Run your app
Run configurations let you start your entire development environment with one click. Define the commands once, launch them together from the dashboard whenever you need them.
Run configs are stored in .cate/run-configs.json — a committed, tracked file that defines the scripts used to launch your app. Commit it to share configurations across your team.
Launch a run config
Section titled “Launch a run config”Your app launches in an isolated worktree — a separate copy of your repo with no file contention with your local checkout. You can run your app alongside agent work without either stepping on the other.
Select a configuration from the dropdown and click the green play icon. Each command starts in its own labeled sub-tab.
Set up a run config
Section titled “Set up a run config”Start a Pair session, then click the run configs dropdown (labeled No run configurations by default) and select Create with Cate. The agent interviews you about how your project runs.
It auto-detects common patterns from package.json, docker-compose.yml, and build files, so it skips what it can figure out on its own. You fill in the rest: the shell commands, names for each sub-tab, and a name for the configuration that appears in the launcher dropdown.
If you already have configurations in .cate/run-configs.json, the agent shows them and asks whether you want to modify, add, or start fresh.
What you get
Section titled “What you get”Each configuration is a named group of commands that launch in parallel sub-tabs. A single-command config gives you a one-click launcher. A multi-command config starts your API, frontend, database — whatever you need — simultaneously, each in its own labeled sub-tab.
Define multiple configurations for different situations: development versus staging, lightweight versus full stack. Pick which one to launch from the dropdown.
Save and share
Section titled “Save and share”The agent writes .cate/run-configs.json and validates the structure. You choose how to save:
- Branch and PR — share the configuration with your team.
- Commit directly — add it to the current branch.
- Local only — keep it uncommitted.
Important: Configurations appear in the launcher after the changes are merged and you re-open the repository.
See Run configs reference for the full JSON schema.