agents · review · first seen Oct 26, 09:32 UTC

Cline adds file review and terminal panels to desktop

Desktop v0.0.49 shipped file-change review, a project file viewer, and an integrated terminal panel. The reason to look now is whether those panels let you inspect a session’s edits without leaving the app.

L0 · primary1 source6 claims checked4 min read

What shipped

The Changes button in the session header shows line counts and opens a pane of changed files, either for the last turn or for the whole session. The pane provides a diff for each file. After a turn finishes, a summary beneath it lists that turn’s changed files; selecting the summary opens the pane on that turn. This gives a reviewer two scopes for the same job: inspect the latest edit before continuing, or inspect the accumulated edits before closing the session. [1]

The folder button in the session header opens a project file tree beside the conversation. Its tabbed viewer is read-only. The tree shows git status letters and marks files the session changed; files the agent edited have a File/Diff toggle. The panel works in local and SSH environments. That distinction matters if you review work on both kinds of projects: the release notes establish the panel’s availability in each, but do not establish that every surrounding workflow behaves identically. [1][2]

An integrated terminal panel now opens at the bottom of the window and can be toggled with Ctrl+backtick. The release also shipped a Local Models settings page for managing Ollama and LM Studio models, with setup guidance, model details and storage information, plus a composer chip showing memory used by the loaded model. If the Hub fails to start, the startup screen offers Retry and Export diagnostics. These are separate additions; the file-review panels do not depend on a claim about local models or startup recovery. [1][2][3]

Why it matters if you build

For a builder checking an agent’s edit, the most direct change is the path from a completed turn to its diff. The turn summary identifies the files changed in that turn, while Changes can widen the review to the session. I would use the narrow view after each turn, then the session view before treating the work as ready. That is a proposed review routine, not a measured improvement in review time or quality. [1]

The project file panel adds context to that review. A read-only viewer lets you inspect a file without making an edit in that viewer; the File/Diff toggle lets you compare the file and its edit where the agent changed it. Git status letters and session-change markers provide two visible cues about where to look. They are cues, not a substitute for reading the diffs. The same inspection path is stated to work for local and SSH environments. [1][2]

The terminal panel may reduce the need to switch windows when a review calls for terminal work, but the supplied notes only establish that the panel opens and where it sits. They do not describe its command behavior or quantify any time saved. The Local Models page is worth checking if you already manage Ollama or LM Studio models in Desktop; the stated memory chip gives a visible reading for the loaded model, not a promise about model performance. Retry and Export diagnostics offer a path when Hub startup fails, not a guarantee of recovery. [1][2][3]

How to try it today

1. Open a session in Desktop v0.0.49, make a change, and use the completed turn’s file summary to inspect that turn’s diffs.
2. Use Changes in the session header to compare the last-turn list with the whole-session list.
3. Open the folder button; inspect the file tree, a tab in the read-only viewer, and the File/Diff toggle on an edited file.
4. If you use an SSH environment, repeat the project-file inspection there.
5. Toggle the bottom terminal panel with Ctrl+backtick.
6. If you use Ollama or LM Studio, inspect Local Models settings and the loaded-model memory chip.

What we checked

Every claim below was walked down the source ladder. The rung is how close the source is to the thing itself; the tense is the source's own.

1. shipped L0 · primary

   A Changes button opens a pane with diffs for files changed in the last turn or across the session.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)
2. shipped L0 · primary

   The project files panel has a read-only tabbed viewer.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)
3. shipped L0 · primary

   The project files panel works in local and SSH environments.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)
4. shipped L0 · primary

   An integrated terminal panel opens at the bottom of the window.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)
5. shipped L0 · primary

   A Local Models settings page manages Ollama and LM Studio models.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)
6. shipped L0 · primary

   If the Hub fails to start, a startup screen offers Retry and Export diagnostics.

   per GitHub releases · cline/cline (L0)

What is not confirmed

The supplied release excerpt does not establish that reviewing in these panels is faster, that it catches more mistakes, or that the terminal panel supports a particular command workflow. It states the panels and their entry points, not measured outcomes or terminal behavior. Test those questions against your own sessions before changing a review policy. [1][2][3]

The excerpt says the project files panel works in local and SSH environments, but gives no comparison of their behavior. It also does not say that Retry will resolve a Hub startup failure; Export diagnostics is an available option, not a stated fix. [1][2]

Who should act, who should wait

Move now if you regularly need to inspect what an agent changed during a session. Try the turn-level and session-level diffs, then check whether the file tree and read-only viewer cover the context you need. Those shipped controls give you a concrete workflow to evaluate today, including in an SSH environment. [1][2][3]

Wait before making a broader process change if your decision depends on proven review savings, specific terminal behavior, or guaranteed startup recovery. The supplied claims do not establish those outcomes. You can still evaluate the terminal panel, Local Models page, and startup options as shipped features without treating them as evidence for a larger claim. [1][2][3]

Sources

• Desktop v0.0.49 — GitHub releases · cline/cline L0 · primary