Features

The Features page holds session and notification behavior — the small set of knobs that shape how a terminal session grows and how Mel gets your attention. Everything applies immediately and persists to ~/.mel/settings.json.

Session

Maximum blocks per session

A numeric field controlling how many command blocks a session keeps before the oldest ones are pruned. You can set any value from 100 to 5000; values outside that range are clamped. The default is 5000, which is also a hard ceiling — it exists so a very long-lived session can't grow without bound and slow the app down. If you routinely run high-output sessions and care about memory, lower this.

Show help block in new sessions

On by default. Controls the keyboard-hints card shown on an empty terminal session (the "New terminal session" landing content). Turn it off once you know the shortcuts and want new sessions to start completely clean.

Open new sessions in the Mel agent

On by default. Every new tab and split starts in the agent conversation; esc drops to the terminal. Turn it off to start new sessions in the shell.

Restore tabs and panes on start

Reopens the tabs, splits and folders you had, with fresh shells; a pane that held an agent conversation reopens it. Commands, processes and scrollback are never restored.

Warn before quitting

Closing the window checks with you first while a command, a background job or an agent turn is still running.

Terminal

Right-click pastes

Off by default. A right-click on the terminal area pastes the clipboard instead of opening the block menu. Paste is still in that menu when this is off.

Notifications

Toast notifications stay visible for

A numeric field, in seconds, controlling how long a notice sits above the prompt before it fades. Accepts 2 to 30 seconds; the default is 6.

For context: Mel raises a notification when an agent in a *background* tab becomes blocked (waiting on your approval) or finishes its task. The flash card appears top-right for this many seconds; the notification also lands in the inbox behind the titlebar bell either way, so nothing is lost if you miss the toast.

Desktop notifications

On by default. When Mel isn't the window in front, it tells you when an agent finishes or needs you:

• Windows — a notification, and the taskbar button flashes. Click it to go to that conversation; a command or file edit waiting for approval can be allowed or denied right on it. It needs Mel installed with the installer.
• macOS — the Dock icon bounces. Mel doesn't post a notification on a Mac yet.
• Linux — a notification, through your desktop's notify-send. Clicking it doesn't open Mel yet.

Updates

The section names the channel you follow and says whether it has a newer version. Check for updates is in the avatar menu; switching Receive beta updates checks again at once.

Receive beta updates

Off by default. Beta builds arrive as soon as they are tagged, days before they reach everyone. Turning it off moves you back to the stable channel at its next release. See Updating Mel.

What's intentionally not here

Mel's settings surface only shows controls whose behavior is actually wired — if you're looking for a toggle that doesn't exist yet, it's because the feature behind it doesn't either. Appearance-related options (dividers, headers, dimming) live on the Appearance page, agent behavior on the AI page, and SSH behavior on the Melt page.

Related

• Settings overview — the full page list and where settings persist
• Appearance