OpenCode Dashboard v3

Challenge

OpenCode's agent system generates a lot of activity — tasks, agent switches, tool calls, session data — but there was no way to visualise this information. Debugging agent behaviour and monitoring progress required digging through log files. The dashboard needed to be local-only (no data leaves the machine), read-only (no mutations), and work with whatever data format the agent system produces.

Approach

Built with Vite and TypeScript as a static frontend application that reads agent session logs directly from the filesystem. The dashboard polls for new data at configurable intervals and renders a live-updating view of agent activity. The UI shows task lists, agent switch history, tool call traces, and session timelines. Each view is a self-contained panel that can be shown, hidden, or rearranged. The read-only constraint was actually liberating — it eliminated the need for state management complexity, authentication, and API design. The entire application is a visualiser for existing data.

Key Code

// Polling-based data reader — no server needed
function useSessionData(pollInterval: number = 5000) {
  const [sessions, setSessions] = useState<Session[]>([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    const load = async () => {
      const data = await window.api.readSessions();
      setSessions(data);
    };
    load();
    const interval = setInterval(load, pollInterval);
    return () => clearInterval(interval);
  }, [pollInterval]);

  return sessions;
}

Results

• Real-time agent monitoring without any backend infrastructure
• Read-only architecture means zero risk of accidental data mutation
• Drop-in integration — works with existing OpenCode session data without configuration
• Self-contained panels enable independent development and testing

Key Learnings

• Local-first applications are simpler and more secure than their networked equivalents
• Polling with configurable intervals is often better than WebSockets for local tools
• A visual dashboard for agent activity dramatically improves debugging velocity

Gallery