SideNook
A lightweight floating terminal panel for macOS. Lives at your screen edge — invisible until needed.
Always there. Never in the way.
SideNook fills a gap macOS has always had: a terminal that's always there but never in the way. Traditional terminal apps live in the Dock, get buried under windows, and require Cmd+Tab gymnastics to reach. SideNook lives at your screen edge — a 9pt-wide pill that opens on hover, delivers a full terminal, and collapses back without disturbing your flow.
It works on all Spaces, fullscreen apps, and Mission Control. Never steals focus. Never clutters your Dock. Designed for Claude Code users, SSH sessions, and anyone who needs a terminal on demand without breaking context.
Download SideNook
macOS 14+. Drag to your Applications folder and launch. That's it.
Built-in notes
CL Notes is a persistent monospaced notepad built into the panel. Jot down commands, draft code snippets, or keep a running log — all without leaving your terminal.
- Line-number gutter (up to 100 lines)
- Three access modes: inline drawer, popover, or full tab
- Auto-saved on every change
- Full undo support and standard keyboard shortcuts
Command line help
A searchable command reference loaded from Metadata/command-lines.md.
Click any command row to send it directly to the active terminal.
- Inline drawer, popover, or full-tab mode
- Real-time filter as you type
- Resizable drawer (80–384pt range)
- Click-to-send to active terminal
“SideNook is exactly what I needed. A terminal panel that's always there but never in the way. The auto-hide is seamless.”
“The CL Notes feature is a game changer for keeping track of commands during long debugging sessions.”
“Incredibly lightweight. Doesn't slow down my machine at all. And it's just so convenient to have a terminal a hotkey away.”
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