Norn exposes the same local-first review model through three interfaces. You can use more than one on the same machine. The stable Homebrew formula includes the CLI and Terminal UI; the desktop app is currently built from source.
Desktop app
Choose the desktop app when visual inspection is central to the review. It provides unified and side-by-side diffs, image previews, local comment drafts, AI review controls, repository management, and explicit publication actions. The current stable release does not include a desktop artifact or Homebrew cask, so use the source workflow in the desktop app guide.
Best for:
- reviewing large or visual diffs;
- moving between multiple repositories and pull requests;
- drafting and publishing inline comments;
- configuring integrations and local preferences through a graphical interface.
Terminal UI
Choose the TUI when you want an interactive workspace without leaving the terminal. It supports repository and pull-request browsing, diff navigation, draft comments, AI review, and publication through keyboard-driven controls.
Best for:
- terminal-first development;
- interactive review over SSH or in a lightweight environment;
- switching between PR details, diffs, and AI output quickly.
Headless CLI
Choose norn review when the result will be consumed by a person, script,
agent, or CI job without an interactive UI. It supports working-tree, branch,
and pull-request scopes, Markdown or JSON output, severity thresholds, profiles,
and optional analyzer execution.
Best for:
- pre-push review gates;
- AI-agent workflows;
- CI pipelines and structured output;
- reviewing local work before opening a pull request.
Shared behavior
All interfaces load the repository’s .norn.yaml policy, resolve credentials
outside the repository, and retain reviewer control over publication. A
headless review reports findings but does not publish remote comments.