Show HN: Browser Terminal Use – run local CLI/agent loops in browser terminals

[chaokunyang]

I built Browser Terminal Use: a Chrome extension + local daemon + CLI that lets you run commands in a browser-hosted terminal from your local shell on macOS,

Why I built it: setups). - I wanted a bridge that keeps local automation while executing remotely in the browser terminal context.

How it works:

- browterm CLI sends exec requests to browterm-daemon on localhost. - Daemon serializes requests (single active command) and routes to a bound Chrome terminal tab. - Command is wrapped with markers to extract clean output + remote exit code. - Supports timeout and cancel.

Current limitations:

- Browser terminal websocket protocols vary by vendor. - Some UIs can block input fallbacks. - Cross-origin iframe terminals can reduce observability.

I’d really value feedback on reliability across terminal vendors and ideas for improving compatibility.

[chaokunyang]

This project is for running local CLI/agent loops on macOS/Linux/Windows while executing commands inside browser-hosted terminals for cloud servers. The key goal is output/exit-code parity so local automation can trust remote runs.