A TextBox input mode for the terminal app cmux
Version 0.63.2-tb15.2 (Updated 2026/6/4)
Note
This fork originally started to bring a text box input field to cmux, but TextBox has now been added to upstream cmux in v0.64.10. This fork will stop receiving updates, and future TextBox feature work will continue on the upstream branch. Thanks to everyone who used the fork and filed issues — your reports drove many improvements along the way. We're truly grateful.
English | 日本語はこちら
If you're not used to terminals, typing in one can sometimes feel awkward. Line breaks, selection, cut & paste — things you do without thinking — just don't work the way you expect. With this TextBox-enabled terminal, just type what you want. The standard terminal input is still there too, of course.
Two input modes sounds complicated? Don't worry — careful interaction design blends the boundary between them, so it all feels natural.💪
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When the TextBox is empty, arrow keys, Tab, and Backspace pass through to the terminal.
Ctrl+key combinations (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+Z, etc.) and Escape are always forwarded regardless of content. |
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Toggle the TextBox with a shortcut — focus moves smoothly between the input bar and terminal, so you can start typing right away.
You can choose "Toggle Display" or "Toggle Focus" in Settings. |
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| The TextBox uses your OS-native text input. Arrow keys, selection, copy & paste — the same operations you're used to, just working. |
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| Launch an agent, edit prompts, reply to questions, call "/" or "@" commands, interrupt a task — all without leaving the TextBox. Works with other terminal agents too, of course. |
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| Send on Return or Shift+Return? What should ESC do? Customize it to fit your workflow. |
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- Drag & drop paths — Drop files or folders into the TextBox to insert their path (planned)
- Tab completion in TextBox — For now, tab completion requires using the terminal input directly
Open the .dmg and drag cmux to your Applications folder.
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/alumican/cmux-tb.git
cd cmux
./scripts/setup.sh
./scripts/reload.sh --tag textbox| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ ⌥ T (Cmd + Option + T) | Show/Hide TextBox (configurable) |
| Return | Send text to terminal (swappable with Shift+Return) |
| ⇧ Return (Shift + Return) | Insert newline (swappable with Return) |
| ESC | Focus terminal or send ESC key (configurable) |
All standard cmux shortcuts continue to work. See the cmux README for the full list.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Mode | On | Enable TextBox input |
| Send on Return | On | Return sends text, Shift+Return inserts newline (swap when off) |
| Escape Key | Send ESC Key | Action when pressing ESC (Focus Terminal / Send ESC Key) |
| Keyboard Shortcut (⌘⌥T) | Toggle Focus | Toggle Focus: switch focus between TextBox and terminal. Toggle Display: show/hide TextBox |
Same as cmux — AGPL-3.0-or-later.