pi-tau-mux

A lightweight client extension that connects Pi to pi-tau-mux-server.

This extension turns your Pi session into a client that registers with the standalone Tau mux server, enabling real-time mirroring in the browser across multiple Pi instances.

Architecture

┌─────────────┐                    ┌──────────────────────┐                    ┌─────────────┐
│  Pi TUI     │                    │  pi-tau-mux-server   │                    │  Browser    │
│  (terminal) │    WebSocket /pi    │  (standalone daemon) │    WebSocket /ws   │  (Tau UI)  │
│             │◄───────────────────►│                      │◄──────────────────►│             │
└─────────────┘                    │  Aggregates all      │                    └─────────────┘
                                   │  Pi instances        │
┌─────────────┐                    │                      │                    ┌─────────────┐
│  Pi TUI     │                    │  Serves web UI       │                    │  Phone      │
│  (another)  │◄───────────────────►│  Scans sessions      │◄──────────────────►│  (QR scan)  │
└─────────────┘                    └──────────────────────┘                    └─────────────┘

This extension = lightweight client (registers, forwards events, unregisters)
pi-tau-mux-server = standalone server (web UI, session browser, Tailscale support)

Install

pi install git:github.com/dwainm/pi-tau-mux

Usage

1. Start the mux server (one-time or auto-start):

   pi-tau-mux-server

   Or let the extension prompt you when Pi starts.

2. Start Pi normally — the extension auto-connects to the mux server

3. Open the web UI at the URL shown (e.g., http://localhost:3001 or your Tailscale URL)

Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /tauconnect | Connect to the mux server | | /taudisconnect | Disconnect from the mux server |

Environment Variables

| Variable | Default | Description | |----------|---------|-------------| | TAU_HOST | localhost | Mux server host | | TAU_PORT | 3001 | Mux server port | | TAU_AUTO_CONNECT | 1 | Set to 0 to disable auto-connect |

Features

Session Mirroring

• Real-time streaming of messages, tool calls, and thinking blocks
• Multiple Pi instances can connect to the same mux server
• Browser shows all active sessions across projects

Tailscale Support

The mux server auto-detects Tailscale and uses your Tailscale IP or MagicDNS hostname. Scan the QR code from any device on your tailnet.

Session Browser

View history from any past Pi session, grouped by project. Active sessions show a "LIVE" indicator.

Related

• pi-tau-mux-server — The standalone server (install globally)
• pi-coding-agent — The Pi coding agent
• Tau (original) — This is a fork with tmux awareness and mux architecture

Why the Split?

The original Tau ran an HTTP server inside each Pi process. This worked for single instances but caused issues with:

• Multiple Pi instances (port conflicts)
• Remote access (needed each port forwarded)
• Resource usage (server per Pi process)

The mux architecture solves these:

• One server for all Pi instances
• One port to forward or expose via Tailscale
• Session aggregation across all running Pi instances

License

MIT