Skip to content

TERMINAL_CONFIG.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
68 lines (52 loc) · 2.51 KB

TERMINAL_CONFIG.md

File metadata and controls

68 lines (52 loc) · 2.51 KB
Raw

Terminal Configuration

PythonSearch now supports multiple terminal applications for running cli_cmd commands.

Default Terminal

iTerm2 is the default on macOS. iTerm only exists on macOS, so on Linux Terminator is used instead, unless terminal_app="kitty" is set.

Supported Terminals

  • iTerm2 (default) - Uses AppleScript to create new windows/tabs. Commands are executed via temporary shell scripts to ensure proper handling of special characters.
  • Kitty - The original terminal used by PythonSearch with extensive customization options
  • Terminator (default on Linux) - Opens a new tab (or a 1400x900 window when none is open) running the command through a temporary script with bash -i, so aliases and PATH from ~/.bashrc apply.

Switching Terminal Applications

To use a different terminal, add the terminal_app parameter to your PythonSearchConfiguration in entries_main.py:

Use iTerm2 (default)

config = PythonSearchConfiguration(
    entries=entries,
    terminal_app="iterm"  # This is the default, can be omitted
)

Use Kitty

config = PythonSearchConfiguration(
    entries=entries,
    terminal_app="kitty"
)

Use Terminator

config = PythonSearchConfiguration(
    entries=entries,
    terminal_app="terminator"
)

Notes

  • The Search UI (fzf interface) continues to use Kitty regardless of this setting, as it relies on Kitty-specific features
  • This configuration only affects commands run via cli_cmd entries
  • Both terminals must be installed on your system to use them
  • iTerm2 implementation creates temporary shell scripts that self-delete after execution, avoiding complex shell escaping issues

Implementation Details

iTerm2

  • Uses AppleScript via osascript to communicate with iTerm2
  • Creates temporary executable shell scripts in /tmp for each command
  • Scripts automatically clean themselves up after execution
  • Tries to create a new tab first, falls back to new window if no window exists
  • Supports window titles and "hold terminal open" mode

Terminator

  • Writes the command to a temporary script that adds ~/.local/bin, ~/.cargo/bin and the Python bin dir to PATH, then deletes itself
  • Runs terminator --new-tab --geometry=1400x900 --title <title> -x bash -i <script>
  • Supports window titles and "hold terminal open" mode

Kitty

  • Uses Kitty's command-line interface with extensive options
  • Supports custom window sizing, fonts, and themes
  • Provides fine-grained control over terminal behavior