claude code on windows + wsl: manage terminal agents
Pane is a desktop agent manager for developers who like terminal agents but hate managing ten terminal tabs. Run Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Goose, or any CLI agent in parallel, each with its own workspace and git review loop.
Windows SmartScreen warningDirect downloads can show a SmartScreen warning while Pane is unsigned. Pane is fully open source, so you can audit the code and build from source yourself.1. Click More info2. Click Run anyway3. Continue the installerThe PowerShell install downloads the official release directly and avoids most browser download friction.npm global install
Claude Code is Anthropic's official CLI agent. It takes a task in natural language, reads your codebase, and executes multi-file edits autonomously — refactoring, debugging, or implementing features end-to-end. It runs best with an Anthropic subscription (Claude Max or API access).
Claude Code is particularly strong at large-scope refactors and agentic loops that span many files. Its source is published in the anthropics/claude-code repository under Anthropic's terms of use. Engineers who need long-running autonomous workflows — not just autocomplete — use it as their primary agent.
I run Claude Code as my main coding agent and use Pane to keep separate Claude Code sessions isolated by branch — one per active feature or refactor — so diffs don't bleed across tasks.
the problem is not vscode
VS Code terminals are good terminals. The problem starts when Claude Code is fixing one feature, Codex is debugging another, a test watcher is running, and every pane needs a branch, logs, and a diff. At that point you are not managing terminals. You are managing agent work.
why windows and wsl change the answer
Most agent-manager advice assumes macOS or tmux. If you are on Windows or WSL, that advice runs out the moment you try to install it. Pane is a native desktop app on Windows, Mac, and Linux, so the workflow is the same wherever you happen to code.
what pane does
- starts each agent in a separate session
- uses git worktrees so agents do not collide
- keeps terminal output, diff review, editor, logs, and git actions together
- lets Claude Code and Codex run side by side without a custom integration
when windows terminal or tmux is enough
If all you need is two shells, use Windows Terminal panes, tmux, or Zellij. They are good tools. Pane is for the next layer: named agent sessions, worktree isolation, diff review, and the decision of what actually ships.
Last verified against Claude Code's current release. Written by Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane.
frequently asked questions
Yes. Pane is a native Windows, Mac, and Linux desktop app, and Claude Code can run inside Pane like any other CLI agent.
Pane is not a tmux-in-WSL workaround. It is a native desktop app for Windows, and it fits Windows and WSL development workflows where agents run in terminals.
Yes. Each session is its own terminal on its own worktree, so you can have a Claude Code session refactoring auth while Codex writes the migration in the next pane.
VS Code terminal tabs are fine for one or two shells. They get painful when each agent needs its own branch, diff, logs, status, and review loop.
Windows Terminal manages shells. Pane manages agent work: sessions, worktrees, diffs, git actions, status, and review.
No. Pane does not require tmux. That matters on Windows, where tmux-based workflows usually become WSL-specific workarounds.
No. Keep VS Code, Cursor, Vim, or whatever editor you like. Pane is the place where terminal agents run and where their diffs get reviewed.
Yes. Pane uses worktree-based isolation so each agent can work on a separate branch without colliding with another session.
Yes, but Pane becomes most valuable when you run several sessions or mix Claude Code with Codex and other terminal agents.
No. Pane is the manager. You bring Claude Code, Codex, or another CLI agent, and Pane gives it an organized workspace.
Install git, install your agent CLI, then install Pane. Pane does not bundle or resell the agent subscription.
A normal terminal is enough if you run one agent occasionally. Pane is for the moment agent sessions, branches, and diffs become a workflow.
