nowledge-co/con-terminal

The Native Terminal Emulator with a builtin AI Harness

What it solves

con is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator designed for users who want a high-performance, traditional terminal experience first, with AI assistance integrated as an optional "harness" rather than a central focus. It aims to provide a professional CLI environment that supports agent-native workflows without sacrificing the speed and feel of a classic terminal.

How it works

Built using Rust and the GPUI framework, con embeds terminal surfaces (powered by Ghostty) and provides a native GPU-accelerated UI. It features a built-in AI harness powered by the Rig agent framework. This harness can read terminal context, request permission before executing actions, and operate directly within the active terminal session.

Who it’s for

Old-school terminal users, developers, and system administrators who rely heavily on ssh, tmux, and CLI-based coding agents, and who prefer AI tools that are non-intrusive and available only when specifically requested.

Highlights

  • AI Harness: A built-in agent that can read context and act directly in the terminal.
  • Smart Mode: Automatically distinguishes between shell commands and agent requests.
  • Agent-Native Workflows: Specifically optimized for orchestration with coding agents and CLI work.
  • GPU Acceleration: High-performance rendering for a smooth, elegant experience.
  • Cross-Platform: Beta support for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
  • Customizable: Supports workspace layout profiles and custom "skills" (slash commands) for repeated routines.

Related

  • Project
    peters/horizon

    A GPU-accelerated terminal board that organizes sessions on an infinite 2D canvas, featuring integrated AI agent panels and local speech-to-text dictation.

  • Project
    hermes-hq/hermes-ide

    An AI-native terminal emulator that integrates project-aware AI assistance to predict commands, resolve errors, and execute tasks autonomously.

  • Project
    iAmCorey/kooky

    A minimal, GPU-accelerated terminal for macOS designed for AI coding, featuring one-click agent launches, workspace organization, and real-time agent activity tracking.

  • Project
    l0ng-ai/tty7

    A high-performance terminal workbench that provides persistent sessions and deep integration for AI coding agents, allowing them to be monitored and scripted.

  • Project
    microsoft/intelligent-terminal

    An experimental fork of Windows Terminal with native AI agent integration that provides context-aware assistance and automated error diagnosis directly in the shell.