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Show HN: Conductor, a Mac app that lets you run a bunch of Claude Codes at once

• aantix 1y ago
  There’s a “feel” to the way Claude Code outputs the text. And for input as well. Sadly, this is lost with conductor. I just don’t feel as joyful using it.
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Ah, we’d love for Conductor to feel magical to use — we spend a lot of time thinking about this. Any chance you could say more about what’s lost?
    • aantix 1y ago
      Is some of the intermediary output being suppressed? This gives the feeling of CC "working" on my behalf. Being able to quickly hit escape to interject. Escape again to see the conversation history. The key bindings should be exactly the same. I don't think I'm looking for an interface to replace CC - it's a great interactive terminal app. I just want a better way to manage the sessions.
• jamil7 1y ago
  Oh cool, I was already doing this with git worktrees but a ui for it would be handy.
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Let me know how it goes!
• WalterSear 1y ago
  You might want to mention it's silicon only.
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Sorry about that, working on Intel right now!
    • Charlieholtz 1y ago
      Intel version now live!
      • dancode7 1y ago
        Where can we get it? Download link from https://conductor.build https://conductor.build only provides Apple silicon version.. Thanks!
• dgritsko 1y ago
  This is awesome. A couple of suggestions: - It'd be great to change the default branch used for creating new workspaces. - I'd like the ability to add custom tools to the "Open in..." menu.
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Ah yeah! Which IDE do you use? > It'd be great to change the default branch used for creating new workspaces. Yeah you can actually change this now! If you click the repo name you can make changes to the "setup script". If you added `git checkout -b "branch name"` it would run that on every new workspace instance.
    • dgritsko 1y ago
      At the moment it's mostly Cursor or VS Code, but I was actually thinking of SourceTree. I'd like to look at the pending changes and manage the commits myself, and I could do that if I could add "open -a SourceTree ." as a custom command. I didn't see a place to edit a setup script, is that just on the filesystem?
      • Charlieholtz 1y ago
        Got it! If you click the repository name in the left sidebar, you should see a field for setup script.
        • dgritsko 1y ago
          Ah, excellent - appreciate the help! I'm already getting a ton of value out of this tool, thanks for sharing!
          • Charlieholtz 1y ago
            wooo that's awesome to hear! keep the feedback coming!
        • 1y ago
• 38 1y ago
  [flagged]
• janpieterz 1y ago
  Love it! Even just simply freeing my main branch would be a big win so I can keep working as well. But no way to find out if there’s any data sent to your servers etc, unless I’m missing some links?
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Love to hear it! Your messages are just between you and Claude Code — it all runs on your local Claude Code installation via the SDK (https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/sdk https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/sdk)
• BewareTheYiga 1y ago
  I like the concept, but I need the ability to interact with a repo I've already cloned. I can't connect this to my work GitHub enterprise repos.
• lachances 1y ago
  Any way to have it not require full write access to your entire GitHub account?
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Yes, we're working on this! Right now the app uses GitHub's OAuth sign in (https://docs.github.com/en/apps/oauth-apps/building-oauth-apps/authorizing-oauth-apps https://docs.github.com/en/apps/oauth-apps/building-oauth-ap...) which unfortunately doesn't allow for fine-grained permissions (it will only have access to organization code if you explicitly grant it) . We're switching our sign-in to a GitHub App so we can make the permissions fine-grained.
    • cloudking 1y ago
      Why not local git support?
      • csomar 1y ago
        Yeah, it’s not like this is a saas and you’d need back-end access to the repos. I suspect this is being run with business potential in mind. The OP would do better by making that clear. And if you are selling a self-hosted app, just charge a license fee. People on 100-200/month claude code subscription wouldn’t mind paying 10-30 bucks for this.
