bootty

name	bootty
description	Automates terminal and TUI applications (vim, htop, lazygit, dialog) through managed PTY sessions. Use when the agent needs to interact with terminal apps, run commands and verify output, edit files in vim/nano, navigate TUI menus, click terminal UI elements, or automate CLI workflows with interactive prompts.
compatibility	Requires bootty in PATH. macOS and Linux.

Terminal Automation with bootty

Quick start

bootty spawn --name editor vim file.txt
bootty wait "file.txt"
bootty screenshot
bootty key i
bootty type "Hello, World!"
bootty key Escape
bootty type ":wq"
bootty key Enter
bootty kill editor

Core workflow

1. Spawn: bootty spawn <command> starts the app in a background PTY
2. Wait: bootty wait <pattern> ensures the app is ready
3. Screenshot: bootty screenshot captures screen state
4. Interact: Use type for text, key for special keys, click for mouse
5. Verify and cleanup: Re-screenshot after changes, then kill sessions

References

• references/key-input.md: Key names, modifiers, and TUI patterns
• references/screenshot-formats.md: Screenshot formats and JSON schema
• references/session-management.md: Session lifecycle and naming rules

Templates

• templates/vim-workflow.sh: Edit a file with vim and save/quit
• templates/command-and-verify.sh: Run a command and wait for output
• templates/multi-session.sh: Orchestrate multiple sessions