### Preflight Checklist - [x] I have searched [existing requests](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20label%3Aenhancement) and this feature hasn't been requested yet - [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features) ### Problem Statement Ghostty users cannot use split-pane mode for agent teams. The current `teammateMode` setting only supports **tmux** and **iTerm2** as backends. [Ghostty](https://ghostty.org/) is a fast, GPU-accelerated, cross-platform

[Feature Request] Add Ghostty as a split-pane backend for agent teams (teammateMode)

Open 💬 17 comments Opened Feb 8, 2026 by esakat

Preflight Checklist

[x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
[x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Ghostty users cannot use split-pane mode for agent teams. The current teammateMode setting only supports tmux and iTerm2 as backends. Ghostty is a fast, GPU-accelerated, cross-platform terminal emulator with a growing user base — yet Ghostty users are forced to either:

Run tmux inside Ghostty (redundant overhead for a terminal that already has native splits)
Use in-process mode (no visual split panes)

Proposed Solution

Add a Ghostty backend for teammateMode that spawns teammates in native Ghostty split panes.

Ghostty's split capabilities

Ghostty already has split-pane actions internally:

| Action | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| new_split:right / new_split:down | Create a new split in the specified direction |
| goto_split:right / goto_split:previous | Focus an adjacent split by direction or creation order |
| resize_split:up,10 | Resize a split |
| toggle_split_zoom | Zoom a split to fill the tab |
| equalize_splits | Equalize all split sizes |

Current blocker: programmatic API

Ghostty's keybinding actions exist but there is no stable CLI/IPC mechanism to invoke them programmatically yet. The Ghostty team is actively working on platform-specific IPC approaches:

macOS: AppleScript / App Intents framework (in development)
Linux: D-Bus integration (planned)
Tracking discussion: ghostty-org/ghostty#2353

Suggested implementation approach

Once Ghostty exposes a programmatic API, integration would follow the same pattern as tmux/iTerm2:

| Operation | tmux | Ghostty (anticipated) |
|-----------|------|-----------------------|
| Split pane | tmux split-window -h -- cmd | AppleScript / D-Bus new_split:right + run command |
| Focus pane | tmux select-pane -t N | goto_split:next or pane ID targeting |
| Detection | $TMUX env var | $TERM_PROGRAM=ghostty (already set) |

Detection is straightforward — Ghostty sets TERM_PROGRAM=ghostty in the environment.

Phased approach

Phase 1 (now): Track this as a known request; monitor Ghostty's IPC API progress
Phase 2 (when Ghostty ships CLI/IPC): Implement the Ghostty backend for teammateMode
Phase 3: Update "auto" detection priority: iTerm2 > tmux > ghostty > in-process

Alternative Solutions

Running tmux inside Ghostty works but adds unnecessary complexity for users who chose Ghostty specifically to avoid tmux
In-process mode works but loses the multi-pane visibility that makes agent teams compelling

Priority

Medium - Significant impact on productivity

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Additional Context

Related issues:

#23574 — WezTerm split-pane backend (same motivation, different terminal)
#24122 — Zellij split-pane support
#23572 — tmux/iTerm2 silent fallback bug

Ghostty references:

Ghostty homepage: https://ghostty.org/
Split keybind actions: https://ghostty.org/docs/config/keybind/reference
Scripting API discussion: https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/discussions/2353
GitHub: https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty (50k+ stars)

Environment:

Claude Code version: latest
OS: macOS (Darwin 25.2.0, arm64)
Terminal: Ghostty

View original on GitHub ↗

17 Comments

github-actions[bot] · 5 months ago

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outdooricon · 5 months ago

Yes, would love to have this

ariccio · 5 months ago

"Running tmux inside Ghostty works" wait it does? I can't use the panes properly.

alliecatowo · 4 months ago

second this, big reason I moved from iterm2 to ghostty was claudes early terminal setup support. Not a tmux user, tried it out with agent teams in ghostty and wound up with claude party x 7.

saada · 4 months ago

Now that AppleScript is supported in Ghostty), can we leverage it for this feature?

eliyastein · 4 months ago

Now that AppleScript is supported in Ghostty), can we leverage it for this feature?

Maybe not yet:

``We're treating this as a preview feature in 1.3. The AppleScript functionality didn't get as much time as other features to test in our pre-release builds, so we expect we'll make breaking API changes and add significant new features in 1.4 based on user feedback.``

w4sspr · 4 months ago

The blocker mentioned in this issue is now resolved — Ghostty v1.3.0 shipped full AppleScript support on macOS.

Here's the concrete API mapping for a GhosttyBackend, mirroring the existing ITermBackend:

tell application "Ghostty"
    -- Create a config with working directory and command
    set cfg to new surface configuration
    set initial working directory of cfg to "/path/to/dir"
    set command of cfg to "/bin/zsh"

    -- Split a pane (directions: right, left, down, up)
    set pane2 to split terminal 1 of selected tab of window 1 direction right with configuration cfg

    -- Send text/keys to a specific pane
    input text "claude --resume ..." to pane2
    send key "enter" to pane2

    -- Query pane ID
    get id of pane2

    -- Close a pane
    close pane2
end tell

| ITermBackend (it2 CLI) | GhosttyBackend (AppleScript via osascript) |
|---|---|
| it2 session split -v | split terminal direction right with configuration cfg |
| it2 session split -s <id> | split terminal direction down with configuration cfg |
| Send command via CLI | input text "cmd" to terminal + send key "enter" |
| Parse session ID from output | get id of terminal |
| Kill pane | close terminal |

Detection: TERM_PROGRAM=ghostty env var. AppleScript is enabled by default (macos-applescript = true).