cargo-xtask-runner

A graphical task runner for cargo xtask workflows.

Instead of typing cargo xtask <task> <target> in the terminal, open a GUI that lists all your tasks, lets you check which ones to run, and streams the output to a built-in console — all without leaving your project.

Installation

cargo install cargo-xtask-runner

Usage

Navigate to any Rust project that has an xtask runner and run:

cd my-rust-project

cargo xtask-runner

The GUI will open. The terminal is free to use for anything else while it runs.

Requirements

Your project's xtask runner must support a --list flag that outputs tasks in this format:

target|task_id|description

For example:

workspace|fmt|Format all code
package|test|Run unit tests
package|build|Build release binary

Each line is one task. The target field groups tasks in the dropdown — use workspace for tasks that apply globally and don't need a target argument.

Example xtask --list implementation

// in xtask/src/main.rs
if args.contains(&"--list") {
    println!("workspace|fmt|Format all code");
    println!("workspace|clippy|Run clippy lints");
    println!("package|test|Run unit tests");
    println!("package|build|Build release binary");
    return;
}

Features

• Target selector — switch between targets via dropdown or arrow buttons
• Task pipeline — check multiple tasks and run them in sequence; stops on first failure
• Per-task Run button — run a single task without touching the selection
• Live console — stdout and stderr streamed in real time with syntax coloring
• Stop button — cancel a running pipeline at any time
• No terminal flicker — fully windowless on Windows

How it works

cargo xtask-runner runs cargo xtask --list to discover available tasks, then invokes each selected task as:

cargo xtask <task_id> <target>

For workspace-scoped tasks the target argument is omitted.

Platform support

On Linux and macOS the terminal remains usable after launch. If you want to explicitly background the process:

cargo xtask-runner &

License

MIT — see LICENSE