tilda

Drop-down terminal emulator

TLDR

Start Tilda terminal

$ tilda

Start with D-Bus support for Wayland

$ tilda --dbus

Toggle specific Tilda instance

$ tilda -T [0]

Start hidden

$ tilda --hidden

Use specific config file

$ tilda -c [~/.config/tilda/config_0]

Show version

$ tilda --version

Display help

$ tilda --help

Tilda is a GTK-based drop-down terminal emulator for Linux. It slides down from the top of the screen when activated by a hotkey, similar to the console in Quake-style games.The terminal supports tabs, transparency, customizable appearance, and can be configured to auto-hide when losing focus. Configuration is done through the preferences dialog accessible by right-clicking the terminal window.Multiple Tilda instances can run simultaneously, each with its own configuration file (config0, config1, etc.) stored in ~/.config/tilda/. The D-Bus interface enables integration with desktop environments for global hotkey support, particularly useful on Wayland.

PARAMETERS

--dbus

Enable D-Bus interface for window toggling.

-T, --toggle n

Toggle visibility of instance n.

--hidden

Start with window hidden.

-c, --config file

Use specified configuration file.

-C

Open configuration wizard (deprecated, use right-click menu).

--version

Display version information.

-h, --help

Display help information.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

F1: Pull down/up terminal (default hotkey)Shift+Ctrl+T: Open new tabShift+Ctrl+W: Close current tabShift+Ctrl+PageUp: Move tab leftShift+Ctrl+PageDown: Move tab rightShift+Ctrl+C: Copy selected textShift+Ctrl+V: Paste clipboardShift+Ctrl+F: SearchF11: Toggle fullscreenF12: Toggle transparencyShift+Ctrl+Q: Quit Tilda

INSTALL

sudo apt install tilda

sudo dnf install tilda

sudo pacman -S tilda

sudo apk add tilda

sudo zypper install tilda

nix profile install nixpkgs#tilda

CAVEATS

On Wayland, requires --dbus flag and desktop environment hotkey configuration. The first instance uses config_0. Global hotkey may conflict with other applications. Some transparency features require a compositing window manager.

HISTORY

Tilda was inspired by the drop-down console found in first-person shooter games like Quake. It was created to provide quick terminal access without managing separate windows. The project continues to be maintained with support for modern features like Wayland compatibility.