Migrating from herdr

Bring your herdr configuration, keybindings, and agent workflow to Hive.

Coming from herdr

Hive and herdr solve the same problem: coding agents in a terminal multiplexer that knows what they are doing. Most of what you know carries over, and one command brings your settings and keys.

Bring your configuration

hive config import-herdr                     # print the Hive config it would write, and a report
hive config import-herdr --herdr-keys --write  # write it, with herdr's whole keymap

It reads ~/.config/herdr/config.toml (or $HERDR_CONFIG_PATH, or --from) and sets what has a Hive equivalent:

herdr	Hive
`keys.prefix`	`keys.prefix_keys`
`keys.<action> = "prefix+x"`	`[keys.prefix] <action> = "x"`
`keys.<action> = "ctrl+alt+n"` (no prefix)	`[keys.terminal] <action> = "ctrl+alt+n"`
`keys.navigate_pane_*`	`[keys.navigate] focus_*`
`keys.switch_tab = "prefix+1..9"`	`tab_1` … `tab_9`
`split_vertical` · `split_horizontal`	`split_right` · `split_down`
`cycle_pane_next/previous` · `swap_pane_left/right`	`focus_next/prev` · `swap_prev/next`
`copy_mode` · `resize_mode` · `workspace_picker`, `goto`	`mode_copy` · `mode_resize` · `goto`
`previous_workspace` · `next_workspace`	`prev_env` · `next_env`
`[[keys.command]]` (`key`, `run`/`command`, `type`, `cwd`)	`[[keys.command]]` (popup, pane or shell)
`theme.name`, `theme.auto_switch`, `theme.custom.*`	`theme.name` (`auto`), `[theme.custom]`
`ui.sidebar_width`, `ui.sidebar_start_collapsed`, `ui.mouse_capture`	`ui.sidebar_width`, `ui.sidebar`, `ui.mouse`
`ui.toast.delivery`, `ui.sound.enabled`	`[notify]` toast, terminal, system, sound
`ui.tab_bar_right` (hostname, datetime, text, command)	`[[ui.status_right]]`
`terminal.default_shell`	`terminal.shell`
`session.resume_agents_on_restore`, `session.startup_per_agent_delay_ms`	same, `session.restore_stagger`

Everything else is listed with the reason it has no equivalent (workspace management keys, Kitty graphics, the settings screen, …). --herdr-keys starts from herdr’s default keymap, then applies yours, so prefix+v splits and prefix+x closes as you are used to. --write keeps your previous Hive config beside the new one.

Words

herdr	Hive
workspace	environment (`hive env`)
tab, pane	tab, pane
server	daemon (`hive daemon`)
agent detection, hooks	the same: manifests, `hive integration install`
`herdr --default-config`	`hive config default`
remote / SSH	`hive --remote <host>`, `hive machine`

What is different

Agents outlive the daemon. Each agent runs under its own shim, so restarting, upgrading or crashing the daemon never stops them, and hive update upgrades with no downtime.
Worktrees per agent. hive agent start --worktree <branch> gives an agent its own checkout; hive worktree manages them.
Agents drive agents. A stable CLI with --json, a Go SDK and an MCP server let agents start, prompt and wait for other agents.
Remote keeps the UI local. The UI runs on your machine and talks to remote daemons over ssh, with compressed, paced screen updates (about 14 MB/h for a busy pane).
Plugins run at start, on events and on demand, and put tokens in the sidebar.

Agents

Hive recognises the same agents (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, Amp, Aider), and Claude Code and Codex can report through their hooks (hive integration install claude). Agents running in herdr cannot move over while they run: start them again in Hive, resuming their conversations (claude --resume, codex resume --last).