Agent Controller · ACP
Structured agent sessions, beside the terminal.
tlbx connects to ACP-capable agents as provider-backed runtimes. Turns, tools, diffs, questions and approvals arrive as structured events instead of being inferred from terminal text.
Two session types
Use the surface that matches the tool.
A Terminal Session runs any shell, CLI or TUI in a real PTY. An Agent Controller Session connects directly to a compatible agent runtime. Both stay inside the same self-hosted tlbx workspace with the same repository, files, browser tooling and session navigation.
What changes
First-class agent events, not screen scraping.
- History
- Canonical server-owned turns and items remain addressable as the browser windows long conversations.
- Tools & diffs
- Commands, output and working changes render as typed items rather than characters recovered from a terminal buffer.
- Interaction
- Questions, approvals, plan mode, cancellation and provider settings use explicit controls with explicit state.
- Boundaries
- A terminal session never silently becomes an Agent Controller session. Each surface keeps ownership of its own active turn.
Choose Terminal
For shells, full-screen TUIs, build watchers and any agent whose supported interface is its normal CLI.
Choose Agent Controller
For ACP-capable agents when structured history, tools, diffs, questions and approvals improve supervision.
Mix both
Keep an agent conversation, a dev server, tests and ordinary terminals adjacent in one session sidebar.
Stay self-hosted
The runtime, working directory and credentials remain on your machine. tlbx supplies the local browser control surface.
ACP catalog
Built in, extensible, capability-aware.
- Built-ins
- Codex, Grok Build, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and GitHub Copilot CLI have built-in launch definitions in tlbx 10.9.0.
- Validated runs
- Codex, Grok Build and Copilot CLI have produced complete end-to-end turns in current tlbx validation.
- Provider conditions
- Gemini CLI requires valid local Google credentials. OpenCode can initialize and attach while assistant output still depends on its selected provider.
- Custom agents
- Add local ACP-v1 definitions through
acp-agents.json; tlbx validates the executable, arguments and protocol contract before launch. - Terminal remains universal
- Claude Code and every other terminal-native tool continue to work through normal PTY sessions even when no verified ACP integration exists.
Common questions
Agent Controller FAQ
Does Agent Controller replace the terminal?
No. It is a second session type for compatible agents. Normal terminals remain the universal surface for shells, CLIs and TUIs.
Does tlbx infer agent state from terminal output?
No. Agent Controller consumes provider-backed ACP events. Terminal sessions remain terminal sessions and are never silently promoted.
Where does the agent run?
On the tlbx host, using that machine’s working directory, tools and credentials. The browser is the control surface.
Can custom ACP agents be added?
Yes. Administrators can add validated local ACP-v1 definitions through acp-agents.json.