ghostty
Fast, modern, cloud-native terminal emulator
TLDR
Open a new Ghostty window (not supported on macOS)
Run a specific command in a new Ghostty window (not supported on macOS)
List all default and configured keybindings
List all actions (i.e. what can be triggered via keybindings)
Browse an interactive list of themes
Print the default configuration (including comments)
SYNOPSIS
ghostty [OPTIONS] [--] [<COMMAND [<ARGS>...>]]
PARAMETERS
-c, --config FILE
Load config from FILE instead of default
-C, --config-dir DIR
Use DIR as config directory
--class CLASS
Set window class name (default: ghostty)
--title TITLE
Set initial window title
--working-directory, -w DIR
Start shell in DIR (default: current)
-e, -- COMMAND [ARGS...]
Execute command and exit (unless --hold)
--worktree PATH
Open window in git worktree PATH
-h, --help
Print help information
-V, --version
Print version
DESCRIPTION
Ghostty is a high-performance, GPU-accelerated terminal emulator for Linux and macOS, crafted for speed and standards compliance.
Developed by Mitchell Hashimoto (creator of Vagrant and Terraform), it uses Vulkan/Metal for rendering, achieving sub-millisecond latency and smooth 120+ FPS scrolling. Supports modern features like ligatures, Kitty graphics protocol for images/sixels, true color (24-bit), hyperlinks, and Unicode 15.
The ghostty command launches a new terminal window or tab, optionally executing a command. It integrates native UI elements for menus, tabs, and dialogs, blending seamlessly with your desktop environment. Configuration via Lua in ~/.config/ghostty/config allows extensive customization of fonts, colors, keybindings, and behaviors.
Ghostty prioritizes terminal correctness (xterm-256 compatible) while adding niceties like smooth animations and accessibility. Ideal for developers needing a fast, reliable terminal without compromises. Open-source under MPL-2.0, it's actively developed with frequent updates.
CAVEATS
Still in active development (alpha/beta); APIs and config may change. Requires Vulkan drivers on Linux. Not yet stable for production.
KEY FEATURES
Ligatures, images, hyperlinks, Lua config, native tabs/menus.
Emulates xterm-256 precisely.
CONFIG LOCATION
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ghostty/config or ~/.config/ghostty/config.
Use Lua table for settings.
HISTORY
Developed by Mitchell Hashimoto starting 2023; first public alpha in February 2024. Focuses on GPU rendering innovation and full VT emulation. Rapid iterations via GitHub.