        • cloudking 1y ago
          Looks like they added local Git support, but it still requires Github auth for email address https://x.com/charliebholtz/status/1950556998900007239 https://x.com/charliebholtz/status/1950556998900007239
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Fixed! You can now give Conductor fine-grained GitHub repository access. Or, skip the integration and use your local GitHub CLI auth.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• lordnacho 1y ago
  Looks cool, but I don't quite get it? What happens if I just open a new terminal window and start Claude in that?
  • simonbw 1y ago
    That works when you just do it once. Where you can run into problems is when you do that twice. One instance might change a file one way, and the other might change it in a conflicting way, then you have two Claudes getting confused about the state of that file and it gets messy. You can solve this by checking out multiple copies of your repo and having only one instance of Claude working per copy. This app seems like it just provides you with a nice UI for doing that.
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    • lmeyerov 1y ago
      Yes that's how I do Claude code manually, git branch per terminal window, and very rarely multiple agents on the same branch It mostly works, except we don't have a clean flow for docker: shared system daemon & repository means need to manually tag & run by branch/project (docker compose -p ...), which is friction for the LLM and even more setup than we want As a heavy multi session Claude Code user, this may be what finally converts me to cloud IDEs...
    • oulu2006 1y ago
      I just do it with multiple terminals + checkouts + branches -- this seems to just get in the way. But I'm an old school vim/emacs keyboard only hacker, so terminal all the way is super efficient for me
      • greggh 1y ago
        Same here, but I am looking at Par for this. Terminal session manager. Basically a tmux wrapper. https://github.com/coplane/par https://github.com/coplane/par
• maxverse 1y ago
  Who does your design? I absolutely love this aesthetic, both this product, and your site (chorus.sh). What is this even called? I went for a similar vibe with tinylogger.com, but def didn't have your skills to pull it off.
  • aaronbrethorst 1y ago
    corus.sh looks like a modified bento grid layout: https://tailwindcss.com/plus/ui-blocks/marketing/sections/bento-grids https://tailwindcss.com/plus/ui-blocks/marketing/sections/be...
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Ah thank you! Our designer is Julian Kelly (https://jfk.works https://jfk.works). He's amazing, and worked on Messenger at Meta — a background which has been surprisingly helpful since everything we're working on is a spin on chatting.
  • julianfkelly 1y ago
    Hi, appreciate the note! I'm Julian, I do all the design at Melty. I try to design our software to be functional, visually subtle, and chromatically warm. I don't know that the aesthetic has a name, but I've spent a lot of time studying manuscripts from the early middle ages so that might have seeped in - the logo for Conductor is actually a variant of insular majuscule (you can see the ductus in the animation)
• abdullin 1y ago
  Is it similar to what OpenAI Codex does with isolated environments per agent run?
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    We create an isolated git worktree locally on your machine — whereas Codex (I believe) is running a container on the cloud
• davidbalbert 1y ago
  We do our dev on Linux desktops using VS Code ssh remotes from our Macs. Is this possible with Conductor?
• rapatel0 1y ago
  Can you intelligently bake in Claude code router? That would help both with token budget but more importantly multiplexing between different models.
• simonbw 1y ago
  I have been imagining something like this would be perfect for working with Claude Code. I tried a couple other apps but they seemed to change too much without providing enough value for that change. This feels like just a nice clean simple extension of how Claude code already works that solves my most common pain points in the workflow. Anyways, excellent work!
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    thanks so much!!
• freedomben 1y ago
  Cool idea, and I'm definitely not in the target market (I'm a Linux user and also very hesitant to adopt proprietary tools to my important workflows), but something like this could be useful. Right now though it's pretty easy to run each in a different tmux window and check on it, but once I have about 3 or more running at a time it's very easy to forget about one and have it paused waiting for confirmation. A tool like this to add a dashboard of sorts would be nice. Definitely interesting to think about!
  • moofeez 1y ago
    https://github.com/smtg-ai/claude-squad https://github.com/smtg-ai/claude-squad sounds like it might a better fit for your usecase, free and open-source :)
    • freedomben 1y ago
      Neat, thank you!
