Opinionated tmux workspace launcher featuring vinw file browser.

A simple TUI that launches tmux sessions with a fixed, powerful layout designed for modern terminal-based development workflows. Perfect for developers transitioning from VSCode who want the power of tmux without the configuration headaches.

brew install willyv3/tap/vinw-workspace

This will automatically install:

• vinw (file browser)
• tmux (terminal multiplexer)

No other dependencies required! No Python, no pip, no configuration.

# Next.js project scaffolder
brew install willyv3/tap/nextui

# Coding agents (install as needed)
# claude, opencode, crush, codex, etc.

vinw-workspace

The TUI will guide you through:

1. Setting your project directory
2. Naming your session
3. Choosing terminal mode (shell or nextui)
4. Selecting a coding agent (or none)
5. Preview and launch

┌─────────┬──────────────────────────────────┐
│         │  vinw-viewer (file preview)      │
│  vinw   │                                  │
│  tree   │                                  │
│         ├──────────────┬───────────────────┤
│         │  terminal/   │  coding agent     │
│         │  nextui      │  (your choice)    │
└─────────┴──────────────┴───────────────────┘

Panes:

• [a] vinw file browser (left sidebar)
• [v] vinw-viewer for file preview (top right)
• [t] Terminal or nextui (bottom left)
• [c] Coding agent of your choice (bottom right)

Features:

• vinw and vinw-viewer are synced via session ID
• Select files in vinw → instantly previewed in viewer
• Persistent layout across sessions
• Ready-to-code environment in seconds

vinw-workspace stores config in ~/.vinw-workspace/

Edit ~/.vinw-workspace/config.json:

{
  "terminal_options": [
    "shell",
    "nextui",
    "my-custom-tool"
  ],
  "agent_options": [
    "claude",
    "opencode",
    "crush",
    "codex",
    "none",
    "my-agent"
  ]
}

The config file is automatically created with defaults on first run. Add your preferred tools to the arrays and they'll appear as options in the TUI.

vinw-workspace stores only your preferences in:

~/.vinw-workspace/config.json

Sessions are created directly with tmux - no intermediate files.

• Tab / ↑ / ↓ - Navigate between fields
• j / k - Select options in radio lists
• Enter - Next field / Preview
• Esc - Quit

• Enter or l - Launch tmux session
• Esc - Back to input
• q - Quit

For VSCode refugees:

• Get a familiar file tree (vinw) + preview pane setup
• Bottom terminal split like VSCode
• Coding agent integration for AI assistance

For tmux beginners:

• No manual tmux configuration needed
• One fixed layout that just works
• Sessions are easily reproducible

For power users:

• Fast workspace setup
• Customizable via config.json
• Pure Go implementation - no Python dependencies

1. You configure your workspace in the TUI
2. vinw-workspace executes tmux commands directly
3. Your session is created with the fixed layout
4. vinw and vinw-viewer communicate via session ID (using Skate)
5. Each directory gets a unique session ID (deterministic hash)

Multiple workspaces in different directories are isolated. Each gets a unique session ID based on the directory path.

# Project A
cd ~/projects/webapp
vinw-workspace

# Project B (separate session)
cd ~/projects/api
vinw-workspace

Sessions don't interfere - each has its own vinw ↔ viewer connection.

Web development:

Directory: ~/code/my-app
Session: webapp
Terminal: shell
Agent: claude

Next.js project creation:

Directory: ~/code/new-project
Session: nextjs
Terminal: nextui  (scaffolds the project)
Agent: opencode   (helps with code)

System monitoring:

Directory: ~
Session: monitor
Terminal: shell
Agent: none

"vinw not found"

brew install willyv3/tap/vinw

"Can't connect vinw to viewer"

• Make sure both are running in the same tmux session
• Check that session IDs match (shown at launch)

"Missing agent/tool"

• Install the tool first
• Or select "none" / "shell" if you don't need it

This tool is intentionally opinionated:

• One layout only - It's tested, it works, it's productive
• Minimal config - Just directory, session name, and tool choices
• vinw-first - Built around the vinw workflow
• Terminal-native - For developers who want to stay in the terminal

If you want full customization, use tmuxomatic directly. If you want a great default that just works, use vinw-workspace.

This is a personal tool made public. It's designed for a specific workflow. If it works for you, great! If not, fork it or use tmuxomatic.

MIT

• vinw - The file browser
• nextui - Next.js scaffolder
• tmux - Terminal multiplexer