# Show HN: Multistack, a TUI environment for parallel coding agents

> Source: <https://github.com/gi-dellav/multistack/tree/main>
> Published: 2026-09-08 14:39:59+00:00

Run multiple [zerostack](https://gi-dellav.github.io/zerostack/) agents side by side in your terminal, allowing to spawn, watch, rename, kill all underlying processes.

Multistack is designed to be a native, lightweight and open-soruce competitor to [Conductor](https://www.conductor.build).

- **Spawn parallel agents** : each one gets its own PTY, running`zerostack --parallel` under the hood
- **Live status tracking** : see at a glance who's working`[~]` , done`[✓]` , dead`[X]` , or waiting`[ ]` , with per-agent timers
- **Drop into any agent** : hit Enter on a process to see its full terminal output, keystrokes pass straight through
- **Status signal support** : multistack listens for`start` /`stop` signals from zerostack via Unix sockets, so timers and indicators stay accurate even across headless loop iterations

```
brew tap gi-dellav/tap
brew trust gi-dellav/tap   # required for Homebrew 6.0.0+
brew install multistack    # zerostack installed automatically
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gi-dellav/multistack/main/install.sh | bash
cargo install multistack
```

You need [zerostack](https://gi-dellav.github.io/zerostack/) on your PATH, plus a recent Rust toolchain.

| Key | Action | 
|---|---|
| `n` | Spawn new agent — prompts for a name, creates a git worktree | 
| `N` | Spawn new agent in parallel mode — no prompt, jumps straight to TTY | 
| `m` | Spawn bare agent — no worktree, no `--parallel` , jumps to TTY | 
| `p` | Add project — opens directory picker | 
| `l` | Remove project and all its agents | 
| `h` | Open `lazygit` in the project (or agent worktree) directory | 
| `s` | Open `$SHELL` in the project (or agent worktree) directory | 
| `r` | Rename selected agent | 
| `d` | Delete (kill) selected agent | 
| `Enter` | Drop into the selected agent's TTY | 
| `↑` /`↓` | Move selection | 
| `PageUp` /`PageDown` | Jump to previous / next project header | 
| `?` /`F1` | Scrollable help overlay (keybindings, statuses, tips) | 
| `q` | Quit — shows confirmation with agent counts ( `Enter` quits,`Esc` /`n` stays) | 
| `Esc` | Quit (confirmation; git conflicts get a warning) | 

| Key | Action | 
|---|---|
| `Esc` | Return to agent list | 
| *All other keys* | Forwarded to the underlying process | 

| Key | Action | 
|---|---|
| `Enter` | Confirm | 
| `Esc` | Cancel | 
| `Backspace` | Delete last character | 
| *Printable chars* | Append to input | 

| Key | Action | 
|---|---|
| `Enter` | Add selected directory as a project | 
| `Esc` | Cancel, return to agent list | 
| `/` | Start filtering directories (type to narrow, `Esc` to clear) | 
| *All other keys* | Navigate the file tree | 

- **Linux/BSD/macOS** (uses Unix domain sockets and PTYs)
- **zerostack v1.5+** built with the`status-signals` feature (default from v1.5)
- Rust 1.85+ (2024 edition)

GPL-3.0-only