

Open the Vim controls demo video

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Install with Homebrew

Until KanVibe is accepted into the official Homebrew Cask repository, install it from the KanVibe Homebrew tap:

brew install --cask rookedsysc/kanvibe/kanvibe
open -a KanVibe

After the official Homebrew Cask is accepted, the install command becomes:

brew install --cask kanvibe

Update or Remove

brew update
brew upgrade --cask kanvibe

brew uninstall --cask kanvibe
brew untap rookedsysc/kanvibe

Usage Flow

1. Register a Project

Search for your local git repository using the fzf-style folder search in project settings. KanVibe scans the directory and automatically detects existing worktree branches.

To stop managing a project, delete it from project settings. This removes the project and its KanVibe tasks from the embedded SQLite database only; git branches, worktrees, and files on disk are kept.

2. Create Tasks

Add a TODO task from the Kanban board. When creating a task with a branch name, KanVibe automatically:

• Creates a git worktree for the branch
• Spawns a tmux window or zellij tab for the session
• Links the terminal session to the task

3. Work with the Kanban Board

Tasks are managed through 5 statuses: TODO → PROGRESS → PENDING → REVIEW → DONE

Change statuses via drag & drop, or let AI Agent Hooks transition them automatically. When a task moves to DONE, its branch, worktree, and terminal session are automatically deleted.

4. Select Pane Layouts

Each task's terminal page supports multiple pane layouts:

Each pane can run a custom command (e.g., vim, htop, lazygit, test runner, etc.). Configure layouts globally or per-project from the settings dialog.

Features

Real-Time Kanban Board

• 5-status task management (TODO / PROGRESS / PENDING / REVIEW / DONE)
• Drag & drop task ordering with project colors, priority markers, PR badges, and session labels
• Multi-project filtering with keyboard search for visible project and task text
• Done column pagination for long-running projects
• Real-time WebSocket updates across browser and desktop windows

Branch-Based Task Workspace

• Create branch TODOs that automatically prepare a git worktree and terminal session
• Scan existing worktree branches and register them as TODO tasks
• Open each task into a dedicated terminal workspace with task metadata, hook controls, chat, and PR actions in the side dock
• Move a task to DONE to clean up its branch, worktree, and terminal session automatically
• Delete a project from settings without touching existing git branches, worktrees, or files on disk

Terminal Sessions (tmux / zellij)

• tmux and zellij are both supported as terminal multiplexers
• Browser-based terminal streaming through xterm.js and WebSocket
• SSH remote terminal support that reads ~/.ssh/config
• Non-interactive remote SSH commands reuse an app-local ControlMaster socket pool under ~/.kanvibe, with per-host concurrency capped at 4x available CPU cores
• Remote terminal attach executes tmux/zellij directly over SSH; trusted X11 forwarding (ssh -Y) is requested only when local DISPLAY, remote X11Forwarding, and xauth are available
• Nerd Font rendering support

Keyboard-First Controls

• Open quick task search by branch or project name from anywhere
• Filter projects, inspect notifications, and trigger task actions without leaving the board
• Use numbered detail shortcuts to switch task info, status/hooks, AI chat, PR, and other dock panels before keystrokes reach the terminal
• Create a branch TODO directly from quick search with the configured shortcut

Keyboard Shortcuts