ShadowShell

<!-- GitHub Description: Multi-terminal plugin for Caido with AI presets and instant Cmd+J access -->

Multi-terminal plugin for Caido — run multiple terminals with split panes, switch between AI coding agents (Claude, Gemini, Codex) via presets, and press Cmd+J to drop down a terminal instantly from anywhere.

[!NOTE] This plugin is a temporary solution until Caido ships native terminal support (see caido/caido#1381). Once that lands, ShadowShell will likely become redundant.

Features

• Multi-tab terminal — Open multiple terminal sessions within Caido
• Split panes — Horizontal and vertical splits for parallel workflows
• AI presets — One-click launch for Claude, Gemini, Codex, or plain shell
• Custom presets — Add your own commands with custom names, colors, and descriptions
• Quick access (Cmd+J) — Drop-down terminal overlay from anywhere in Caido
• Caido theme sync — Terminal colors automatically follow your Caido dark/light theme
• Search — In-terminal search with prev/next navigation
• Auto-resize — Terminals fit to pane size with proper PTY resize signals
• Configurable Python path — Set a custom Python 3 path via the settings gear

Built-in Presets

| Preset | Command | Description | |--------|---------|-------------| | Claude | claude | Anthropic Claude Code CLI | | Gemini | gemini | Google Gemini CLI | | Codex | codex | OpenAI Codex CLI | | Shell | (default) | Default system shell |

All built-in presets can be customized (command, name, description), and you can add your own.

Requirements

• Python 3 — The backend uses a Python PTY relay to manage terminal sessions. Python 3 is auto-detected from common paths (/usr/bin/python3, /usr/local/bin/python3, /opt/homebrew/bin/python3), or you can set a custom path in Settings.

Installation

Community Store (Under Review)

[!NOTE] ShadowShell is currently under review for the Caido Community Store. Once approved, you will be able to install it directly from the store.

Go to Plugins > Community Store in Caido. Search "ShadowShell" and click Install.

Manual Installation

Download plugin_package.zip from the Releases page, then go to Plugins > Install Package in Caido and select the downloaded file.

Build from Source

pnpm install
pnpm build

Disclosures

• Python 3 subprocess: The backend spawns a Python 3 process per terminal session to create and manage PTY (pseudo-terminal) pairs. The path is auto-detected or configurable via Settings. No external network calls are made by these processes.
• Local TCP communication: Each terminal session uses a localhost TCP port (range 18500–32767) for internal communication between the Node.js backend and the Python PTY relay. All traffic is local-only and never leaves the machine.
• No telemetry or external services: This plugin does not collect any data, send telemetry, or connect to external servers.

Architecture

packages/
  backend/   # PTY relay (Python) + TCP bridge (Node.js)
  frontend/  # xterm.js terminals, tab/pane management, preset UI

The backend spawns a Python PTY relay per terminal session, communicating over a local TCP socket with length-prefixed JSON messages. The frontend renders terminals using xterm.js and manages tabs, splits, and preset configuration via localStorage.

License

MIT