A Desk Status Display for Aider: Git and Tests at a Glance
Desk Terminal costs $79 and is a functioning miniature computer with retro all-in-one styling and a small colour display. It could carry concise Git or test information only if its operating system, power, connectivity and software path support that project. None of those technical details is confirmed.
What should a desk display show while Aider works?
Use a few authoritative fields: repository, branch, dirty or clean state, last known test result and timestamp. Do not show full diffs, prompts, credentials or customer data. “Agent working” is not a reliable Git or test fact.
Keep unknown distinct from success, and expire results after the working tree changes.
How do you feed Git and test status to a small screen?
A separate local process can run explicit read-only Git queries and a test wrapper can preserve the actual exit status. That process still needs a documented transport and receiver on the device. Do not assume SSH, HDMI, browser support or a shell.
Prototype the exact view in a small ordinary window before purchasing hardware.
Does a retro desk terminal earn space next to one monitor?
It may when a stable small summary prevents disruptive window switching and the miniature form is personally enjoyable. It does not when the same fields fit a terminal title, status bar or desktop notification. Another computer also adds power, updates and security maintenance.
Measure the desk and cable path. Aesthetic value must remain honest if the status project fails.
What can it not do that a real terminal does?
A tiny summary cannot support detailed diff review, interactive prompts, logs, shell history or safe approval. It should never execute Aider commands or Git operations merely because a state appears stale.
The Desk Terminal is a display candidate after technical verification, not a terminal mirror out of the box. Keep all decisions on the primary screen and walk away from unsupported assumptions. Design a stale-state test: change a file after a green test result, switch branches, interrupt the test process and disconnect the receiver. Every case should become unknown or explicitly outdated. Keep the wrapper read-only except for the tests it deliberately launches, and never let display failure alter a Git command's exit status. Security review belongs before network exposure. Use a synthetic repository during development and redact paths before they reach the second screen. If the device needs an account, cloud relay or inbound port, document that boundary before connecting a real project. Set a modest refresh interval so the display does not compete with the editor or hammer local commands. A timestamp must remain readable from the actual viewing distance.