Neil
d6eb9fb1fc
`orca terminal create --environment <windows-host> --command 'cmd.exe'` never
created a cmd terminal. `--command` is text the provider TYPES into whatever
shell it spawned, so the PTY stayed the host's default shell with cmd running
inside it. Captured on `awin`, whose default is Git Bash:
$ orca terminal create --environment awin --command 'cmd.exe' --json
$ orca terminal send --environment awin --terminal term_10656cf7... \
--text exit --enter
$ orca terminal read --environment awin --terminal term_10656cf7... --screen
neil@awin MINGW64 ~/orca/orca ((30f820708f...))
$ cmd.exe
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.9445]
C:\Users\neil\orca\orca>exit
neil@awin MINGW64 ~/orca/orca ((30f820708f...))
$
The handle is alive the whole time and `terminal list` shows one healthy
terminal, because the PTY never changed — so the only symptom is that the
caller's terminal is now a shell it never asked for, and every later `send` is
quoted for the wrong one. On `win-lowspec` (default pwsh) the same create lands
cmd inside PowerShell.
Root cause
----------
There are two spawn preflights and they are twins:
- `src/main/ipc/pty/ipc/spawn-preflight.ts` — renderer/IPC spawns, i.e. a
terminal tab opened in the app.
- `src/main/ipc/pty/runtime/spawn-preflight.ts` — runtime spawns: the CLI's
`terminal.create`, headless `orca serve`, and every paired remote
environment.
Only the IPC twin read the caller's requested shell. The runtime twin passed a
literal `requestedShellOverride: undefined`, so a runtime-created terminal on
Windows could only ever be the host default. Everything downstream of that
point — `spawn-options`, the daemon, `resolvePtyShellOverride` in the relay,
`local-pty-launch-plan` — already honoured `shellOverride`; nothing upstream
could supply one.
Change
------
- Thread `shellOverride` through the runtime lane: `RuntimePtySpawnArgs` ->
runtime `spawn-preflight` -> `RuntimePtyController.spawn` ->
`TerminalCreateOptions` -> the `terminal.create` RPC's new `shell` param ->
`orca terminal create --shell`.
- Thread it through the renderer-backed lane too (`createDesktopTerminal` ->
`terminal:requestTabCreate` -> `store.createTab`), so `--shell --focus` is not
silently dropped on a local Windows app.
- An agent launch quotes its startup command for the shell it will actually run
in, so a requested shell now owns the startup-shell family instead of the
global `terminalWindowsShell` setting.
- Lift the relay's `ALLOWED_WINDOWS_SHELL_OVERRIDES` into
`isSupportedWindowsShellOverride` in `src/shared/windows-terminal-shell.ts`
(membership unchanged) so the CLI, the zod param schema, and the relay refuse
the same names. `--shell` therefore cannot carry a path or a command line into
`pty.spawn`; only allowlisted bare shell names pass.
- Gate on `TERMINAL_CREATE_SHELL_SELECTION_RUNTIME_CAPABILITY`. An older host
strips the unknown `shell` param and answers with a healthy terminal running
its default shell — a reply indistinguishable from success — so the CLI
refuses before creating anything rather than creating the wrong shell quietly.
`--shell` stays Windows-only; macOS and Linux hosts spawn the login shell and
the relay drops the value off win32 rather than honouring it half-way. A WSL
project runtime still outranks it, unchanged.
Tests
-----
- `pty-spawn-shell-override-parity.test.ts` pins both preflights against the
exact drift that caused this (verified failing with the fix reverted).
- `createTerminal` passes `shellOverride` to `ptyController.spawn` with no
startup command.
- CLI: sends `shell`, refuses a shell the host cannot spawn, and refuses a host
without the capability — in both refusals without making the round trip.
- Allowlist and `terminal.create` schema accept/refuse cases, including paths
and appended arguments.
Orca
中文 · 日本語 · 한국어 · Español · Français · Português
The AI Orchestrator for 100x builders.
Run Codex, ClaudeCode, OpenCode or Pi side-by-side — each in its own worktree, tracked in one place.
Download Orca
Features
Mobile CompanionMonitor and steer your agents from your phone — get notified when an agent finishes and send follow-ups from anywhere. |
 |
Parallel WorktreesFan one prompt across five agents, each in its own isolated git worktree — compare the results and merge the winner. |
 |
Terminal SplitsGhostty-class terminals with WebGL rendering, infinite splits, and scrollback that survives restarts. |
 |
Design ModeClick any UI element in a real Chromium window to send its HTML, CSS, and a cropped screenshot straight into your agent's prompt. |
 |
GitHub & Linear, NativeBrowse PRs, issues, and project boards in-app — open a worktree from any task and review without a context switch. |
 |
SSH WorktreesRun agents on a beefy remote box with full file editing, git, and terminals — auto-reconnect and port forwarding included. |
 |
Annotate AI DiffsDrop comments on any diff line and ship them back to the agent — review, edit, and commit without leaving Orca. |
 |
Drag Files to AgentsVS Code's editor with autosave everywhere — drag files or images straight into an agent prompt. |
 |
Orca CLIAgents drive Orca too — script every workflow with |
 |
Also in the box:
- Quick open — Search across worktrees, files, agents, commands, and repo context without leaving your flow.
- Account switcher & usage tracking — See Claude and Codex usage and rate-limit resets, and hot-swap accounts without re-logging in.
- Rich repo previews — Preview Markdown, images, PDFs, and repo docs in the workspace.
- Computer Use — Let agents operate desktop apps and visible UI when a workflow needs real interaction.
- Notifications and unread state — Know when an agent finishes or needs attention, then mark threads unread to come back later.
- And many, many more — we ship daily, so this list is perpetually behind. The changelog is the real feature list.
Supported Agents
Works with any CLI agent — if it runs in a terminal, it runs in Orca.
Claude Code
Codex
Grok
Cursor
GitHub Copilot
OpenCode
MiMo Code
Amp
OpenClaude
Antigravity
Pi
oh-my-pi
Hermes Agent
Devin
Goose
Auggie
Autohand Code
Charm
Cline
Codebuff
Command Code
Continue
Droid
Kilocode
Kimi
Kiro
Mistral Vibe
Qwen Code
Rovo Dev
+ any CLI agent
Install
Desktop — macOS, Windows, Linux
- Download from onOrca.dev
- Or grab a build directly: macOS Apple Silicon · macOS Intel · Windows (.exe) · Linux AppImage · All builds
- Running
orca serveon a headless Linux server? See the headless Linux server guide.
Or via a package manager:
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask stablyai/orca/orca
# Arch Linux (AUR) — or stably-orca-git to build from source
yay -S stably-orca-bin
Mobile Companion — iOS, Android
Pair with your desktop app to monitor and steer your agents from your phone.
- iOS: Download on the App Store or join TestFlight
- Android: Download APK 0.0.48 · Install guide
Community & Support
-
Discord: Join the community on Discord.
-
Twitter / X: Follow @orca_build for updates and announcements.
-
WeChat: Scan to join the Orca community WeChat group 8. Group 8 may be full; if so, scan the Group 9 QR code instead.
-
Feedback & Ideas: We ship fast. Missing something? Request a new feature.
-
Privacy: See the privacy & telemetry docs for what anonymous usage data Orca collects and how to opt out.
-
Show Support: Star this repo to follow along with our daily ships.
Developing
Want to contribute or run locally? See our CONTRIBUTING.md guide.
The relay that pairs the mobile app with a desktop host is also in this repository under
cloud/, with a separate pnpm workspace and setup guide.
Signed Builds
Windows code signing sponored/provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation.
License
Orca is free and open source under the MIT License.