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Agents feel like Mac work objects
Open, inspect, move, approve, nudge, or reveal the TUI from a native Finder-like surface.
Native Mac agent desktop
Externa
A calm macOS layer over terminal agents. Projects open like Finder windows, usage has a shape, and the raw TUI stays one drawer away.
Direct answer
Externa is a native-feeling Mac layer over terminal AI agents.
It keeps terminal authority intact while making agent runs legible as openable project windows, living app icons, usage rings, inspectors, and review rooms.
Native blueprint
The app should start as a Mac window, not a web dashboard.
The SwiftUI shape is NavigationSplitView, a unified toolbar, a resizable inspector, and a terminal drawer. Color supports state; system materials carry the chrome.
Codex release
Waiting on review receipts
C
Claude Auditapproval needed
G
Gemini Checkrunning sterile review
Terminal drawer
codex review --project Externa
V1 screen system
The terminal becomes a set of Mac workspaces.
Finder Command remains the structural baseline. The visual direction shifts lighter: system window surfaces first, telemetry second, terminal darkness only inside the drawer.
Project Finder Window
Projects open like folders
Main threads, nested sub-agents, worktrees, and receipts live in a familiar split-view structure.
Agent Window
Agent runs become app-like objects
Each agent has state, goal, cost, progress, and a durable trail that can be reviewed without replaying the full TUI.
TUI Drawer
The terminal remains one click away
Raw terminal access appears as a lower-altitude drawer, preserving trust without making the terminal the whole product.
New Agent Sheet
Launch with budget and context
New runs start with project mapping, model choice, token guardrails, and a falsifiable goal.
Review Room
Receipts before merge
Tests, branch state, token use, and reviewer notes converge into a Mac-native approval surface.
Mac-native fit
Not a web dashboard in a window.
Externa should use SwiftUI split views, inspectors, system materials, unified toolbars, sheets, menu bar presence, and native notifications before custom chrome. The interface should feel closer to Finder plus Raycast than to an analytics dashboard.
- Finder structure
- Projects, agents, receipts, and worktrees remain browsable and searchable.
- Visual telemetry
- Token, cost, and time pressure use rings and small badges, not loud charts.
- Terminal authority
- The TUI is preserved as a drawer, so power users can drop down whenever needed.
Delight map
Small moments, strong operator trust.
Quiet Finish Pulse
An agent icon resolves into a brief check pulse when a run finishes, with Continue, Double-check, and Push actions close by.
Usage Ring Reveal
Opening a project draws token/time segments into view, making budget pressure visible without a spreadsheet.
Terminal Curtain
The raw TUI slides in as a lower layer with breadcrumbs intact, so visual supervision never becomes a cage.
Current status
Prototype direction is ready for review.
The identity, visual language, MagicPath screen canvases, delight map, and Mac-native assessment are assembled. The next product move is choosing the default screen direction for a SwiftUI scaffold.
Review screens