A Desk Status Display for Zed: Show Facts, Not Agent Mood
Desk Terminal costs $79. A small colour screen sits inside a working miniature computer whose case recalls a 1984 all-in-one. It could carry a compact project summary beside Zed. Its operating system, power, connection, browser, shell and display transport are not confirmed, so none of those implementation routes can be promised.
What belongs on a second tiny screen next to Zed?
Prefer a few facts with sources: repository alias, branch, dirty or clean Git state, last known build result and timestamp. Avoid prompts, diffs, full paths, credentials and customer information. “Agent thinking” is not a verifiable project state.
Make unknown visually distinct from success. Every result needs a readable age because files can change immediately after a build.
How do you pipe task and build state to the display?
Zed tasks can run commands in its integrated terminal and expose selected project variables. Wrap the actual build or test so its exit status and completion time are recorded locally. That still does not send data to this device without a documented receiver and transport.
Do not assume SSH, HDMI, Wi-Fi or a browser. Prototype the exact view in an ordinary small window before buying.
Does the 1984 styling clash with a minimal editor?
That is personal. A playful second object can coexist with a restrained interface if the desk has power, cable and viewing space. It can also become visual clutter whose maintenance exceeds its informational value.
Mock its footprint using an object already owned. Judge whether the intended text remains readable from the sitting position without inventing screen measurements.
What is it worse at than a terminal split?
A small status surface cannot support detailed logs, interactive prompts, diff review, shell history or tool permission. A Zed terminal split already shares project context and needs no second computer. The miniature device adds updates, security boundaries and failure modes.
Test stale data deliberately: edit after a good build, switch branches, interrupt the wrapper and disconnect the receiver. Each case should become unknown or outdated. A display failure must not change the real command's exit code. Redact paths before transmission, avoid inbound network exposure and document how the feed stops.
The Desk Terminal is a candidate display, not a ready-made Zed companion. Keep every agent decision and detailed review on the primary computer, and buy only after the device interface supports the already-proven software mock. Use the Git repository as the source for branch and cleanliness, not text copied from an agent response. Treat a build as passing only when the wrapper receives the real successful exit status. If several projects run together, assign an explicit local alias and prevent late results from one project replacing another. The screen should show source and age together.