terminator

Start terminator window

$ terminator

$ terminator [[-f|--fullscreen]]

$ <Ctrl Shift o>

$ <Ctrl Shift e>

$ <Ctrl Shift t>

terminator [options]

-h, --help
    Show help message and exit.

-v, --version
    Show program's version number and exit.

-p PROFILE, --profile PROFILE
    Use the specified profile for the new window.

-x COMMAND, --execute COMMAND
    Execute the given command instead of the default shell.

-e COMMAND, --command COMMAND
    Alias for --execute.

-m, --maximise
    Start the window maximised.

-f, --fullscreen
    Start the window in fullscreen mode.

-w, --no-menubar
    Hide the menubar from the window.

-T TITLE, --title TITLE
    Set the initial window title.

-H, --hidden
    Start hidden (only to be used with --show-on-activity).

-b, --borderless
    Start with no window borders.

-c FILE, --config FILE
    Specify an alternative configuration file.

-l LAYOUT, --layout LAYOUT
    Load a specified layout from the configuration.

--geometry GEOMETRY
    Set initial window size and position (e.g., 80x24+0+0).

--working-directory PATH
    Set the initial working directory for new terminals.

Terminator is a powerful and highly customizable GTK-based terminal emulator designed for efficiency, especially for users who work with multiple command-line interfaces simultaneously. Unlike basic terminals, it allows for flexible arrangement of multiple GNOME terminals within one window. Key features include horizontal and vertical splitting of terminals, tab support, and drag-and-drop re-ordering of terminals. It also provides automatic logging and robust customization options for profiles, colors, fonts, and window behavior. Terminator significantly enhances productivity for developers, system administrators, and anyone needing to manage several console sessions concurrently. Its intuitive interface and rich feature set make it a popular choice over default terminal applications for those requiring advanced terminal management capabilities.

Terminator is a graphical application and requires a display server (like Xorg or Wayland) to run. It's built on GTK+ and VTE, so its behavior and appearance are tied to these libraries. Configuration is primarily done via its GUI preferences or by directly editing its INI-style configuration file, rather than through command-line arguments for all settings.

Terminator stores its configuration in a file, typically located at ~/.config/terminator/config. This file uses an INI-like format and allows for detailed customization of profiles, keybindings, layouts, and appearance settings. Many options available in the GUI preferences can be manually edited here for fine-grained control or scripting, providing a powerful way to tailor the terminal to specific workflows.

Terminator offers a rich set of default keybindings for efficient interaction. Some common ones include:
• Ctrl+Shift+O: Split horizontally.
• Ctrl+Shift+E: Split vertically.
• Alt+Arrow Keys: Navigate between splits.
• Ctrl+Shift+W: Close current split.
• Ctrl+Shift+T: Open new tab.
• Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn: Switch between tabs.
• Ctrl+Shift+C/V: Copy/Paste.
These powerful shortcuts can be customized via the preferences menu or directly in the configuration file to suit individual preferences and enhance workflow speed.

Terminator was initially developed by Chris Jones (gnome-terminator on Launchpad) and first released in 2007. It aimed to provide advanced features like splitting and tiling of terminals within a single window, a functionality not natively available in many default terminal emulators at the time. Its development was driven by the need for increased productivity for command-line heavy users, drawing inspiration from tools like tmux and screen but offering a graphical interface. Over the years, it has gained a strong user base due to its flexibility, extensive customization options, and active community support, becoming a staple for many Linux power users.

gnome-terminal(1), xterm(1), konsole(1), tmux(1), screen(1)