  • someblueman 1y ago
    I noticed that I found Claude great for squashing bugs/issues, and started using worktrees but saw similar problems as you described, so I enlisted Claude and wrote https://github.com/Someblueman/hydra https://github.com/Someblueman/hydra to solve for this very issue, keeping (or rather trying) it in pure shell for personal portability and gives me a playground for AI driven development
    • freedomben 1y ago
      Cool, thank you!
• _1tem 1y ago
  I was really excited to try this but this does NOT work the way I expected. I wanted a simple git worktree manager for my existing, already-checked-out repository. Instead, it requests Github permissions and clones the repo from Github. This is bad, because you need to run all the dependency installs, etc. for every workspace before being able to test anything. In other words it's like Codex or Cursor Background Agents, except worse, because it's on your machine. The reason I don't use Codex or Background Agents is because my project has way too many dependencies and would take way too long (and too complicated) to install everything required to have an isolated running instance, plus there would be DNS conflicts, external API conflicts, among other issues. What I do want is simple git worktree management for an already-checked-out repo on my machine, no Github permissions or dependency re-installation (copying node_modules, etc.).
  • zachrip 1y ago
    I tried out git worktrees recently and while they do what's on the tin, I really didn't like them as much as I thought I would. I actually like the way cursor does it despite the fact that it is a VM - I wish I could have their same UI/UX but with local worktrees.
    • pjm331 1y ago
      Yes I had a similar experience. the thing that tripped me up with git worktrees, which is maybe obvious in retrospect, is that they don’t include things that are not tracked by git - e.g. .env.development.local So starting a new worktree requires additional setup and isn’t as simple as just checking out a new branch
      • js2 1y ago
        Could you group the main repo and its worktrees under a common parent directory that contains your .env.development.local?
        • pjm331 1y ago
          Ah that’s a good idea I’ll have to try that out
• itsalotoffun 1y ago
  Full read-write access required to all your Github account's repos. Not just code. Settings, deploy keys. The works. Full access to your organisation settings. Not a privacy policy in sight. Zero disclosure of data practices. You are INSANE to authorize this app on anything other than throwaway code. @charlieholtz care to comment?
  • deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Hi! Right now the app uses GitHub's OAuth sign in (https://docs.github.com/en/apps/oauth-apps/building-oauth-apps/authorizing-oauth-apps https://docs.github.com/en/apps/oauth-apps/building-oauth-ap...) which unfortunately doesn't allow for fine-grained permissions. It will only have access to organization code if you explicitly grant it. We're working on switching our sign-in to a GitHub App so we can make the permissions fine-grained.
    • itsalotoffun 1y ago
      Totally understand, but you're asking for the keys for the kingdom, without any data disclosure or privacy policy. Even if you switch to fine-grain permissions, the lack of any "and here are our commitments to handling or accessing your data" is (and should be) a show-stopper for anyone trying this out. In case people aren't reading, here's the c+v of what Conductor gets access to currently: -- This application will be able to read and write all public and private repository data. This includes the following: Code Issues Pull requests Wikis *Settings* *Webhooks and services* *Deploy keys* *Collaboration invites* Note: In addition to repository related resources, the repo scope also grants access to manage organization attributes and organization-owned resources including projects, invitations, team memberships and webhooks. This scope also grants the ability to manage projects owned by users.
      • Charlieholtz 1y ago
        Now fixed in the latest version. You can now give Conductor fine-grained GitHub repository access. Or, skip the integration and use your local GitHub CLI auth.
• atlgator 1y ago
  Is it Claude Codes or Claudes Code?
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Claudes' Codes?!
• hoppp 1y ago
  Its for mac only? But isn't it just an API wrapper?
