Introduction

Mel is a cross-platform terminal for macOS, Linux, and Windows that puts a real command line, an AI agent, and code tools in one window. You run commands the way you always have — and when a task is bigger than a command, you hand it to the agent without leaving the terminal.

The mental model

Three ideas explain almost everything in Mel:

• Everything is a block. Each command you run becomes a block: the command, its output, its working directory, and its timing, grouped together. Blocks are selectable, copyable, filterable, and bookmarkable — your scrollback is structured data, not a wall of text.
• The agent lives in your terminal. Press ctrl+enter (cmd+enter on macOS) and your prompt becomes an agent conversation. The agent reads files, searches your project, edits code, and runs commands — in your working directory, with your approval on anything that changes state. Mel ships with model access built in: you don't configure API keys.
• Code tools are one keystroke away. A built-in code review panel (ctrl+shift+=) shows your uncommitted git changes as a proper diff, a tools panel (ctrl+\) holds a project explorer, global search, saved conversations, and your Drive library, and a built-in editor opens files with syntax highlighting and optional language-server support.

The three layers share state. The agent's edits show up in code review. A file from the project explorer drags straight into a prompt. A conversation you close collapses into your scrollback and reopens where you left off.

Your first ten minutes

1. Install Mel for your OS. The macOS build is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens on a double-click; Windows is code-signed, though SmartScreen may prompt once while the certificate builds reputation.
2. Follow the quickstart: run a few commands, start an agent conversation, approve a tool call, open code review.
3. Read coding in Mel to see how the terminal, agent, editor, and review panel combine on a real task.

Where to go next

• Supported shells — Mel runs your own shell (bash, zsh, fish, or cmd.exe on Windows) and hydrates its environment so your tools just work.
• Keyboard shortcuts — the full binding table. When in doubt, press ctrl+P: the command palette lists every action Mel can perform.
• Customizing Mel — settings, tab configs, and your Drive library.
• Updating Mel — how releases ship today.

If you ever feel lost inside the app, hover any icon: Mel shows a small info card explaining what the control does and what it's good for.