Chan manual
Manual
A guide to chan: from your first window to remote workspaces and agent teams.
chan turns a folder on your disk into a workspace: it indexes the content for search, gives Markdown files autocompletion for linking to each other, and builds a graph of the project. Around that it gives you a desktop app with a fast terminal emulator, split panes, and built-in apps (editor, file browser, graph, dashboard, and more), so you and your coding agents work on the same project side by side. Everything runs locally by default, and the same experience works against a remote machine through Chan Devserver.
Install & first run
Install chan, open the Computers window, and turn a directory into a workspace.
Navigation
Arrange windows, panes, and tabs, and find actions with the command launcher.
Devserver
Set up a devserver and connect to its terminals and workspaces from the Computers window.
Terminal & teams
Use terminal commands, rich prompts, drafts, program status, and agent teams.
Editor & previews
Edit text, preview Markdown, slide decks, and JSON, and export documents to PDF.
File browser & reports
Browse files, transfer them between machines, and inspect code reports and COCOMO estimates.
Graph
Navigate directories and relationships, and use depth to see more of a repository.
Dashboard & index
Read workspace information, follow indexing progress, and manage what gets indexed.
Workspace search
Find content, files, tags, and relationships through the search UI and terminal.
Settings & defaults
Configure appearance, editing, terminals, shortcuts, and workspace preferences.
Screensavers
Configure idle locking and explore the animations shown in an empty workspace.