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Yes Mac only (for now)
• buremba 1y ago
  This is pretty cool, here are few feedbacks: - I switch in between planning and execution in the middle of the conversation using Terminal a lot, it would be nice to have it here as well rather than defining how I want Claude to think in advance. - Entering messages when the agents can result in task lists to save time. I’m also experimenting different UX with CC, here is Claude Code running in Slack if anybody is interested. https://peerbot.ai https://peerbot.ai
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Thank you! Yes, I agree, we're adding plan mode soon. For now I find Opus responds reliably to "plan this out and don't make any changes." > - Entering messages when the agents can result in task lists to save time. Ah yes, queuing coming soon too! Do you prefer if the queued messages send when Claude is finished or interrupt it?
    • buremba 1y ago
      Queued would be more useful as we can also stop the conversation and prompt right away.
• jbentley1 1y ago
  Crystal can do all of this and more, and unlike Conductor is open source. https://github.com/stravu/crystal https://github.com/stravu/crystal
• lvl155 1y ago
  So this is why Claude Code is so slow now. I am all for these but not at the cost of other more casual users. I never had to worry about Sonnet use but even that is not guaranteed. Forget Opus.
• Samin100 1y ago
  This is very useful! I think the interfaces around models being used in an async manner will look very different than the synchronous chat UIs we are today. Claude Code is the first real “agent” that is providing true economic value, and there’s so much low hanging fruit in making the interfaces far better.
  • Charlieholtz 1y ago
    Thank you! Yes I agree :)
• Syzygies 1y ago
  I'm in the midst of modernizing a 1994 K&R C 32-bit codebase to 64-bit C23, as a museum piece: the computer algebra system Macaulay that I coauthored, since replaced by Macaulay 2. The horror! On macOS my environment is Sublime Text as editor, iTerm as terminal. I open two full screen iTerm windows of four panes each, start Claude Code Opus 4 and type "just task" in each pane. CLAUDE.md tells the session to run this justfile command and follow the directions, which generally include instructions to continue by doing "just task" again. Each session may edit its <file>.c and <file>.h but not shared headers; if it has a problem with this I touch STOP in the task directory, the other sessions eventually are told to wait, and then the trouble child session can edit what it wants. I'm sure in a few years AI will read and fix my 57 C file code base all at once, but for now this workflow has proved invaluable. The irony? This is the dumbest parallel task manager imaginable yet it works. And our code base has a similar feel: The storage management is a set of fixed sized stacks that outperformed malloc() by 4x back in the day. Etc. Etc. I learned this gift from my Dad. He devised the Bayer filter for digital photography back in 1974, it looks like ten minutes work (it wasn't) but we're still using it.
  • bredren 1y ago
    Out of curiosity, ~how many lines of C in all is the C you're refactoring? Reason I ask is I have gotten outstanding results from gemini pro 2.5, which has a very large context. It already accepts very large individual messages, however if the code base is still too big for a single message, it is possible to send it all in multiple messages and still have the model keep it all in context. For large, system wide refactors, this can provide planning that claude code can't or won't do efficiently. Sometimes, I'll have claude code come up with a plan, feed all the related code to gemini, and then provide claude code gemeni's improved plan. Then after the work is done, have gemeni validate the implementation. I've looked a bit into automation around this but haven't picked something yet. If anyone has a solid workflow for this already, I'm all ears.
• markli21 1y ago
  Love the design. does it build on electron? and will it support other code agents, like gemini cli, codex, opencode ext.
• nsonha 1y ago
  Would be cool if I can use this with opencode, Amazon Q or whatever. I reckon the logic would be quite similar. Seen a few of these tools but they're all Claude-centric.
  • esafak 1y ago
    This looks like the perfect opportunity to develop a general purpose git worktree utility and IDE plugin.
• jerezzprime 1y ago
  I've been looking for a tool like this, that lets Claude operate on multiple repos. I work on a project that has frontend/packages and backend (separate repos instead of a monorepo for good reasons) and I often develop features that cross both repos. With the terminal I can clone both down into a directory and start Claude code there, but all the tools for background/multiplexing are always built around a single repo. Any chance I can get multi-repo tasks supported?
