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
The starter’s runbook disagrees with its configuration on timeout and retry settings. Give that small review to an assistant inside Herdr, step away from the view, then return to the same conversation. The useful result is both a checked note about the mismatch and proof, in your own setup, that you can resume the work without losing the thread.
Included example files
Synthetic code, logs, a deliberately stale runbook, and six support tickets. The JavaScript uses Node.js 22+ with no packages or network calls. Product accounts and model access are separate.
herdrCompare operations/runbook.md with operations/config.json. Report each conflicting setting with both values and file references. State what would be needed to confirm the deployed settings. Return a review note without editing the files; ask before taking any further action.The artifact you are working toward
The note should identify both disagreements and distinguish checked-in configuration from deployed state. Herdr organizes the running session; the assistant produces the review.
Timeout: runbook.md:3 says 5000 ms; config.json:1 says 2000 ms.
Write retries: runbook.md:3 says two; config.json:1 says zero.
Unresolved: this repository alone does not prove which configuration is currently deployed.After a server restart, shells and arbitrary processes may be new. Check the actual conversation and session-restoration support before continuing.
Keep this first review read-only. For concurrent edits, give each task its own copy or Git worktree and review their changes before combining them.
Keep the arrangement if returning to the right task is easier than in your previous terminal setup. It depends on a running host and the underlying assistant; Herdr does not supply the model or validate its answer.
The included baseline tests and evaluation script were checked locally. The deliberately failing contract tests demonstrate the defects in the starter. No AI product was installed or run for these examples; model responses and reviews will vary.
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
Product behavior is based on the linked official documentation. This walkthrough uses an authored synthetic starter project. Its baseline tests and local checker were checked; no installation, model response or product performance was independently tested for this guide.
Documentation checked