A modern terminal multiplexer with classic MS-DOS aesthetic, built with Rust. Full-screen interface with window management and complete terminal emulation. ( Linux / Windows / macOS / FreeBSD / NetBSD / OpenBSD / Android-Termux )
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General
- Retro DOS Aesthetic: Classic blue-and-white color scheme with box-drawing characters, ~60fps rendering
- Multiple Terminal Windows: Create, drag, resize, minimize, and maximize windows with mouse or keyboard
- Window Management: Automatic tiling, snap to corners, focus management with ALT+TAB
- Control Center: Centralized panel with WiFi status, time/date, clipboard, and settings access
- Session Persistence: Auto-save/restore of window layouts and terminal content between sessions
- Command Launcher: Quick command palette with
Ctrl+Space - Clipboard Support: System clipboard integration with drag-to-select, Ctrl+Shift+C/V, right-click menu
- Lockscreen: System-authenticated lockscreen with
Shift+Q, supports PAM (Linux), Directory Services (macOS), and Windows Security - Customizable Themes: Classic (default), Dark, Monochrome, Green Phosphor, Amber, Dracu, NDD, QBasic, TurboP, NCC, XT, WP, dB, System (via
--themeflag) - Battery Indicator: Real-time battery status display in the top bar
- Cross-Platform: Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD with full VT100/ANSI support and true color
- ASCII Compatibility:
--asciiflag for maximum terminal compatibility
Linux Only
- Framebuffer Mode: Direct
/dev/fb0rendering with DOS text modes (40x25, 80x25, ... , 320x200) - Console Mouse: Native mouse support on Linux TTY via raw
/dev/inputdevices
# Standard installation
cargo install term39
# Linux with framebuffer support
cargo install term39 --features framebuffer-backendRequires Rust (Install)
Homebrew:
brew tap alejandroqh/term39
brew install term39Or download from Releases:
- Fedora/RHEL:
sudo rpm -i term39-*-1.x86_64.rpm # or: sudo dnf install term39-*-1.x86_64.rpm
- Arch (AUR):
yay -S term39-binoryay -S term39 - Tarball:
tar xzf term39-v*-linux-x86_64.tar.gz sudo mv term39 /usr/local/bin/
Homebrew (Recommended):
brew tap alejandroqh/term39
brew install term39Or download from Releases:
Option 1: PKG Installer
- Intel:
term39-v*-macos-intel.pkg - Apple Silicon:
term39-v*-macos-apple-silicon.pkg
Right-click the PKG file and select "Open" to install (macOS will show a security warning for unsigned apps). The binary will be automatically placed in /usr/local/bin/.
Option 2: DMG Installer
- Intel:
term39-v*-macos-intel.dmg - Apple Silicon:
term39-v*-macos-apple-silicon.dmg
Right-click the DMG file and select "Open", then drag the app into the Applications folder.
Option 3: Manual Installation
# Intel (x86_64)
tar xzf term39-v*-macos-64bit-x86-binary.tar.gz
sudo mv term39 /usr/local/bin/
# Apple Silicon (ARM64)
tar xzf term39-v*-macos-64bit-arm-binary.tar.gz
sudo mv term39 /usr/local/bin/Download from Releases:
# Option 1: Run the installer (x86_64)
.\term39-v*-windows-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc-installer.exe
# Option 2: Portable - Extract ZIP
Expand-Archive term39-v*-windows-x86_64.zip
# Add to PATH (optional)
$env:Path += ";$PWD\term39-v*-windows-x86_64"Runtime Requirement: If you see errors about MSVCP140.dll or VCRUNTIME140.dll, install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x86 version for 32-bit systems).
git clone https://github.com/alejandroqh/term39.git
cd term39
# Add --features framebuffer-backend for Linux framebuffer
cargo build --release
./target/release/term39For Android/Termux, install or build without the clipboard feature:
# Install Rust in Termux
pkg install rust
# Option 1: Install from crates.io (disable clipboard for Android compatibility)
cargo install term39 --no-default-features
# Option 2: Build from source
git clone https://github.com/alejandroqh/term39.git
cd term39
cargo build --release --no-default-features
./target/release/term39Note: The --no-default-features flag disables system clipboard integration (which is not supported on Android). Copy/paste will still work within the app using an internal buffer.
