Have you noticed that articles about Linux terminal emulators usually say something like “the terminal is not scary”? Well, they’re not wrong. The terminal emulator is just an application; there is nothing inherently “scary” about it (the commands you run in it are potentially dangerous). And since it’s an application like any other – say, a music player or a messaging app – you can easily replace it.
As you may already know, the word “terminal” used to refer to actual physical devices. They had a keyboard and a screen, and enabled people to interact with the mainframe computers. These days, our terminal emulators are just software, but we often use the same word – terminal – for them.
While most people will be happy with the default terminal provided by their Linux distribution, some might want to switch things up. If you’re feeling adventurous, here are 15 best Linux terminal emulators perfectly capable of replacing your current one:
1. AltYo
Great if you want: a drop-down terminal with many tab management options
AltYo can automatically open apps in new tabs once you launch it, or even make them autostart with your Linux desktop. Beginners will be happy to hear that AltYo has an uncomplicated settings dialog, so they don’t have to edit any configuration files. Conversely, those who wish to tinker behind the scenes can customize AltYo with CSS.
2. Kitty
Great if you want: a modern terminal optimized for speed
You can open multiple instances of Kitty and organize them neatly in one container. Several tiling layouts are supported, and you can even save a layout (with all running apps and commands) as a session and load it at any time.
3. Extraterm
Great if you want: advanced options for managing command output
4. Urxvt
Great if you want: extensibility and speed
Urxvt also supports custom line height and letter spacing for better readability. You can use urxvt in server-client mode, where it runs as a background process (server) to save memory and to open new urxvt windows (clients) much faster.
If Perl is your favorite programming language, then urxvt might be your favorite Linux terminal emulator. There are quite a few Perl extensions for uxrvt that you can enable to introduce features like tabs, clickable URLs, and clipboard management. Of course, you can try your hand at writing custom extensions.
5. Xfce Terminal
Great if you want: a beginner-friendly terminal with optional drop-down mode
You can drag-and-drop a file from the file manager into Xfce Terminal and have it display the full path to file. The terminal window background can be transparent, and you can use Xfce Terminal in Compact Mode, which hides window borders, decorations, and toolbars.
The best of all is the optional drop-down mode that makes Xfce Terminal work like other popular drop-down terminals (Guake or Tilda, which is on this list). Make sure to read the official documentation to ensure the drop-down mode is properly set up.
6. Konsole
Great if you want: advanced customization through straightforward dialogs
Let’s start by creating a profile. Konsole lets you switch between profiles, or even run multiple profiles at once, in different tabs. Every profile has its own appearance and behavior settings, and you can load different shells in separate Konsole profiles. A profile can automatically run custom commands and applications when you activate it.
Once you’ve set up profiles, dive into tab management. The Split View option displays contents of several tabs at the same time. To move tabs between Konsole windows, simply use the Clone Tab option, or detach a tab to open it in a new window.
7. Gnome Terminal
Great if you want: stability in a familiar interface
Since Gnome Terminal relies on the VTE library, its feature set is almost identical to other Linux terminals that share the same backend. Therefore, you shouldn’t find it too confusing if you’re switching from MATE Terminal or Pantheon (elementary OS) