Agenv — A Full IDE for Building, Running, and Monitoring AI Agents

Source: Dev.to

Overview

Agenv (the Agent Development Environment) is a full web‑based IDE purpose‑built for running and monitoring AI agents such as Claude, Gemini, Vertex, or any CLI‑based model. It provides a single workspace where you can:

• Run multiple agents side‑by‑side in split terminal panes
• Edit code with syntax highlighting for 30+ languages
• Stage, diff, and commit with built‑in Git integration
• Track token usage and costs in real‑time per session
• Persist sessions that survive browser crashes and reconnects

Agenv can be used as a desktop app (via Electron) or as a web server accessible from any device, including phones.

Features

• Split terminals – run several agents simultaneously, each with its own persistent PTY session. Switch with Alt+1‑9 or the tab bar, and drag‑and‑drop files directly into terminals.
• Full‑featured file editor – syntax highlighting, tree‑view explorer, quick file search (Ctrl+P), and project‑wide text search (Ctrl+T).
• Git sidebar – stage files, view diffs, write commits, and push without leaving the IDE.
• Session persistence – scrollback history, running processes, and environment state survive browser closures; data is encrypted at rest with AES‑256‑GCM.
• Cost monitoring – real‑time token usage and cost per agent session, with status indicators for running, waiting, or errored states.
• Security – desktop mode runs locally with no open ports; web mode uses 128‑bit random token auth, scrypt‑hashed passwords, rate limiting, CSP headers, and AES‑256‑GCM encryption.
• Lightweight architecture – vanilla JavaScript modules (no React/Vue), minimal dependencies, fast UI.

Installation

# Global install via npm
npm install -g @adibenmatdev/agenv

Or run without installing:

npx @adibenmatdev/agenv

For the optional desktop app experience, install Electron globally:

npm install -g electron

Quick Start

# Launch the environment (desktop app if Electron is installed, otherwise web mode)
agenv

# Force web mode (opens in browser, accessible from any device)
agenv --web

# Web mode on a custom port
agenv --web --port 8080

# Launch directly into an agent (example with Claude)
agenv run claude --model

Usage

Running Multiple Agents

Each agent runs in its own persistent PTY session. Use Alt+1‑9 or the tab bar to switch between them. Sessions retain scrollback history and running processes even after closing the browser or shutting down the laptop.

Editing Files

The built‑in editor supports syntax highlighting for over 30 languages, a tree‑view file explorer, quick file search (Ctrl+P), and project‑wide text search (Ctrl+T). No need to toggle between a terminal and an external editor.

Git Integration

From the sidebar you can:

• Stage and unstage files
• View diffs
• Write commit messages
• Push to remote repositories

This covers most mid‑session version‑control needs without leaving the IDE.

Session Persistence & Security

• All session data is encrypted at rest with AES‑256‑GCM.
• Desktop mode runs locally with no open network ports.
• Web mode uses a 128‑bit random token for authentication, scrypt‑hashed passwords, rate limiting, and strict CSP headers.

Cost Monitoring

Real‑time token usage and cost are displayed per agent session, helping you avoid unexpected billing surprises.

Desktop vs. Web Mode

# Desktop mode (default when Electron is available)
agenv

# Web mode – accessible from any device on your network
agenv --web --host 0.0.0.0

# Remote access via built‑in ngrok integration (enable from UI)
agenv --web

Architecture

Agenv keeps the stack minimal:

• express – HTTP server
• ws – WebSocket communication
• @lydell/node-pty – terminal emulation
• qrcode-terminal – QR code generation for mobile access

The frontend consists of plain JavaScript modules—no React, Vue, or build step required.

License & Links

• GitHub:
• npm package: @adibenmatdev/agenv
• License: Apache‑2.0

If you’re building with AI agents, give Agenv a spin. Issues, pull requests, and stars are all welcome.