YEN Terminal

Terminals have evolved dramatically over five decades. Each generation added capabilities — but also complexity, overhead, and distance from what makes a terminal great.

YEN doesn't reject progress — it rejects unnecessary complexity. Everything I add must make you faster without making you dependent on cloud services or AI subscriptions.

YEN starts with a native macOS terminal and layers IDE workflows around it. No Electron, no web views, and no second app to switch to.

YEN adds IDE workflows directly to the terminal. The yen ide commands cover workspace trust, search, debugging, local LSP, verification, adapters, and PR review without pushing you into a separate editor UI.

Quick start:

$ yen ide doctor
yen ide doctor --format json
yen ide trust status
yen ide trust status --format json
yen ide debug status
yen ide debug status --format json
yen ide debug status ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide debug status --devcontainer
yen ide debug status ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app --devcontainer
yen ide debug tui
yen ide debug tui --devcontainer
yen ide debug tui ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app --devcontainer --format json
yen ide debug trust
yen ide debug trust ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide debug start src/app.py:12 --dry-run --format json
yen ide debug start src/app.py:12 --managed
yen ide debug start src/app.py:12 --managed --devcontainer
yen ide debug continue
yen ide debug transcript --tail 40
yen ide detect
yen ide env list
yen ide lsp status
yen ide lsp status --format json
yen ide lsp diagnostics
yen ide lsp code-actions src/app.ts:12:3
yen ide lsp hover src/app.ts:12:3
yen ide lsp install status --all
yen ide share status
yen ide share host --read-only --ttl-minutes 30
yen ide share revoke
yen ide ast status
yen ide ast definition Widget
yen ide ast references Widget
yen ide devcontainer status
yen ide devcontainer trust ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide devcontainer status ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide devcontainer up ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide vscode inventory
yen ide vscode import --dry-run
yen ide search verify
yen ide parse --format tsv build.log
yen ide explain --last
yen ide format status
yen ide format run --dry-run --changed
yen ide lint status
yen ide fix run --trust
yen ide test status
yen ide test status --format json
yen ide test run --failed
yen ide test run --runner node-test
yen ide test run --runner node-test --watch --watch-interval 0.5 --max-runs 3
yen ide verify status
yen ide verify status --format json
yen ide verify --quick --no-security
yen ide verify --quick --no-security --watch --watch-interval 0.5 --max-runs 2
yen ide workflow discover
yen ide workflow discover ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide workflow trust ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide workflow run quick-check --dry-run
yen ide workflow run build --project ssh://dev@example.test/Users/dev/app
yen ide workflow run --native package.json:test --dry-run
yen ide workflow run --native package.json:test --watch --watch-interval 0.5 --max-runs 2
yen ide pr-notify --ci-status --watch --interval 30 --max-polls 4
yen agents list
yen agents timeline
yen agents timeline --format json
yen agents timeline --source human --event note --kind approval --tail 5
yen agents note --template review-approved --message "Reviewed manually"
yen agents note --template handoff-review --session agt-20260327T120000Z-1234-000001 --validate-link
yen agents note --template handoff-review --slot codex --validate-link
yen agents export
yen agents export --format json --output -
yen ide gate --dry-run -- git reset --hard
yen ide pr-review 123 --list-hunks
yen ide pr-review 123 --hunk src/app.ts:42:1
yen ide pr-review 123 --loop --loop-script "e,q"
yen ide pr-review 123 --inline src/app.ts:42 --inline-body "Needs guard" --post
yen ide timeline --limit 20

On macOS, Cmd + Shift + P opens the command palette for actions and project search. It can jump straight to matching files and lines, and in trusted local repos it also launches dedicated PR review and merge-conflict workspaces.

YEN keeps these workflows local-first and explicit. Search, evidence, and review stay tied to the current workspace; remote ssh://... and --devcontainer targets stay clearly labeled; and local-only features such as --watch remain blocked instead of silently degrading.

Hold Option + Space in any app — YEN, Safari, VS Code, Notes, anything — speak, and release. Your words appear at the cursor. Audio never leaves your Mac. Read more on the blog.

Works on macOS 13+. On macOS 26+, YEN uses Apple's SpeechAnalyzer with DictationTranscriber, supports unlimited sessions, and can ask macOS to install missing language packs while Settings is frontmost.

In-app paste restores your previous clipboard shortly after paste; cross-app paste keeps the dictated text on the clipboard if delivery cannot be confirmed. Live Transcript Preview is available in the overlay. Translate-on-Dictate is opt-in, off by default, tied to the recognizer locale for that capture, and runs only when the selected language pair is already installed.

When YEN Settings is frontmost, macOS can prepare missing on-device translation assets for supported pairs instead of trying to do that in the background.

Pro tip: On older macOS, release and press again for longer content. Enable Launch at Login in Settings> Sounds > Speech Setup for dictation without a terminal window open.

Press Cmd + , to open Settings. The panel has five sections: General, Sounds, Workspace, Themes, and Keyboard. Search, import, export, and reset live in the same window, and most changes apply immediately across open tabs.

