Cross-OS QA with AI coding agents

Start with the failure you need to rule out

Pick a check that depends on the other OS: Windows path handling, PowerShell quoting or a native build. A browser screenshot on macOS won't prove a Windows installer works. For a visual bug, capture the application on the destination OS as well as its command output.

Compare the same code

Connect both machines with Pane Workspaces using the npm runpane CLI and the same Tailscale owner account. Have the repository and its required tools ready on the destination. Run git rev-parse HEAD in both checkouts and compare the commits before you compare results. Workspaces doesn't synchronize your working tree. A different commit or uncommitted edit makes the comparison inconclusive.

Run the Windows check from your Mac

Replace the machine, directory and test command with your project's values. These examples assume a Node project that defines npm test. exec returns stdout, stderr, the exit code, OS and shell. Save those actual results; don't turn a proposed command into a claim that a test passed.

runpane workspace windows-pc exec --cwd 'C:\work\my-app' -- 'git rev-parse HEAD'
runpane workspace windows-pc exec --cwd 'C:\work\my-app' -- 'git status --short'
runpane workspace windows-pc exec --cwd 'C:\work\my-app' -- 'npm test'

Keep the result scoped to its environment

A WSL check proves Linux behavior in that environment, not native Windows behavior. WSL to its own Windows host currently fails on daemon routing and its fix is pending. Use a working native route for Windows checks. If a check needs code changes or sustained investigation on the other OS, hand the task to a fresh agent there.

Try it step by step

1. Choose one OS-specific risk and the command or user journey that will expose it.
2. Check the commit and working-tree changes on both machines.
3. Run the check in the destination repository. Capture its real output and any screenshots.
4. Report the OS, shell, commit, command, result and remaining gaps. Re-run after a fix.

Continue with the guides

The Workspaces and Handoff docs are being added alongside these guides. If a link is unavailable, use the released source below.

• Workspaces: Setup and command reference
• Handoff: Setup and command reference
• Coding agents across Mac, Windows and WSL
• Hand off a coding agent task to another machine

Sources

Corrections

If anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it and update the date at the top. Open an issue on GitHub

Sources

• → Pane v2.4.166 source
• → runpane CLI contract