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OpenCode uses a client/server architecture. The terminal interface (TUI), browser interface, and Desktop app are clients; the OpenCode server is the process that owns the HTTP API, sessions, and working state. Two interfaces share sessions only when they connect to the same running server process and URL.
opencode web starts a server with a browser interface, and a terminal can join that exact instance with opencode attach <server-url>. Desktop normally starts its own local opencode-cli server sidecar, although it can be configured to use another server. A separately launched web or serve process is not automatically Desktop’s backend.
The service is a backend process, not a cloud account
OpenCode’s server documentation describes the TUI as “the client that talks to the server.” The server exposes HTTP endpoints and an OpenAPI 3.1 specification, so a terminal, browser, Desktop shell, or another compatible client can send requests to it. The server process is where the shared session context lives; the visible interface is only the client used to access that context.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThis distinction explains most confusing behavior. If two clients use one server URL, they can see the same sessions and state. If each client starts or selects a different server process, they have separate backends even if they run on the same computer. “Shared” therefore describes a connection arrangement, not an account-wide synchronization service.
The official architecture is documented in the OpenCode server documentation.
What starts the server in each interface
OpenCode has several startup paths. They differ by who launches the backend, whether a browser is included, and whether another client can attach to that exact process.
| Entry point | What it starts | Interface | Sharing implication |
|---|---|---|---|
opencode |
Starts the TUI together with an OpenCode server. | Terminal | The TUI is a client of the server it starts. Another client must be directed to that server’s URL to share its state. |
opencode serve |
Starts a headless server for API clients. | No browser UI | Useful when a separate TUI, web client, or other client should connect to a known endpoint. |
opencode web |
Starts a server and opens the browser interface. | Browser | A TUI attached to this server uses the same sessions and state. |
| Desktop | Runs a local opencode-cli server sidecar by default, or connects to a configured server URL. |
Desktop app | Desktop shares state with whichever URL it has selected, not automatically with every server running on the machine. |
The command distinctions are listed in the CLI reference. Exact defaults and flags can change, so check the documentation shipped with the release you installed when a port, host, or option matters.
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How terminal and web share one session
The most explicit shared arrangement is to let opencode web own the server and attach the TUI to it. Both clients then address one backend rather than starting independent services.
- Start the web server. Run
opencode web. It starts an OpenCode server, chooses an available port unless you assign one, binds to localhost by default, and opens the browser interface. - Identify the server URL. Use the URL printed by the command or shown by the browser startup information. The URL must identify the running server, including its host and port.
- Attach the terminal. In another terminal, run
opencode attach <server-url>, replacing the placeholder with that URL. - Work from either client. The browser and TUI now operate against the same server process. Sessions created or changed through one interface are available through the other because both are reading and writing the same backend state.
Closing one client does not mean the other client has moved to a new backend. Conversely, starting another opencode web or opencode serve creates another process unless you explicitly point clients to the already-running URL.
The web command’s startup, attach behavior, host options, and authentication guidance are covered in the web documentation.
How Desktop chooses its backend
Desktop’s default is different from the terminal-plus-web workflow. The troubleshooting documentation describes a local opencode-cli server sidecar running in the background. Desktop uses that sidecar unless its configuration selects a different server URL.
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That means launching opencode web separately does not, by itself, make Desktop display the web server’s sessions. To make Desktop use a particular backend, inspect the app’s server selection or connection settings and set the URL of the intended server. The selected URL is the practical answer to “which service is Desktop using?”
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If Desktop cannot connect, check the selected URL first, then verify that the server is running, listening on the expected host and port, and configured for any required password or network access. The documented Desktop behavior and connection troubleshooting are in OpenCode’s troubleshooting guide.
Desktop and a server running in WSL
On Windows, the web documentation recommends running the web command from Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) when you need Linux file-system access and terminal integration. Desktop can connect to a server running in WSL. If that WSL server binds to 0.0.0.0, protect it with a password before allowing the Desktop client or other network clients to connect.
