agent-shell: A single native Emacs experience to interact with different AI agents powered by ACP (Agent Client Protocol) https://agentclientprotocol.com

So far, agent-shell can interact with Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, and Goose, but can technically work with any ACP-powered agent.

ps. agent-shell needs more sponsors to become sustainable https://github.com/sponsors/xenodium

Agent shell is what I always wanted. I have been using many of the different Claude code integrations packages and they are really good. But there is always some friction because I need to run it in a terminal emulator. With agent shell it feels so much more integrated and natural.

I am really excited for these improvements, especially reading the env from a file.

I wish that agent-shell-sidebar had some screenshots though so I could see what it actually does.

So why would one want to use this verses using Claude Code directly?

A unified native user experience built into your text editor. Not only for Claude Code but also any other agent that talks ACP like Gemini CLI, Codex, Goose, etc.

I've used it a few times now. It's a really smooth experience for quite a new package.

There's another project called ECA: https://github.com/editor-code-assistant/eca

I think the difference is ECA is a coding agent with a LSP-like protocol for various frontend and editors, which itself supports many models.

Where as agent protocol if I understand lets you use many agents like Gemini CLI, Claude Code, well assuming they support the protocol, using various frontend?

Though I guess other coding agents could also adopt the ECA protocol maybe.

Yes, and the ECA project includes an emacs package; I've been using it recently.

I've been diving in to the ECA protocol a bit to debug some emacs issues, and from glancing at the ACP (Agent Client Protocol) documentation, it seems that the ECA and ACP protocols are incredibly similar, and both very well documented. An accident of reinvention.

Swing by the Emacs side ;) We got vim bindings too!