Midway: go make coffee while your build runs, and get pinged when it's done

Midway is a new open-source command line interface tool written in Rust. It allows you to start long-running commands and then go do something else, like make coffee. Midway will keep you updated on the progress of your command without interrupting your workflow. The tool sends periodic notifications, such as "still running," every 15 seconds by default. Once the command is finished, you receive a completion notification, provided the command ran for at least 10 seconds to avoid spamming you with frequent notifications.

Midway offers various notification options, including local desktop notifications, email, Slack, Ntfy, Discord, Telegram, and more. This means notifications can reach you even when you're away from your desk. The tool provides comprehensive documentation on setting up notifications for each service, which you can find in the notification docs.

The most useful feature for many users is its integration with AI coding agents. These agents often have lifecycle hooks that can be configured to run commands when the agent finishes or needs approval. By pointing these hooks at the `midway send-text` command, you can completely detach the notification process. This means you can walk away from your terminal and still receive updates on your AI coding agent's progress.

To set up Midway, you simply install it using cargo, run `midway init` to create a configuration file, and then try it out with `midway run cargo build`. For AI coding agents, you can attach notification hooks to the `midway send-text` command. This approach allows notifications to continue even if the agent process is interrupted. However, be aware that detached processes are not invincible and can still be affected by system shutdowns, explicit kills, or teardowns of ephemeral environments.

Midway supports various AI coding agent hook formats, but these may change between agent versions. If a provided snippet doesn't work, make sure to check the agent's current hook documentation and open an issue if necessary. The tool is constantly evolving, with plans to include chained command support (e.g., `a && b`), notification of log lines, support for additional services like Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Matrix, and generic webhooks, and more.

To contribute to the development of Midway, you can try it out, provide feedback on missing features, or even add support for a service you use frequently. You can find the code repository at https://github.com/hazyio/midway and the documentation at https://midway.hazyio.com/. If you have ideas for improvements or want to share a workflow that doesn't fit the current notification timing, consider opening an issue or reaching out to the developers.