Note: BSD support is experimental. Please report any issues on GitHub.
Download from Releases:
tar xzf term39-*-freebsd-64bit-x86-binary.tar.gz
sudo mv term39 /usr/local/bin/Or build from source:
# FreeBSD with PAM lockscreen
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsd
# FreeBSD without lockscreen
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsd-minimalNote: BSD support is experimental. Please report any issues on GitHub.
Build from source (no pre-built binaries available):
# NetBSD with PAM lockscreen
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsd
# OpenBSD (no PAM, use PIN authentication)
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsd-minimalNote: On OpenBSD, PAM is not available. Use bsd-minimal feature which enables PIN-based lockscreen authentication instead.
./term39 # Run with Unicode (recommended)
./term39 --ascii # ASCII mode for compatibility
./term39 --theme dark # Themes: classic, dark, monochrome,
# green_phosphor, amber, dracu,
# ndd, qbasic, turbo, nc, xt,
# wp, db, systemGeneral
| Key | Action | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
t / T |
New window / Maximized window | q / ESC |
Exit (desktop) |
F1 / ? / h |
Show help | s |
Settings |
l |
License | c |
Calendar |
Ctrl+Space |
Command launcher | Shift+Q / F12 |
Lock screen |
Window & Session
| Key | Action | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
F2 / ALT+TAB |
Switch windows | Ctrl+S / F3 |
Save session |
F4 / Ctrl+L |
Clear terminal | ` / F8 |
Window Mode |
Copy & Paste
| Key | Action | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
F6 / Ctrl+Shift+C |
Copy selection | F7 / Ctrl+Shift+V |
Paste |
Cmd+C (macOS) |
Copy selection | Cmd+V (macOS) |
Paste |
Dialog Controls
| Key | Action | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
TAB / Arrow keys |
Navigate buttons | ENTER |
Activate button |
ESC |
Close dialog |
- Title bar: Drag to move | Ctrl+Drag: Move without snap | ╬ handle: Resize
- [X]/[+]/[_]: Close/Maximize/Minimize | Click window: Focus
- Bottom bar: Switch windows | Drag text: Select | Right-click: Context menu
Press ` (backtick) or F8 to enter Window Mode for full keyboard control of windows. Press again to exit.
Navigation
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
h / ← |
Focus window to left |
j / ↓ |
Focus window below |
k / ↑ |
Focus window above |
l / → |
Focus window to right |
Tab |
Cycle to next window |
Shift+Tab |
Cycle to previous window |
Snap to Half Screen
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
H (Shift+h) |
Snap to left half |
J (Shift+j) |
Snap to bottom half |
K (Shift+k) |
Snap to top half |
L (Shift+l) |
Snap to right half |
Numpad-Style Snap Positions (1-9)
7 Top-Left 8 Top-Center 9 Top-Right
4 Middle-Left 5 Center 6 Middle-Right
1 Bottom-Left 2 Bottom-Center 3 Bottom-Right
Window Actions
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
m |
Enter Move mode |
r |
Enter Resize mode |
z / + / Space |
Toggle maximize |
- / _ |
Toggle minimize |
x / q |
Close focused window |
? |
Show help overlay |
Move Mode (press m to enter)
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
h/j/k/l or arrows |
Move window (adaptive speed) |
Shift+H/J/K/L |
Snap window to edge |
Enter / Esc / m |
Exit Move mode |
Resize Mode (press r to enter)
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
h / l |
Shrink / Grow width |
k / j |
Shrink / Grow height |
Shift + key |
Invert resize direction |
Enter / Esc / r |
Exit Resize mode |
Tip: Double-press ` quickly to send a literal backtick to the terminal.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--ascii |
Use ASCII-compatible characters (+-|#) instead of Unicode box-drawing |
--single-line |
Use single-line Unicode box characters (┌─┐│└┘) instead of double-line |
--theme <THEME> |
Set color theme (see Themes section) |
--tint-terminal |
Apply theme-based color tinting to terminal content |
--no-restore |
Don't restore previous session on startup |
--no-save |
Don't save session (disables auto-save and manual save) |
--no-exit |
Disable exit functionality (for use as a window manager) |
--shell <SHELL> |
Specify custom shell for terminal windows (e.g., --shell /bin/zsh) |
--lock |
Lock a running term39 instance and exit (Unix only, see Lockscreen) |
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-f, --framebuffer |
Enable framebuffer mode (requires /dev/fb0 access) |
--fb-mode <MODE> |
Text mode: 40x25, 80x25, 80x43, 80x50, 160x50, 160x100, 320x100, 320x200 |
--fb-scale <SCALE> |
Pixel scale factor (1, 2, 3, 4, or auto) |
--fb-font <FONT> |
Console font name (e.g., Unifont-APL8x16) |
--fb-list-fonts |
List available console fonts and exit |
--fb-setup |
Launch interactive framebuffer setup wizard |
--mouse-device <DEVICE> |
Mouse input device (e.g., /dev/input/event2) |
--mouse-sensitivity <VALUE> |
Mouse sensitivity for TTY mode (0.1-5.0, default: auto) |
--swap-mouse-buttons |
Swap left/right mouse buttons |
--invert-mouse-x |
Invert mouse X-axis movement |
--invert-mouse-y |
Invert mouse Y-axis movement |
Note: Linux console options require --features framebuffer-backend at compile time and running on a physical console (TTY1-6), not in terminal emulators or SSH.
