Getting Started

Requirements

Collins is a GTK4 app. You'll need:

• Python ≥ 3.10
• GTK 4, libadwaita ≥ 1.5, VTE (the GTK 4 build), and PyGObject
• The claude CLI on your PATH

Install the system libraries with your distro's package manager:

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt install python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-4.0 gir1.2-adw-1 gir1.2-vte-3.91

Fedora

sudo dnf install python3-gobject gtk4 libadwaita vte291-gtk4

Arch

sudo pacman -S python-gobject gtk4 libadwaita vte4

Install

Debian / Ubuntu — .deb

Build the package with ./scripts/build_deb.sh, or grab the latest .deb from the releases page if one is published, then install it — dependencies are pulled in automatically:

sudo apt install ./collins_*_all.deb

It appears in your app grid as Collins, and the installed command is collins.

From source

git clone https://github.com/episode6/collins.git
cd collins
python3 -m collins

To add a desktop launcher and icon for your user:

./data/install.sh

First run

On first launch the sidebar lists every session found under ~/.claude/projects/, with all groups collapsed. Each session is given an auto-generated title (locally, from its first prompt), so you see names instead of UUIDs right away. Expand a project, click a session, and it opens in a terminal tab that resumes it. If you haven't used Claude Code yet, start a session right from the app — the New Session button (Ctrl+Shift+T) asks for a project folder and launches claude there — or run claude in a project yourself and the session will show up automatically.

On later launches the app reopens the session you had focused when you closed the window.