7.2 KiB
VibeTunnel
Turn any browser into your Mac terminal. VibeTunnel proxies your terminals right into the browser, so you can vibe-code anywhere.
Why VibeTunnel?
Ever wanted to check on your AI agents while you're away? Need to monitor that long-running build from your phone? Want to share a terminal session with a colleague without complex SSH setups? VibeTunnel makes it happen with zero friction.
Quick Start
Requirements
VibeTunnel requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1+). Intel Macs are not supported.
1. Download & Install
Download VibeTunnel and drag it to your Applications folder.
2. Launch VibeTunnel
VibeTunnel lives in your menu bar. Click the icon to start the server.
3. Use the vt Command
# Run any command in the browser
vt npm run dev
# Monitor AI agents
vt claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
# Shell aliases work automatically!
vt claude-danger # Your custom aliases are resolved
# Open an interactive shell
vt --shell
4. Open Your Dashboard
Visit http://localhost:4020 to see all your terminal sessions.
Features
- 🌐 Browser-Based Access - Control your Mac terminal from any device with a web browser
- 🚀 Zero Configuration - No SSH keys, no port forwarding, no complexity
- 🤖 AI Agent Friendly - Perfect for monitoring Claude Code, ChatGPT, or any terminal-based AI tools
- 🔒 Secure by Design - Password protection, localhost-only mode, or secure tunneling via Tailscale/ngrok
- 📱 Mobile Ready - Native iOS app and responsive web interface for phones and tablets
- 🎬 Session Recording - All sessions recorded in asciinema format for later playback
- ⚡ High Performance - Powered by Bun runtime for blazing-fast JavaScript execution
- 🍎 Apple Silicon Native - Optimized for M1/M2/M3 Macs with ARM64-only binaries
- 🐚 Shell Alias Support - Your custom aliases and shell functions work automatically
Architecture
VibeTunnel consists of three main components:
- macOS Menu Bar App - Native Swift application that manages the server lifecycle
- Node.js/Bun Server - High-performance TypeScript server handling terminal sessions
- Web Frontend - Modern web interface using Lit components and xterm.js
The server runs as a standalone Bun executable with embedded Node.js modules, providing excellent performance and minimal resource usage.
Remote Access Options
Option 1: Tailscale (Recommended)
- Install Tailscale on your Mac and remote device
- Access VibeTunnel at
http://[your-mac-name]:4020
Option 2: ngrok
- Add your ngrok auth token in VibeTunnel settings
- Enable ngrok tunneling
- Share the generated URL
Option 3: Local Network
- Set a dashboard password in settings
- Switch to "Network" mode
- Access via
http://[your-mac-ip]:4020
Building from Source
Prerequisites
- macOS 14.0+ (Sonoma) on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
- Xcode 16.0+
- Node.js 20+
- Bun runtime
Build Steps
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/amantus-ai/vibetunnel.git
cd vibetunnel
# Set up code signing (required for macOS/iOS development)
# Create Local.xcconfig files with your Apple Developer Team ID
# Note: These files must be in the same directory as Shared.xcconfig
cat > mac/VibeTunnel/Local.xcconfig << EOF
// Local Development Configuration
// DO NOT commit this file to version control
DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = YOUR_TEAM_ID
CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic
EOF
cat > ios/VibeTunnel/Local.xcconfig << EOF
// Local Development Configuration
// DO NOT commit this file to version control
DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = YOUR_TEAM_ID
CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic
EOF
# Build the web server
cd web
npm install
npm run build
# Optional: Build with custom Node.js for smaller binary (46% size reduction)
# export VIBETUNNEL_USE_CUSTOM_NODE=YES
# node build-custom-node.js # Build optimized Node.js (one-time, ~20 min)
# npm run build # Will use custom Node.js automatically
# Build the macOS app
cd ../mac
./scripts/build.sh --configuration Release
Custom Node.js Builds
VibeTunnel supports building with a custom Node.js for a 46% smaller executable (61MB vs 107MB):
# Build custom Node.js (one-time, ~20 minutes)
node build-custom-node.js
# Use environment variable for all builds
export VIBETUNNEL_USE_CUSTOM_NODE=YES
# Or use in Xcode Build Settings
# Add User-Defined Setting: VIBETUNNEL_USE_CUSTOM_NODE = YES
See Custom Node Build Flags for detailed optimization information.
Development
For development setup and contribution guidelines, see CONTRIBUTING.md.
Key Files
- macOS App:
mac/VibeTunnel/VibeTunnelApp.swift - Server:
web/src/server/(TypeScript/Node.js) - Web UI:
web/src/client/(Lit/TypeScript) - iOS App:
ios/VibeTunnel/
Debug Logging
Enable debug logging for troubleshooting:
# Enable debug mode
export VIBETUNNEL_DEBUG=1
# Or use inline
VIBETUNNEL_DEBUG=1 vt your-command
Debug logs are written to ~/.vibetunnel/log.txt.
Documentation
- Technical Specification - Detailed architecture and implementation
- Contributing Guide - Development setup and guidelines
- Architecture - System design overview
- Build System - Build process details
macOS Permissions
macOS is finicky when it comes to permissions. The system will only remember the first path from where an app requests permissions. If subsequently the app starts somewhere else, it will silently fail. Fix: Delete the entry and restart settings, restart app and next time the permission is requested, there should be an entry in Settings again.
Important: You need to set your Developer ID in Local.xcconfig. If apps are signed Ad-Hoc, each new signing will count as a new app for macOS and the permissions have to be (deleted and) requested again.
If that fails, use the terminal to reset:
# This removes Accessibility permission for a specific bundle ID:
sudo tccutil reset Accessibility sh.vibetunnel.vibetunnel
sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture sh.vibetunnel.vibetunnel
# This removes all Automation permissions system-wide (cannot target specific apps):
sudo tccutil reset AppleEvents
Credits
Created with ❤️ by:
- @badlogic - Mario Zechner
- @mitsuhiko - Armin Ronacher
- @steipete - Peter Steinberger
License
VibeTunnel is open source software licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
Ready to vibe? Download VibeTunnel and start tunneling!