NDD |
Qbasic |
TurboP |
NCC |
Dracu |
Dark |
XT |
WP |
dB |
System-authenticated lockscreen using PAM (Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD), Directory Services (macOS), or Windows Security. OpenBSD uses PIN authentication.
| Trigger | Command |
|---|---|
| Keyboard | Shift+Q |
| CLI (Unix) | term39 --lock |
| Signal (Unix) | kill -USR1 $(pgrep term39) |
Features: Opaque background, progressive lockout (5s→120s after 3+ failures), auto-fill username.
Note: Disabled with warning if authentication system unavailable.
Core: Double-buffered video system, window manager (Z-order/focus), VT100/ANSI parser (VTE), PTY integration (portable-pty) Rendering: Front/back buffers with dirty tracking, save/restore regions, shadow system for depth
Prerequisites: Rust 1.70+ (Install)
cargo build --release # Build optimized binary
cargo run -- --ascii # Run in ASCII mode
cargo test && cargo clippy && cargo fmt # Test, lint, formatConfiguration files are stored in ~/.config/term39/:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
session.toml |
Saved session (window layouts, terminal content) |
fb.toml |
Framebuffer settings (Linux only) |
Available themes: classic (default), dark, monochrome, green_phosphor, amber, dracu, ndd, qbasic, turbo, nc, xt, wp, db, system
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to contribute to this project.
Core: crossterm (terminal I/O), chrono (clock), portable-pty (PTY), vte (ANSI parser), clap (CLI args), serde/toml (config)
Optional: arboard (clipboard, default), framebuffer (Linux FB mode)
System clipboard integration with Ctrl+Shift+C/V.
- Enable: Desktop usage, copy/paste between apps
- Disable: Android/Termux, headless servers →
--no-default-features
Direct Linux framebuffer rendering with DOS text modes (40x25, 80x25, ... , 320x200).
- Modes: 40x25, 80x25, 80x43, 80x50, 160x50, 160x100, 320x100, 320x200
- Platform: Linux only (automatically disabled on macOS/Windows)
- Disable: To opt-out on Linux →
--no-default-features --features clipboard - Requires:
/dev/fb0access (root or 'video' group), physical console only
# Build/Install
# Standard (includes framebuffer on Linux)
cargo build --release
# Without framebuffer
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features clipboard
## Minimal (no clipboard, no framebuffer)
cargo build --release --no-default-features
# Standard (includes framebuffer on Linux)
cargo install term39
# Without framebuffer
cargo install term39 --no-default-features --features clipboard
# Run framebuffer
sudo ./target/release/term39 -f --fb-mode=80x25Full BSD support with PAM lockscreen (FreeBSD, NetBSD). BSD support is experimental.
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsdBSD support without PAM (OpenBSD, or when PAM is unavailable). BSD support is experimental.
cargo build --release --no-default-features --features bsd-minimalTermOS is a lightweight Linux distribution designed to run term39 as the primary desktop environment. It provides a complete DOS-like computing experience directly from boot, with term39 serving as the window manager and shell interface.
MIT License - see LICENSE file.
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