Comparing common connection setups
| Setup | Server owner | Client connection | Shared state result | Typical reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal only | The opencode command |
TUI connects to its companion server | One terminal client and its server | Usually local |
| Headless service plus clients | opencode serve |
Clients use the server URL | Any clients pointed to that URL can share the backend | Localhost by default for documented defaults; host can be configured |
| Web plus terminal | opencode web |
Browser opens automatically; TUI uses opencode attach |
Shared sessions and state on the same server | Browser on localhost by default; network exposure is optional |
| Desktop default | Desktop’s local opencode-cli sidecar |
Desktop connects internally | Desktop’s sidecar state, separate from an unrelated web process | Usually local |
| Desktop with configured URL | The server at the configured URL | Desktop connects to that endpoint | Shared with other clients using that same endpoint | Local or network, depending on server binding |
Localhost, network binding, and authentication
“Works on my computer” and “reachable from another device” are different configurations. The documented default for opencode serve is port 4096 on hostname 127.0.0.1. That loopback address accepts connections from the same machine, not from other machines on the network. The command can be configured with a different port or hostname, and the documentation also describes mDNS and allowed CORS origins.
opencode web chooses an available port by default and binds to 127.0.0.1. You can assign a port or hostname. Binding to 0.0.0.0 makes the service reachable through the machine’s network interfaces, which changes the security requirement: the web guide warns that an exposed service without a password is unsecured.
Password protection
Set OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD when network access requires protection. OpenCode documents HTTP Basic Authentication for this service. The default username is opencode; the documentation also provides an environment-variable setting to override that username if your deployment needs a different one.
Do not treat CORS as a substitute for authentication. CORS controls which browser origins may make cross-origin requests; it does not prove the identity of a user or protect a server exposed on a network. Use the documented password setting whenever the service is reachable beyond a trusted localhost-only workflow.
Safer exposure checklist
- Keep the hostname at
127.0.0.1when only local clients need access. - If another machine, Desktop instance, or WSL boundary must connect, choose the narrowest network binding that meets that need.
- Set
OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORDbefore binding to0.0.0.0or another non-loopback address. - Use CORS allow-list settings only for the browser origins you actually need; remember that they are not authentication.
- Confirm the actual port and hostname in the running command’s output instead of assuming the defaults.
How to diagnose a client that shows the wrong sessions
When an interface appears empty or fails to find a session, the most likely cause is that it is connected to a different backend, not that the session was deleted.
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- Check the server URL. Compare the host and port displayed by the client with the URL of the server where the session was created.
- Check who started the process. Determine whether the backend came from
opencode,opencode serve,opencode web, or Desktop’s sidecar. Two commands started independently normally mean two server processes. - Check Desktop’s selection. If Desktop is involved, inspect its configured server URL rather than assuming it uses a separately launched web process.
- Check reachability. A localhost URL may work in one environment but fail across a host/WSL boundary or from another device. Verify the server’s hostname and port.
- Check authentication. A server protected with
OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORDrequires the client to authenticate. A network-exposed server without that protection should be secured before further troubleshooting. - Attach deliberately. For a terminal that should share the web instance, run
opencode attach <server-url>against the web server’s actual URL rather than launching a new standalone TUI.
What “shared” does and does not guarantee
It does guarantee one backend when URLs match
When the browser and TUI attach to the same running server, they address the same session store and API process. This is the supported way to move between terminal and web views without creating a second context.
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It does not merge independent servers
Starting a server from the TUI, starting another with opencode serve, and launching opencode web are not three views of one universal service. Unless clients are directed to one process, each service can have its own sessions and state.
It does not make Desktop’s default sidecar global
Desktop’s local sidecar is a default implementation detail for that installation. Other interfaces will not automatically discover or reuse it. Configure a server URL when Desktop must join a backend that another client already uses.
Version and documentation caveats
OpenCode’s documentation is maintained on a development branch, and command flags and defaults can change. The architectural rule—clients connect to a particular server—is stable enough to guide setup, but exact port selection, host defaults, authentication labels, and UI locations should be verified against the release installed on your machine.
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A practical decision rule
- Need only a terminal? Run
opencodeand use its local server. - Need browser and terminal on one context? Run
opencode web, then attach the TUI to the printed server URL. - Need a backend without a browser? Run
opencode serveand point clients at its URL. - Need Desktop to share another client’s sessions? Configure Desktop to that server’s URL; do not rely on automatic discovery.
- Need access from another machine or across WSL? Bind the server appropriately, set
OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD, and verify the exact URL and port.
The reliable mental model is simple: identify the server process, read its URL, and make every client that should share state connect to that URL. Different URLs mean different backends; the interface—terminal, browser, or Desktop—does not change that rule.
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