Ovis CLI
A browser and phone client for herdr: chat and live terminal for Claude Code, Codex and other agents, with push alerts
- 2,035 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- The server lets anyone type into your terminals: whoever reaches it without a token controls the agents and commands
- The installer runs a script from the internet and adds herdr and Bun to your computer
- Push alerts and remote access from a phone expose the content of agent questions to the devices you connect
Install
- Works in
Manual install
herdr plugin install devswha/ovis --yesThe main route. Then `herdr plugin action invoke devswha.ovis.start`. Needs herdr 0.9.0+ and Bun.
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The server lets anyone type into your terminals: whoever reaches it without a token controls the agents and commands
- The installer runs a script from the internet and adds herdr and Bun to your computer
- Push alerts and remote access from a phone expose the content of agent questions to the devices you connect
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Ovis shows the coding agents on your computer as chats you answer with a click or a tap, in a browser, in the Mac app or on your phone. It is a client for herdr, formerly called herdr web UI. It adds a web server on port 7317 and does not replace herdr, its sessions or your own terminal. It supports the agents herdr runs: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, pi, omp, Gajae Code, Hermes, Grok and more, most of them as a chat. Confirmation prompts arrive as cards, and Ovis checks that the question is still current before your answer goes out. The live terminal of the same pane opens in one click, with a key bar on phones. Every workspace sits in one list: tabs, splits and other PCs over SSH, with the ones waiting on you marked. Push alerts arrive when an agent asks something or finishes, even with the app closed. Sessions stay on the computer that runs the agent. Ovis has no account and no hosted relay of its own. Tailscale connects a phone: turn it on in both devices and scan the QR code the computer shows.
Who it is for. For developers who run several coding agents in herdr and want to answer their questions from a phone or a browser without sitting at the computer.
Good fit when
- An agent often stops at an "allow command?" prompt while you are away from the computer and you want to tap Yes on your phone
- Claude Code and Codex run in different panes at once and you need one list of those waiting for an answer
- You want to peek at an agent's live terminal without connecting over SSH by hand
- Some work runs on other computers over SSH and you want all workspaces in one window
- You want push alerts when an agent finishes a task
Not a fit when
- You do not use herdr: Ovis works only as a client for it
- You need a shared multi-user service with accounts: Ovis has none
- The computer with the agents shuts down or your phone cannot reach it
- The herdr terminal interface is enough and you do not work remotely
Example request
Install Ovis as a herdr plugin, start it on 127.0.0.1 and check that the browser shows the list of agent panesLimitations
- Needs herdr 0.9.0 or newer and Bun 1.4 or newer. The installers fetch what is missing, but Ovis refuses to work if the herdr server is not running.
- The phone has to reach the computer, through Tailscale or an SSH tunnel. The iPhone and Android apps are still betas (TestFlight and Google Play); in a browser you add the page to the home screen.
- On Windows the terminal is a screen mirror: there is no Rust terminal host for Windows. For Linux x64 and arm64 and macOS it ships with the release; Alpine and 32-bit ARM have no build.
- Anonymous usage counts are on by default. Turn them off in Settings or with `OVIS_TELEMETRY=0`.
How to disable. Stop the server with `herdr plugin action invoke devswha.ovis.stop`, and remove the plugin with `herdr plugin uninstall devswha.ovis`. If you used the Mac or Windows installer, uninstall the app the usual way.
FAQ
How do I install Ovis for herdr?
Run `herdr plugin install devswha/ovis --yes`, then `herdr plugin action invoke devswha.ovis.start`. The build takes about a minute. The one-line installer `curl -fsSL https://ovis.sh/install.sh | sh` also installs herdr and Bun if they are missing.
Which agents does Ovis work with?
The ones herdr runs: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, pi, omp, Gajae Code, Hermes, Grok and more. Most appear as a chat, the rest as a live terminal. The per-agent list is in the guide `docs/guide.md`.
Do I need an account or a cloud?
No. Ovis runs on your computer, has no account or relay of its own, and sessions stay where the agent runs. There is a browser demo on a made-up session at ovis.sh/demo.
Is it safe to open Ovis from a phone?
By default the server listens on `127.0.0.1` only. For outside access set an `OVIS_TOKEN`: anyone who reaches a server without a token can type into your terminals. A `tailscale serve` address may go without a token only when every device in your tailnet is yours.
What do the anonymous usage counts send?
Ovis itself shows the exact list: Settings, About, Anonymous usage counts. You can turn the counts off there or with `OVIS_TELEMETRY=0`.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ovis (this card) | no | 2,035 | |
| herdr | no | 50,721 | the pane and agent manager in the terminal, while Ovis adds a browser and phone to it |
| herdr-reviewr | no | 990 | a herdr plugin for code review, while Ovis gives agent chat and terminal on a phone |
README in short
The README introduces Ovis in brief, gives install steps for the computer and the phone and lists features, limits and privacy. It then links the user guide, FAQ, install guide and demo, adds a section for agents and the development commands `bun run server` and `bun run dev`.