Feature request: Native Zellij support as alternative to tmux for Agent Teams and /terminal-setup

Summary

Claude Code currently uses tmux as the only supported terminal multiplexer for Agent Teams (v2.1.32+) and does not include Zellij in /terminal-setup. Zellij is a modern terminal multiplexer written in Rust with a growing user base and a rich plugin ecosystem.

I'd like to request native Zellij support in Claude Code, specifically:

1. Agent Teams: Use Zellij as an alternative to tmux for spawning teammate processes (tabs/panes instead of tmux sessions)
2. /terminal-setup: Add Zellij to the list of supported terminals (currently: iTerm2, WezTerm, Ghostty, Kitty, Alacritty, Zed, Warp)
3. Shift+Enter / keyboard protocol: Zellij supports the Kitty keyboard protocol — ensure proper key handling

Why Zellij?

• Modern architecture: Written in Rust, WebAssembly plugin system, built-in layout engine
• Growing adoption: Active development, strong community, native floating panes
• Rich CLI: zellij action new-tab, zellij run, zellij action write-chars — all scriptable, suitable for agent orchestration
• Session management: Named sessions, tab renaming, plugin-driven status indicators

Existing community work

I maintain a Claude Code plugin zellij-workflow (v1.4.3, MIT license) that provides Zellij integration today:

Features

• Tab/pane management: Create tabs and panes — empty, with shell commands, with Claude sessions, or for GitHub issue development
• Tab status indicators: Show Claude session state via icon prefix in tab name (○ Ready, ◉ Working, ✋ Needs input, ◌ Compacting) using a companion Zellij WASM plugin zellij-tab-status
• Hooks integration: PreToolUse/PostToolUse/Stop hooks update tab status in real-time
• Cross-shell compatibility: Works with bash, zsh, and fish via script-based launching

Commands & Skills

| Component | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| /run-in-new-tab | Launch Claude session or command in a new Zellij tab |
| /start-issue-in-new-tab | Start GitHub issue development in a new tab |
| zellij-tab-pane skill | Universal trigger for tab/pane operations |

Install

/plugin install zellij-workflow@dapi

This plugin demonstrates that Zellij's CLI is well-suited for agent orchestration and could serve as a reference for native integration.

Proposed approach

For Agent Teams specifically:

• Detect $ZELLIJ environment variable (similar to how tmux detection works via $TMUX)
• Use zellij action new-tab --name <agent> + zellij action write-chars to spawn teammates
• Use zellij run -- for isolated command execution in panes
• Leverage Zellij's plugin system for richer status reporting (optional)

Environment

• Zellij 0.41+ (current stable)
• Claude Code 2.1.x
• Linux / macOS