Open WebUI’s New Open Terminal + “Native” Tool Calling + Qwen3.5 35b = Holy Sh!t!!!

Open WebUI has released Open Terminal, a groundbreaking integration that provides AI models with a Dockerized, sandboxed terminal environment accessible directly through their web interface. This represents a significant leap in AI tool-calling capabilities, moving beyond simple API integrations to give models what amounts to a headless computer they can control. The feature includes a live file browser and render canvas on the right side of the interface, allowing users to drag files between their host machine and the sandbox while watching AI models execute commands, install libraries, and edit files in real-time.

The technical implementation uses Docker containers to create isolated environments where AI models can safely experiment through trial and error without affecting the host system. Users can bind mount local directories to share files between systems, and the file browser renders previews of supported file types as models work. While the terminal doesn't currently echo tool-call commands in the chat interface, the system enables models like Qwen3.5 35b to perform complex programming tasks autonomously, potentially reducing reliance on external frameworks like MCPs (Model Context Protocol) for basic operations.