# Terminal

> Two terminals, one you watch and one you type in. Follow what the Coder runs in a chat, or open a live shell in the Computer view.

There are two terminals in StellarFirm, and they do different jobs. One is for watching, the other is for typing.

| | Terminal tab in a chat | Terminal in the Computer view |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purpose | Watch what the Coder runs | Run your own commands |
| Can you type? | No, it is read only | Yes |
| What it shows | Commands with their output, file edits, browser steps | A live shell in the workspace |
| Where it comes from | The job the Coder is running | The workspace itself |

## The Terminal tab in a chat

Open a chat with the Coder and choose the **Terminal** tab next to Chat, Work, and Computer. It shows what the Coder's coding session is doing, live:

- **Commands** the Coder runs, each followed by its output.
- **File edits**, marked with a rule at the left so they are easy to pick out.
- **Browser steps**, such as opening a page or taking a screenshot.
- **Errors**, in a warmer colour so a failure stands out.

The log follows the end as new lines arrive. Scroll up to read earlier lines and it pauses, then offers a **Jump to latest** button with a count of new lines. When a long session has run for a while, the oldest lines may be dropped, and the tab tells you how many.

This terminal is a record of the job, so it is also kept afterwards. You can read it again from [Jobs](https://stellarfirm.ai/app/jobs).

> [!NOTE]
> Nothing you type can reach this terminal. It exists so you can watch the Coder work without interrupting it.

## The interactive terminal

To type in the workspace yourself, open [the Computer page](https://stellarfirm.ai/app/computer) (or the **Computer** tab in a chat) and choose **Terminal**. You get a shell inside the assistant's own workspace, in its working folder.

Use it to:

- Look around with `ls`, `cat`, or `tree`.
- Run a test command and see the real output.
- Check which version of a tool is installed.
- Try a command before you ask the Coder to use it.

If you reload the page or your connection drops, the output you missed is replayed, so you do not lose your place.

## Full-screen programs

When the terminal is a full one, programs that take over the whole screen work, such as `vim` and `htop`. The terminal draws cursor movement, colours, and scrolling correctly.

## A simpler terminal when a full one is not available

Sometimes a workspace cannot offer a full terminal. In that case you get a simpler line terminal: each line you enter runs and prints its result. Programs that take over the whole screen do not work in it.

The view tells you which one you have, so you are never left guessing. If you need a full-screen program, ask the Coder to do the work instead, or try again later.

> [!TIP]
> A change you make in the interactive terminal is real. Files you create or edit are in the assistant's workspace and the Coder will see them. Keep your edits small, and tell the Coder in chat what you changed.

## Prompts

```prompt title="Show me the test run"
Coder, run the tests for [repository] and keep the output visible in the Terminal tab. Tell me which tests failed and why.
```

```prompt title="Explain what you just ran"
Coder, summarise the commands you ran for the last task in plain words: what each did and whether it worked.
```

---

Source: https://stellarfirm.ai/docs/workspaces/terminal