YEN includes 72 bundled themes with live previews and instant apply. Font, cursor, background image, opacity, and padding stay independent from theme selection. General also includes Window Border plus a background-image picker that imports PNG and JPEG assets into app-managed storage. The scope toggle below the import button sets whether the wallpaper renders per split (Each Split, the default) or as one shared backdrop behind the entire split tree (Whole Window). Workspace also exposes Tab Sidebar (Cmd + Shift + B) and Scratchpad (Cmd + Shift + J).

Sounds combines speech permissions, local speech readiness, Translate-on-Dictate controls, and per-stream notifications for General, Build, Chat, Chat Summaries, Mail, Mail Summaries, Calendar Reminders, Calendar Changes, and Calendar Actions. Each stream has its own sound, volume, and delivery mode (Off, Banner Only, Sound Only, Banner + Sound).

Keyboard lets you inspect conflicts and re-record editable shortcuts inline. Fixed shortcuts and duplicate-action rows stay read-only, and imported settings are validated before they apply.

Export and import include both config.yen and the Settings-managed preferences kept outside it, including workspace toggles, theme-browser mode, Window Border, dictation preview/translation state, and notification routing. Portable exports intentionally exclude machine-local assets such as background images.

Machine-local state such as permission grants, Launch at Login, background images, installed user themes, and downloaded or imported sound assets stays on the current Mac.

Sounds also includes command-finish notifications, focused-window behavior, and official sound-pack management: Download All Sound Packs becomes Update Sound Packs after install, and Remove Downloaded Packs leaves imported custom sounds alone.

In the command palette, search Settings: Themes, Settings: Sounds, Settings: Workspace, or Settings: Keyboard to open a specific tab.

Advanced configuration:

~/Library/Application\ Support/com.yenchat.yen/config.yen

Press Cmd + Shift + B to open the Tab Sidebar. In transient mode it appears as a floating left rail for the active terminal window. Use the header pin button, command palette, or Settings > Workspace to switch it into the persistent docked rail.

When YEN cannot trust the focused split's local path context (terminal multiplexers, remote sessions, detached commands, or empty project state), the sidebar omits cwd and git summaries instead of showing guessed metadata.

Each split pane can have a custom label displayed as a themed pill at the bottom-left corner. Open the command palette (Cmd + Shift + P) and search Rename Split Label to set or clear a label. Labels persist across window restores, tab switches, and session restarts.

Press Cmd + Shift + O to open the file browser in the active terminal. It does not open as a floating window or global sidebar, and it will not steal focus from another window. Browse directories, preview files, and manage the project without leaving the terminal.

Keyboard shortcuts:

CLI commands:

Commands run immediately inside YEN because bundled shell integration is already active there. In external shells, run yen init zsh or yen init bash once, then restart that shell so wrappers like y, chat, mail, and weather, btop, and fastfetch route to YEN.

App keys (Chat / Gmail / Google Calendar defaults):

Need the complete command + alias reference? Run yen help. For full file browser shortcuts, press ? inside the file browser.

Custom keybindings:

Shortcut editing lives in Settings > Keyboard. For advanced changes, edit the config file directly.

• App won't open: Right-click YEN.app → Open, or allow in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
• Commands not found: YEN commands only work inside YEN terminal, not Terminal.app.
• Speech-to-text not working: Grant Accessibility, Microphone, and Speech Recognition permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Dictation listens to exact Option + Space only (no Cmd/Ctrl/Shift). Check the menu bar dropdown for blocked-state recovery actions.
• Permissions granted but still blocked:In Settings > Sounds > Speech Setup, check Local Speech status and use Re-check.
• Option + Space conflicts:Check for conflicts with input source, Spotlight, Alfred, or Raycast shortcuts. Use Settings > Keyboard for fixed-shortcut conflict guidance.
• Layout shortcut not firing: Use exact Cmd + Option + 1-0 with no extra modifiers, and keep a terminal window focused. YEN blocks layout presets while Settings or another utility window is key instead of retargeting a background terminal.
• Cursor style / blink not previewing: Changes are applied, but preview appears after you refocus a terminal window (unfocused terminals show a hollow block cursor).
• Opacity slider looks unchanged: Background opacity applies after app restart. Use Window Border for an immediate focus cue.
• Dictation menu shows blocked: Check the menu bar dropdown for recovery actions. In Settings > Sounds > Speech Setup, use Re-check to verify local speech service status.
• Layout shortcuts not working in Settings: Cmd + Option + 1-0 is intentionally ignored while Settings is focused. Click a terminal window first, because layout presets only target a foreground terminal window.
• File browser not opening: Verify the terminal window is focused, not the Settings panel or another window.
• "command not found: y":Shell integration isn't active in this shell. In external shells, run yen init zsh (or bash) and restart that shell. In YEN, this points to disabled or stale bundled integration; use browse as a fallback and fix the app build rather than editing dotfiles.
• mail / chat / weather / btop / fastfetch runs a system command: In external shells, re-run yen init zsh (or bash), then restart that shell. In YEN, this points to missing or stale bundled integration rather than a dotfile problem.

Reset config to defaults:

$ rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.yenchat.yen/config.yen