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name: kitty-tui-control description: Runs and controls TUI applications inside Kitty terminal tabs using Kitty's remote control interface. Use when asked to run a TUI app, start a dev server in a new tab, or check/inspect output from a running TUI application.

Kitty TUI Control

Launch a TUI App in a New Tab

Copykitten @ launch --type tab --copy-env --cwd=current --tab-title "NAME" --hold command args

Examples:

Copykitten @ launch --type tab --copy-env --cwd=current --tab-title "dev-server" --hold bun dev
kitten @ launch --type tab --copy-env --cwd /Users/frixa/projects/myapp --tab-title "dev-server" --hold bun dev

Flags:

• --type tab - Create new tab (SPACE separator, not =)
• --copy-env - Copy environment (PATH with mise/bun/node)
• --cwd=current - Use current window's working directory
• --cwd /path - Use specific directory
• --tab-title "NAME" - Set tab title
• --hold - Keep tab open after command exits
• --keep-focus - Stay on current tab (optional)

Returns window ID (number) for later reference.

Fallback: Shell Wrapper

If --copy-env doesn't work for dynamic per-directory envs (direnv, mise hooks):

Copykitten @ launch --type tab --tab-title "NAME" --hold fish -ic "cd /path/to/project && command args"

Inspect a Running TUI App

List all windows:

Copykitten @ ls | jq -r '.[] | .tabs[] | .windows[] | "id:\(.id) | title: \(.title) | process: \(.foreground_processes[0].cmdline | join(" "))"'

Capture window output:

Copykitten @ get-text --match "id:N" --extent screen   # visible only
kitten @ get-text --match "id:N" --extent all      # include scrollback

Send Input

Copykitten @ send-text --match "id:N" "text"   # Send text
kitten @ send-text --match "id:N" "\r"     # Enter
kitten @ send-text --match "id:N" "\x03"   # Ctrl+C

Close a Tab

Copykitten @ close-window --match "id:N"