Run multiple commands at once, each in its own interactive terminal tab.
Each command runs in a real pseudo-terminal, so it stays fully interactive — colors, prompts, and keyboard input all work.
curtab 'npm run dev' 'npm run api'
Install
npm install -g curtab # or: pnpm add -g curtab / yarn global add curtabUsage
Each argument is one full command, run through your shell. Quote commands
that contain spaces — curtab never splits an argument on spaces, so
curtab npm run dev is three separate commands, not one.
macOS / Linux (single quotes):
curtab 'npm run dev' 'npm run api'
Windows (double quotes — most Windows shells don't support single quotes):
curtab "npm run dev" "npm run api"
In a package.json script on Windows, the double quotes must be escaped:
{ "scripts": { "dev": "curtab \"npm run web\" \"npm run api\"" } }Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-n, --names 'a,b' |
Custom tab names (comma-separated), matched to commands in order. Missing names fall back to the command text. |
--cwd 'a,b' |
Per-command working directories (comma-separated), matched to commands in order. Missing entries use the launch dir. |
-c, --color |
Color-code tab status (running / ok / error / killed). |
-h, --help |
Show help and exit. |
-v, --version |
Print the curtab version and exit. |
Controls
Press the Ctrl+B leader, then:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
1…9 |
Switch to tab N |
n / p |
Next / previous tab |
r |
Restart the active process |
k |
Kill the active process |
Ctrl+B |
Send a literal Ctrl+B to the app |
Develop
npm install npm run build node dist/index.js 'npm run dev' 'npm run api' # or: npm link && curtab ... npm test # run the test suite