st.1

Suckless simple terminal emulator

TLDR

Open a terminal

$ st

Open with specific title

$ st -T [title]

Execute command and write output to file

$ st -o [path/to/file] -e [command] [args]

Execute command in terminal

$ st -e [command] [args]

Set geometry

$ st -g [columns]x[rows]

SYNOPSIS

st [OPTIONS] [-e command [args...]]

st is a simple terminal emulator for X11 from the suckless project. It aims to be lightweight and follows the suckless philosophy of simplicity, providing a minimal terminal with core functionality and configuration through source code modification.Features include UTF-8 support, true color, clipboard handling, and configurable keybindings. Unlike feature-rich terminals, st is designed to be patched and recompiled for customization rather than configured through files.

PARAMETERS

-T title

Set window title

-t title

Set window title (alias for -T)

-e command [args]

Execute command instead of shell

-o file

Write terminal output to file

-g geometry

Set window geometry (WxH+X+Y)

-f font

Set font (X11 font string)

-c class

Set window class

-n name

Set window name

-w windowid

Embed in given window ID

-a

Disable alternate screen buffer

-i

Fix screen on insert mode

-v

Print version

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Ctrl+Shift+PageUp/PageDown

Increase/decrease font size

Ctrl+Shift+c

Copy to clipboard

Ctrl+Shift+v

Paste from clipboard

Ctrl+Shift+y

Paste from selection

CAVEATS

Configuration requires editing config.h and recompiling. No scrollback by default; requires a patch or external tool like scroll or tmux. No tabs or splits; use a multiplexer. Requires X11; does not work on Wayland without XWayland.

HISTORY

st was created by the suckless.org community, known for minimalist software including dwm window manager. The project follows the suckless philosophy emphasizing simplicity, clarity, and frugality in software design. st has been developed since 2012 as an alternative to bloated terminal emulators.