A lightweight, fast desktop code editor built with Electron, React, and Monaco Editor.
- Monaco Editor — Full syntax highlighting for 80+ languages, IntelliSense, minimap, word wrap, configurable line numbers
- Multi-Tab Editing — Drag-to-reorder tabs, split pane support (Ctrl+\), diff viewer for git changes
- Integrated Terminal — Multiple terminal sessions with tabbed interface, resizable panels, auto-creates on open
- File Explorer — Tree view sidebar with lazy-loaded directories, file watcher with auto-refresh on external changes
- Git Integration — Stage/unstage, commit, push/pull/fetch, branch management, inline diff viewer, discard changes
- Project-Wide Search — Regex search across all files from the sidebar (Ctrl+Shift+F)
- Zen Mode — Distraction-free editing with multiple layout options (grid, splitter, tabs, floating windows). Separate panels per file or unified tabbed editor mode
- Workspace Persistence — Per-project session restore: tabs, split layout, cursor positions, sidebar state, and settings
- Per-Workspace Settings — Override global settings on a per-project basis with visual indicators and one-click reset
- Built-in Browser — Embedded browser panels in zen mode for web development workflows
- Custom Titlebar — VS Code-style three-section layout with menu bar, command center search, and layout toggles
| Grid Layout | Splitter Layout |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Download the latest installer from the Releases page.
Or build from source:
git clone https://github.com/ahostbr/LiteEditor.git
cd LiteEditor
npm install
npm run distThe installer will be in the dist/ folder.
npm run dev # Start dev server with HMR
npm run build # Build for production
npm run preview # Preview production build
npm run dist # Build Windows installer (NSIS)
npm run dist:dir # Build portable directory (no installer)
npm run test # Run all Playwright E2E testsThree-process Electron app with context isolation:
Main Process (src/main/) — Node.js: file I/O, git, PTY, search
| IPC via preload bridge
Preload (src/preload/) — Exposes window.api with namespaced methods
| contextBridge
Renderer (src/renderer/) — React 19 + Zustand state management
Key tech: Electron 34, React 19, Monaco Editor, xterm.js + node-pty, simple-git, Zustand, Tailwind CSS v4, Vite
LiteEditor includes a built-in MCP server that lets AI agents control the editor's terminal and browser panels. This enables workflows like an AI agent running commands in your terminal, browsing the web for documentation, or coordinating with other agents through shared terminal sessions.
The MCP server requires Python 3.10+ with FastMCP:
pip install fastmcpAdd the server to your MCP client config (e.g. ~/.claude/mcp.json for Claude Code):
{
"mcpServers": {
"liteeditor": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/path/to/LiteEditor/src/mcp-server/server.py"]
}
}
}LiteEditor must be running — the MCP server communicates with the editor via a local HTTP bridge on 127.0.0.1:7423.
The server exposes two tools: pty and browser. Each tool uses an action parameter to select the operation.
Manage terminal sessions and enable inter-agent communication through shared PTY sessions.
| Action | Params | Description |
|---|---|---|
register |
agent_id, pty_session_id |
Register an agent with a terminal session for inter-agent access |
read |
agent_id |
Read filtered output from an agent's terminal (strips ANSI codes, spinners, progress bars) |
write |
agent_id, data |
Send text to an agent's terminal |
submit |
agent_id |
Send Enter keystroke |
ctrl |
agent_id, data |
Send Ctrl+key (e.g. data="c" for Ctrl+C) |
list |
— | List all active PTY sessions |
help |
— | Show help and registered agents |
Inter-agent communication example:
An agent registers itself with a terminal session. Other agents can then read its output or send it commands:
# Agent A registers itself
pty(action="register", agent_id="builder", pty_session_id="pty-1")
# Agent B reads Agent A's terminal output
pty(action="read", agent_id="builder")
# Agent B sends a command to Agent A's terminal
pty(action="write", agent_id="builder", data="npm run build")
# Agent B interrupts Agent A's process
pty(action="ctrl", agent_id="builder", data="c")
Agent registrations are persisted at ~/.liteeditor/agents/ (one JSON file per agent) and survive across sessions.
Control embedded browser panels in zen mode for web automation, testing, and research.
| Action | Params | Description |
|---|---|---|
list |
— | List active browser sessions |
navigate |
session_id, url |
Load a URL |
back / forward |
session_id |
History navigation |
reload |
session_id |
Reload the page |
read_page |
session_id |
Get indexed interactive elements + visible text |
screenshot |
session_id |
Capture page as base64 PNG |
click |
session_id, index |
Click element by index |
type |
session_id, text, [index] |
Type into element (optional focus target) |
scroll |
session_id, direction, [amount] |
Scroll up/down/left/right |
select_option |
session_id, element_index, option_index |
Select dropdown option |
execute_js |
session_id, code |
Run arbitrary JavaScript |
console_logs |
session_id, [since] |
Get console log entries |
help |
— | Show help text |
Browser workflow:
# 1. Find available browser sessions
browser(action="list")
# 2. Navigate to a page
browser(action="navigate", session_id="browser-1-...", url="https://example.com")
# 3. Read the page — get indexed elements and visible text
browser(action="read_page", session_id="browser-1-...")
# 4. Interact with elements by index
browser(action="click", session_id="browser-1-...", index=5)
browser(action="type", session_id="browser-1-...", text="search query", index=3)
# 5. Capture a screenshot
browser(action="screenshot", session_id="browser-1-...")
read_page returns all interactive elements (links, buttons, inputs, etc.) with numeric indices. Use those indices with click, type, and select_option to interact with the page.
For direct integration without MCP, the Agent Bridge exposes a REST API on 127.0.0.1:7423:
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
/pty/list |
GET | List PTY sessions |
/pty/read |
POST | Read session output |
/pty/write |
POST | Write to session |
/pty/talk |
POST | Write command + Enter |
/browser/list |
GET | List browser sessions |
/browser/navigate |
POST | Load URL |
/browser/read-page |
POST | Index page elements |
/browser/screenshot |
POST | Capture PNG |
/browser/click |
POST | Click element |
/browser/type |
POST | Type text |
/browser/scroll |
POST | Scroll page |
/browser/execute-js |
POST | Run JavaScript |
/browser/console-logs |
POST | Get console logs |
LiteEditor supports spanning across multiple monitors for maximum screen real estate. Click the Span Across All Monitors button in the titlebar (between Maximize and Close) to stretch the window across all connected displays. This is especially useful in zen mode — spread your editor, terminals, and browser panels across multiple screens with any layout (grid, splitter, tabs, or floating windows).
To restore, click the same button again or use the Restore from Multi-Monitor Span tooltip button.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+O | Open file |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | Open folder |
| Ctrl+W | Close tab |
| Ctrl+\ | Split pane |
| Ctrl+B | Toggle sidebar |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Search in files |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Explorer panel |
| Ctrl+Shift+G | Source control panel |
| Ctrl+Shift+T | Toggle zen mode |
| Ctrl+Tab | Next tab |
| Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Previous tab |
| Ctrl+=/-/0 | Zoom in/out/reset |
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.