A powerful terminal-based AI assistant — think Claude Code and Warp getting married and having a child. Unlike proprietary alternatives, term2 is open-source (MIT), works with any AI provider (OpenAI, OpenRouter, local self-hosted), requires no subscription, and uniquely supports remote server management via SSH.

Why term2 vs Alternatives?

	term2	Claude Code	Warp
Open Source	✅ MIT	❌ Proprietary	❌ Proprietary
Cost	Pay-per-use	$20-200/mo	Freemium
AI Providers	Any (OpenAI, OpenRouter, local, etc.)	Anthropic only	Selected models only
SSH Remote	✅ Native	❌ No	✅ Yes
Mentor Mode	✅ Built-in	❌ No	❌ No
Self-Hostable	✅	❌	❌

term2 gives you:

• Freedom — No vendor lock-in. Use any AI provider or model you prefer.
• Transparency — Open source means you can audit every line of code.
• Cost Control — Pay only for API usage, no monthly subscriptions.
• Remote Work — Troubleshoot and manage remote servers without installing anything on remote hosts.

Key Features

• 🎭 Three Operating Modes tailored to different workflows:

  • Default Mode: Full-power codebase work with all editing tools
  • Lite Mode: Fast, read-only mode perfect for SSH sessions and system administration
  • Mentor Mode: Dual-AI consultation for complex architectural decisions

• 🤖 Multi-Provider Support: OpenAI, OpenRouter (Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek), Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM — use any model you want

• 🌐 SSH Mode: Execute commands and edit files on remote servers over SSH — perfect for server management without installing anything on the remote host

• 🔒 Safe Execution: Every command requires explicit approval with diff preview before execution

• 🛠️ Advanced Tools: Shell execution, file patching, search/replace, grep, find files, file reading, web search

• 💬 Slash Commands: /clear, /quit, /model, /mentor, /lite for instant mode switching

• 🎯 Streaming Responses: See the AI’s thoughts and reasoning in real-time

Operating Modes

Default Mode — Codebase Development

Full-featured mode with all editing tools and project context loading. Best for working on code projects.

Lite Mode — Everyday Terminal Assistant

The problem it solves: You need a general-purpose terminal assistant for everyday system tasks — not working with a codebase or project.

• 🚀 Fast and lightweight — No codebase context, quick startup
• 🔧 General terminal tools — Shell, grep, read files (no code editing)
• 🌐 Perfect for SSH — Ideal for remote server management
• 🔄 Toggleable — Switch on/off mid-session with /lite command

Perfect for: System administration, investigating logs, SSH sessions, file management, quick command help.

Mentor Mode — Collaborative Problem Solving

The problem it solves: You’re tackling a complex codebase problem and need expert consultation.

Two AI minds working together: your primary AI does reconnaissance and implementation, while a separate (often more powerful) mentor model provides strategic guidance and challenges assumptions. Think of it as pair programming with an expert consultant.

Best for: Architectural decisions, “am I missing something?” sanity checks, getting unstuck, pre-commit reviews.

Installation

npm install --global @qduc/term2
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
term2

Usage Examples

# Start in different modes
term2                    # Default mode for codebase work
term2 --lite            # Lite mode for general terminal help
term2 -m gpt-5.2        # Use specific model

# SSH mode for remote work
term2 --ssh user@host --remote-dir /path/to/project
term2 --ssh user@host --lite  # SSH + lite mode

Safety Features

• Command approval required for every operation
• Diff preview for file changes before approval
• Risk analysis for dangerous operations
• Path safety checks for sensitive directories
• No hidden actions — all tool usage is transparent

Tech Stack

• TypeScript
• Ink — React for CLI
• OpenAI Agents SDK
• ssh2 for remote execution

Check out the GitHub repository for detailed documentation and advanced usage.