Repository
A git repository on your local filesystem. Commander creates isolated worktrees within it for each workspace.- Has its own settings (default model, budget, manager config)
- Can be assigned a specific Claude account
- Has a manager hierarchy (one root manager, optional project sub-managers)
Workspace
An isolated git worktree created from a repository. Each workspace has its own branch and one or more agents working in it.- Created from scratch, from a Linear issue, or from a GitHub PR
- Runs setup scripts on creation (e.g., dependency installation)
- Shows live git status (files changed, ahead/behind, conflicts)
- Can be linked to a Linear issue and/or a GitHub pull request
- Assigned to a manager (root manager by default, or a project sub-manager)
- Can be archived when complete, or deleted to remove the worktree
Agent
An AI agent running within a workspace. Agents execute your prompts, use tools, edit files, and report progress in real time.- You can see every message, tool call, and file edit as it happens
- Tracks token usage, cost (including overage), and context window fill
- Supports plan mode (proposes steps for your approval before executing)
- Messages queue automatically when the agent is busy
- Sessions persist across app restarts
- Can be warmed up for faster initial response
Manager
A recursive manager hierarchy (one root manager per repository, with optional project sub-managers) that coordinates work across all your workspaces and agents.- Root manager — One per repository. Monitors all agents and workspaces. Cannot be deleted.
- Project managers — Optional sub-managers for scoping work into named groups, each owning a subset of workspaces. Can be deleted, reparented, or have workspaces reassigned.
- Monitors agent completions, errors, rate limits, and questions
- Manages goals with hierarchical task tracking
- Can create workspaces, manage agents, and send Slack messages
- Provides suggested actions as clickable buttons in the UI
- Periodically reflects on progress
Goal
A trackable objective managed by the manager.- Supports hierarchical structure (parent goals with sub-goals)
- Can be linked to a workspace, agent, Linear issue, or pull request
- Tracks status from pending through completed or cancelled
- Supports images with captions and rich descriptions
Container
A Docker container managed within a workspace for running services, databases, or dev dependencies.- Supports image pulling, port mapping, environment variables, volume mounts, and health checks
- Full lifecycle management: create, pull, start, stop, restart, remove
- Logs viewable within Commander
Environment
A managed development environment provisioned from adevcontainer.json configuration.
- Two modes: Local Docker (runs containers on your machine) or GitHub Codespaces (remote cloud environment)
- Configured per-repository in Settings → Environments
- Auto-provisions when new workspaces are created (optional)
- Includes port forwarding, health monitoring, and lifecycle management
- Agents can build, test, and run code inside the environment
Tracing
A built-in observability system for understanding agent performance.- View trace summaries per agent with duration, span count, and error count
- Drill into individual spans to see timing, attributes, and events
- Aggregate tool call statistics: call count, average duration, error rate
- Identify bottlenecks with slowest-span and error-span queries
- Helps debug why agents take longer than expected or encounter failures