pi-processes

Manage background processes from Pi without blocking the conversation.

This extension lets Pi keep long-running commands alive while the conversation continues. It is useful for dev servers, test watchers, local APIs, builds, and log tails.

Let Pi keep working while processes run

When a task needs a long-running command, Pi can start it in the background by itself and keep helping with the rest of the work.

That means Pi can, for example:

• start a dev server and keep coding
• keep a test watcher running while it fixes failures
• run a local API while it inspects logs
• watch build output without blocking the conversation

You can then inspect, pin, stop, or clear those processes from the UI.

Installation

From npm:

pi install npm:@aliou/pi-processes

From git:

pi install git:github.com/aliou/pi-processes

How Pi stays in the loop

Pi does not wait around for a background process. After it starts one, it keeps helping with the rest of the work and gets brought back automatically when something happens:

• a readiness marker appears in the logs (a server prints “ready”)
• an error appears in the logs (a build prints a type error)
• the process exits, whether it succeeded, failed, or was killed

That is how Pi can start a dev server and then keep coding, or run a test watcher and react when a test fails, without sleeping or polling. If a watch fires too often, Pi can quiet it without restarting the process.

Open the process panel

Use /ps to open the main process panel. It shows running and finished processes, with the most recent output preview. The preview opens on the newest page so you can see live activity without scrolling.

From there you can:

• see running and finished processes
• inspect recent output
• pin a process to the dock
• kill a running process
• clear finished entries

Inspect logs

Use /ps:logs [id] to open the log overlay for one process. The viewer is cached per process, so switching tabs preserves scroll position and follow mode.

This is useful when Pi started a server, watcher, or local API and you want to follow what it is doing in more detail.

Control the dock

Use /ps:dock [expand|collapse|close] to control dock visibility.

The dock gives you a compact live view without leaving the conversation.

Pin one process

Use /ps:pin [id] to keep the dock focused on one process.

This is useful when one process matters more than the others, such as a dev server or a test watcher.

Without arguments, Pi shows a picker.

Stop and clear processes

Use /ps:kill [id] to stop a running process, and /ps:clear to remove finished entries from the panel and free their log storage.

/ps:kill waits for the process to actually exit (or time out), so the result it reports reflects what happened. Without arguments, Pi shows a picker.

/ps:clear never touches live processes.

Keep a status line in view

Enable the status widget in /ps:settings to show a compact line of running processes below the editor. Each process shows a status dot, its name, and its state, with +N more overflow when the line does not fit.

It is disabled by default. The widget reflows on resize and clears itself when the process list is empty.

Send input to a process

Use the process tool with action: "write" to send bytes to a running process’s stdin. This is how you drive interactive servers, REPLs, and CLIs that expect input after they start.

Pass input for the bytes to write, and set end: true to close stdin (for example to signal EOF to a waiting process).

Adjust settings

Use /ps:settings to configure the extension.

Available settings include:

• process list size
• output limits
• shell path override
• dock defaults
• follow mode behavior
• status widget toggle
• optional background command interception

Platform support

• macOS: supported
• Linux: supported
• Windows: not supported

Troubleshooting

Pi started something and I want to see more output

Open /ps for a quick overview, or use /ps:logs for full logs.

I want one process to stay visible

Use /ps:pin to focus the dock on that process.

I want Pi to avoid shell background tricks

Enable background command interception in /ps:settings. When enabled, Pi avoids normal shell background patterns and uses the process workflow instead.

Feature demos

Watch a file-backed log and recover from an error

Open the log overlay and inspect output

Stop and clear processes

Send input to a running process

Contributing

For development, testing, docs generation, and extension internals, see CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT