Multitui

What is Multitui?

Multitui is a macOS app factory that wraps terminal-based TUI (text user interface) programs into dedicated native .app bundles. Its goal is to let you keep using your existing command-line tools while running them inside a sandboxed macOS terminal app, rather than launching the tooling directly in your normal shell.

The sandboxing focuses on protecting a development machine from untrusted or agent-driven code. Multitui applies filesystem sandbox rules, network filtering, and a secrets filter to reduce the risk of reading/writing outside allowed locations or leaking credentials over outbound connections.

Key Features

• TUI-to-.app wrapping: Turns TUI programs into individual macOS app bundles with their own dock icons, Spotlight integration, and window management.
• Filesystem sandboxing (sandbox-exec): Uses macOS sandbox-exec with default-deny behavior for writes and deletes, plus targeted allow rules for specific paths.
• Network sandbox controls: Can block all outbound network access or apply domain-level rules to limit which hosts tools can contact.
• Secrets filter (gitleaks-powered): Scans outbound network traffic for API keys, tokens, and credentials before they leave your machine.
• Deny/allow visibility and override: Provides a log of denied actions so you can add allow rules; also includes an option explicitly described as --dangerously-skip-permissions.

How to Use Multitui

1. Download and open Multitui on macOS 15+ (the page shows v0.13.1, 24 MB).
2. Choose a TUI program to wrap as a Multitui app and configure its sandbox rules.
3. Use the sandbox rules to set filesystem permissions (including a default-deny baseline with targeted paths) and network rules (block-all or domain/host-level allow rules).
4. Save and run the generated macOS .app; keep it as a dedicated window for that tool while your normal terminal remains available for general work.

Use Cases

• Run AI coding agents with reduced blast radius: Wrap an agent-style TUI so it can operate without getting blanket write/delete access to your development environment, while outbound connections are filtered.
• Give a tool its own window instead of piling tabs: Convert frequently used TUIs into dedicated apps with their own dock icon and Spotlight entry, reducing terminal tab clutter.
• Protect sensitive files and secrets during experimentation: Use filesystem rules to restrict read/write to your project folder and deny writes/deletes elsewhere; rely on the secrets filter for outbound traffic.
• Limit network access for command-line utilities: Block all outbound traffic or allow only specific domains/hosts so a tool can’t freely reach the internet.
• Lock down agent permissions and iterate safely: Review the deny-action log when something is blocked, then add targeted allow rules rather than opening broad permissions.

FAQ

• What does Multitui sandbox—files, network traffic, or both? Multitui provides both filesystem sandboxing (via sandbox-exec) and network filtering, and it includes a secrets filter that scans outbound network traffic.

• Will I need a container or VM to use it? The page states you don’t need to launch a container or VM.

• How does Multitui handle file permissions? The page describes a default deny approach for writes and deletes, with targeted allow rules for specific paths (including allowances for the project folder) and a deny-action log to help you refine rules.

• Can Multitui fully block internet access? Yes—its network sandbox can be configured to block all outbound network access or allow only specific hosts/domains.

• What does the secrets filter look for? It is described as scanning outbound network traffic for API keys, tokens, and credentials, powered by gitleaks.

Alternatives

• Run TUIs directly in your terminal with manual process controls: Keeps the same terminal workflow but shifts responsibility to you (e.g., SSH/VPN rules, manual permissions, or external sandboxing) rather than using Multitui’s built-in app-level sandbox configuration.
• Use a general-purpose macOS sandboxing approach outside Multitui: Instead of converting TUIs into dedicated .app bundles, you could apply sandboxing via other macOS mechanisms, but you wouldn’t get the same per-tool app wrapping and rule tooling described here.
• Use container/VM-based isolation: This is the main alternative implied by the product page’s note that you don’t need one. Containers/VMs can isolate tools, but they add operational overhead compared with generating a native app.
• Terminal window management tools only: If the primary need is reducing terminal clutter, window manager/launcher solutions can help organize TUIs, but they don’t provide the same filesystem/network/secrets sandboxing.