CrewDock

Overview

CrewDock started from a practical local workflow problem: returning to the same repos, shell layouts, files, and half-finished context too often meant rebuilding the workspace from scratch. The tool was built as a native macOS surface for folder-backed development, with PTY-backed panes, docked files, source control, tasks, and Codex session restore kept close to the repo instead of scattered across separate apps.

Challenge

• Terminal tabs are disposable, but the surrounding working context usually is not.
• Local development often spans multiple repos, pane layouts, notes, and unfinished tasks, yet most tools restore only part of that state.
• The product needed to stay focused on local workflow and feel desktop-native instead of turning into a browser IDE or a generic terminal wrapper.

Approach

• Structured the app around folder-backed workspaces so each tab maps to a real local project and can be reopened with its context intact.
• Combined PTY-backed panes with a launcher, docked file explorer, source control, tasks, and Codex session restore so the full workflow lives in one surface.
• Kept the scope deliberately local and open source, letting real usage shape the product without inventing team or monitoring layers that do not belong there.

Impact