Tiza MCP
A terminal code viewer with annotations: boxes, arrows and notes by step that a person or an agent draws through MCP.
- 112 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Minimal access
Why this level
- The agent draws and changes annotations in a local session through a socket, and the installer runs through `curl | sh`.
Install
- Works in
Manual install
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/luiscarlosjayk/tiza/main/install.sh | shThe README command for macOS and Linux x86_64. With Rust 1.88 or newer use `cargo install tiza`. MCP: `claude mcp add tiza -- tiza mcp`.
Access and checks
How we reviewMinimal accessThe tool runs nothing and makes no network calls.
- The agent draws and changes annotations in a local session through a socket, and the installer runs through `curl | sh`.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Tiza shows code in the terminal and lets you draw boxes, arrows, highlights and notes on it, then reveal them step by step. Annotations follow the code text and stay in place on scroll, terminal resize or theme change. They save to a `hello.rs.tiza` file next to the code. Uses: explaining code to a person or an agent, a lesson, a pull request review, a debug session with AI, recording a video. Agents draw on the same code through an MCP server: it starts with `tiza mcp` and registers as `claude mcp add tiza -- tiza mcp` or `codex mcp add tiza -- tiza mcp`. Tools include `status`, `get_code`, `render_text`, `add_box`, `list_annotations`, `check` and `export_image`.
Who it is for. Teachers, code walkthrough authors and developers who explain code to colleagues and AI agents right in the terminal.
Good fit when
- For a lesson, ownership in Rust is shown by steps with arrows.
- In a pull request review disputed sections are boxed.
- The agent draws on the shown code to explain a found bug.
- The annotations are exported as an animated image for video.
Not a fit when
- A graphical editor is needed: Tiza runs in a terminal.
- The platform is not macOS or Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.35: there are no prebuilt binaries.
- A stable document format is required: before 1.0 it can change.
Example request
Show this file in Tiza and draw a box on the buggy function and an arrow to where the value comes from.MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Limitations
Version 0.2.1 is early, and the document format and API can change before 1.0. Prebuilt binaries exist for macOS and Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.35 or newer, and elsewhere you install from source with `cargo install tiza` on Rust 1.88 or newer. The binary opens no network connections and sends no telemetry, and agents connect through a local Unix socket. The install script runs through `curl | sh`; it verifies a SHA-256 checksum and does not use `sudo`.
How to disable. Remove the `tiza` entry with `claude mcp remove tiza` and delete the binary `~/.local/bin/tiza`. `.tiza` annotation files sit next to the code.
FAQ
How do I try it without an agent?
Write a short file, open it with `tiza hello.rs` and type `:note`, `:arrow`, `:step`, `:box`. Keys `p` and `n` flip steps.
How do I connect an agent?
With `claude mcp add tiza -- tiza mcp` for Claude Code or `codex mcp add tiza -- tiza mcp` for Codex. For another client use JSON with the `tiza` command and the `mcp` argument.
Does Tiza go online?
No. The binary opens no network connections and has no telemetry or update check.
Where are annotations stored?
In a `<name>.tiza` file next to the code, for example `hello.rs.tiza`.
What if the server runs without a Tiza instance?
The server starts, but every tool call fails until an instance listens on the socket.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
The README shows a quick start on a small Rust example, annotation commands, guide links, an agents section and what Tiza reads and writes.