Rex is a new, highly efficient terminal multiplexer developed by Super Logical that supports persistent sessions, seamless remote syncing, and integration with coding agents, all within a customizable and visually appealing interface. Designed to go beyond traditional terminals by enabling graphical interfaces and high-performance resource management, Rex aims to be a versatile infrastructure for local development, remote access, and automation workflows.
The video introduces Rex, a new terminal multiplexer developed by the team at Super Logical, including Mitchell Hashimoto, the creator of Ghosty. Rex allows users to run multiple terminals and coding agents within a single application, offering a persistent environment where processes continue running even after quitting and restarting the app. The presenter highlights the smooth and visually appealing user experience, including detailed animations and fast startup times, despite the software still being in beta.
Rex aims to be more than just a terminal multiplexer; the creators envision it as the infrastructure backbone for local development, remote access, coding agents, and background jobs. It is designed to be highly efficient in CPU and memory usage and capable of supporting thousands of simultaneous coding agents. A unique goal of Rex is to display graphical user interfaces within the terminal, moving beyond traditional terminal capabilities by building a modern system from terminal primitives.
The video demonstrates Rex’s remote machine integration, showing how terminals on different machines sync seamlessly in real-time, providing a snappy and responsive experience that feels local despite being remote. The interface organizes machines, sessions, and tabs hierarchically, allowing users to manage multiple coding agents and projects efficiently. The presenter also showcases various customization options, including themes, tab placements, cursor animations, and pane behaviors, emphasizing the attention to detail and user experience.
Rex supports native agent integration, enabling coding agents like Codex to control and automate terminal sessions, such as starting multiple cloud code agents across different tabs. The application includes a powerful CLI for scripting and automation, enhancing its utility for developers. Features like floating panes, pane highlighting, and focus-follow-mouse improve workflow flexibility and usability. The developers have rebuilt terminal architecture with custom binary protocols to achieve high performance and efficient resource management.
In conclusion, Rex is positioned as a cutting-edge terminal multiplexer ideal for users working with multiple coding agents, offering persistence, remote syncing, and extensive customization. The presenter compares Rex with Herder, another terminal solution, suggesting that the choice depends on personal preference for terminal versus graphical interfaces. Both are strong options, and users are encouraged to try both to see which fits their workflow best. The video ends with an invitation to like and subscribe for more AI and development content.
Useful Links
- Rex Terminal Multiplexer Official Repository — Direct source for the software discussed, including implementation details and updates.
- Ghosty Terminal Multiplexer by Mitchell Hashimoto — Background on the creator and predecessor software to Rex, relevant to understanding Rex’s development.
- Herder Terminal Multiplexer — Alternative terminal multiplexer discussed in the video for comparison purposes.