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The Bottom Line
- Price
- Free, no paid tier. Compare plans
Key facts
- Persistent workspaces with split-pane terminals that survive app restarts and machine reboots.
- Live agent state tracking and a permission prompt overlay for approving or denying agent actions.
- Works with existing coding agent CLIs and offers optional remote monitoring via QR code.
Pros
- Eliminates the need to manage multiple terminal tabs for different coding agents
- Workspace persistence saves time by restoring layout and scrollback after restarts
- Remote monitoring and approval capability allows checking runs from another device
Cons
- In beta, so stability and feature completeness may still evolve
- Requires installation and setup, and may have a learning curve for new users
What is Bentomux?
Bentomux is a native desktop application that consolidates multiple coding agent workspaces into a single window, replacing scattered terminal tabs. It provides persistent split-pane terminals with scrollback, live agent state detection (idle, working, blocked), and an always-on-top overlay for handling permission prompts. The tool works with existing CLI agents without wrapping or replacing them, and offers an optional remote monitor accessible via QR code for checking runs and approving actions from another device. It is open source under the MIT license and supports macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Key Features
- Persistent workspace layout with tabs and split panes, retaining scrollback across sessions
- Live agent state indicators (idle, working, blocked) read from process and terminal screen
- Permission prompt overlay that catches agent questions and allows approve, deny, or jump to tab
- Compatible with existing coding agent CLIs without wrapping or replacing them
- Optional remote monitor that mirrors panes and states over your network, paired by QR code
- Cross-platform support for macOS, Linux, and Windows
- Open source under MIT license
Pricing
Free
Bentomux is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
Reviews
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Bentomux FAQ
How does Bentomux detect whether an agent is idle, working, or blocked?
Bentomux reads the agent's state from the process and the terminal screen, displaying it as a word and a color on each tab.
Can I use Bentomux with any CLI-based coding agent?
Yes, Bentomux works with any CLI agent on your PATH without wrapping or replacing it. It detects 22 agents out of the box, and 9 more are configurable.
How does the remote monitor feature work?
An optional monitor serves the panes and their states over your own network, paired by QR code. You can check a run from another room and answer approvals without walking back to the desk.
What happens to my workspaces when I close Bentomux or restart my machine?
Workspaces persist their layout, tabs, split panes, and scrollback. Quitting the app or restarting the machine returns you to the same window instead of rebuilding it.
Does Bentomux support custom agent configurations beyond the detected ones?
Yes, while 22 agents are detected out of the box, 9 additional agents are configurable, allowing you to add custom CLI tools.
How are permission prompts from agents handled in Bentomux?
Permission prompts are caught by the hook bridge and raised in an always-on-top overlay, so an agent asking a question never stalls in a tab you are not reading. You can approve, deny, or jump to the tab that asked.
Is there a way to pin a specific version of Bentomux during installation?
Yes, you can pin to a specific release by setting the BENTOMUX_MANIFEST_URL environment variable to the desired version's latest.json URL when running the installer.
What platforms does Bentomux support?
Bentomux supports macOS, Linux, and Windows. Installers are available for each platform, including .dmg, .AppImage, .deb, .msi, and .exe formats.
Source: bentomux.takora.dev