  • csomar 1y ago
    Here is what worked for me. 1. Place all your repos inside a parent directory and name them accordingly (frontend, backend, devops, etc.) 2. Each repo has its own claude file. 3. The parent repo has a claude file that links these claude files. I’ve had claude successfully navigate across these and uses services with back-end, setup terraform infra and then complete the implementation for the front-end.
    • rfoo 1y ago
      The problem is worktrees in this case.
    • jerezzprime 1y ago
      Yes if I just run Claude Code it works fine. But I want to be able to use any of these multiplexing tools (eg Codex, Cursor Background Agents, this Conductor tool) in the same scenario.
• petesergeant 1y ago
  I am smart, capable, and have a lot of programming experience, and can just about manage to stay focused enough to properly review the output of a single Claude agent. I'm surprised people are running multiple agents, and are able to check their outputs diligently.
• dangus 1y ago
  Tech bros will do anything to avoid coding I guess. If you don’t like code so much you can just do something else with your life. Have you tried sales or finance?
• tzury 1y ago
  For me, getting Claude Code working properly two days in a row (12 -14 hours per day) is still a challenge. Let it running in parallel "unwatched" will end up with nothing but a pile of code that will have to be re-written. It was not that way at the beginning, when I started in May 24th (2 days post Sonnet/Opus 4 announcement), however, last 2 - 3 weeks, they've tweaked they system substantially (I mean I have no other explanation) and its behavior is despicable. I have see a few on X complaining the same (along with far more about GPT o3 and 4o) but the culture of "opaque transparency" in the AI industry left us with nothing but guesses.
  • bredren 1y ago
    FWIW, this has been the way of working with AI products since the beginning. For example, chatgpt has waxed and waned even without model updates due to how the context gearing behind the web interface. You can see in various subreddits the spikes in complaints--and there is definitely one in week(s) on Claude Code. I generally take this as a sign of needing to get more skilled at context control and validation. And that by doing so, you'll be in only a better place once the product you're relying returns to baseline or leaps ahead again.
    • tzury 1y ago
      thanks. I suspect those tuning take place in order to maintain cost/experience level, that is, keeping a "good enough" product while cutting cost of inference. I also suspect it is tuned for ultimate experience upon release to grade well on benchmarks and online reports, then tuned back to a level they can bear as they burn investors money. the need is clear, I am just expecting transparency.
• countfeng 1y ago
  I don't deserve to own my Windows system
• codedokode 1y ago
  Doesn't using LLM for coding mean that your code and secrets leak to other companies? How can you be sure that they don't look at it or don't sell it?
  • manojlds 1y ago
    You get enterprise contracts that forbid them from doing that. The tools like Cursor have privacy mode that ensure that. Lots of enterprises use Azure, GCP, AWS for the models for these reasons as well.
  • omgitspavel 1y ago
    Why would you store secrets in your dev environment? Regarding the code, I don't believe it is a concern for most of the people, because they use 3rd party git repo anyway, which has exactly the same level of risk
• clbrmbr 1y ago
  From: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-worktree https://git-scm.com/docs/git-worktree > the support for submodules is incomplete This has been a stumbling block for me. In C firmware, there’s no package management so submodules tend to be how we bring in libraries. My experience has been that worktrees simply do not work with submodules.
• rolstenhouse 1y ago
  I've often been running several claude code sessions across separate terminal tabs. Was a user of chorus.sh and excited to try another product from y'all! Congrats
• chapstick23 1y ago
  Not bad, it works better if your code is preorganized. Would be good to have a brownfield script to start things off.
• vibudhi 1y ago
  Simple Claude code + git worktree - https://github.com/sahithvibudhi/vibe-tree https://github.com/sahithvibudhi/vibe-tree Made it to solve for myself. Published because my friends loved it and wanted to use it. This is a simple problem and users should be able to open existing repositories, view multiple projects, get notified when Claude needs attention (done or needs user input)