← Docs · /terminal · /desktop

Terminal ↔ Desktop bridge

/terminal (CryptArt Commander) is a local, allow-listed sandbox: every input maps to a TypeScript handler, publishes an interopBus event, and never performs server execution or fetches. It connects to desktop surfaces by printing guidance + deep-links — it never launches or controls them.

Two desktops, one terminal

• Virtual desktop — /desktop (virtual): RunPod pods in the browser. Use it when you need cloud GPUs without installing anything. Provisioning and pod control happen on /desktop, never inside /terminal.
• Local desktop app — /desktop (local): the native app under v2/desktop/code. Use it when you want local files, local devices, and OpenCode attached to your own workspace.

Terminal commands

• desktop [virtual|local|opencode] — prints which desktop fits and a deep-link such as /desktop?from=terminal&kind=virtual.
• opencode — prints the OpenCode → desktop bridge: open /desktop first, attach the workspace in the local app, then run OpenCode there.

What /terminal can / can't do

• Can: help, echo, status, coins quotes, luck previews, desktop / opencode guidance, clear, whoami — all local-only with an interopBus emit.
• Can't: no server exec, no fetch, no pod start/stop, no OpenCode execution, no eval. Anything outside the allow-list prints "Command not found".

Worked example: from question to desktop

1. Open /terminal and type desktop virtual. The terminal prints a short explanation plus a deep-link to /desktop?from=terminal&kind=virtual.
2. Follow the printed link to /desktop. Pick a GPU class, a region, and a template, then provision the pod there. Provisioning screens, SSH strings, and start/stop buttons live on /desktop only.
3. Need local files instead? Type desktop local, follow the link with kind=local, and open the native app from v2/desktop/code. Attach your project folder, then drive OpenCode from the desktop panel. The web guide for that panel is Desktop OpenCode setup.
4. Unsure which surface runs commands? Read Web terminal + desktop panel. It lists what the web terminal runs locally versus what the desktop panel shells out to.

Command reference

Troubleshooting

• "Command not found" on valid-looking input: the allow-list is exact and lowercase. Check spelling, drop extra flags, and run help to see the accepted verbs.
• Deep-link lands on the wrong desktop tab: confirm the URL carries both from=terminal and kind=virtual (or kind=local). Re-run the desktop command and click the freshly printed link instead of a bookmark.
• Expecting the terminal to start a pod: it cannot by design. Pod billing, GPU choice, and SSH setup happen on /desktop. The terminal only points you there and explains the choice.
• Expecting the terminal to run OpenCode: it cannot reach your machine's binary. Install the CLI, open the desktop panel, and follow Desktop OpenCode setup to pick cli or server mode.
• Nothing renders after typing: run clear then status. Both are local, so they answer even when the network is down. If they print, the sandbox is healthy and the earlier input was simply outside the allow-list.

FAQ

• Does /terminal store my input on a server? No. Handlers run in the page and emit a local interop event. There is no server execution path to audit because none exists.
• Can I paste secrets into /terminal? Do not. There is no secret vault here, and guidance output is plain text. Paste API keys only into the shell session that owns the tool needing them.
• Which desktop is right for GPU work? The virtual desktop, reached with desktop virtual. It rents cloud GPUs without installs. Choose the local app when the code, devices, or files must stay on your machine.
• Where do coin rules live? The quote math (100 coins to one dollar, 75 percent provider credits, 25 percent platform) is shared across docs. The heal-loop page shows the same quote pattern applied to bugfix budgets.

Try it: open /terminal, type desktop virtual, then follow the printed link to /desktop.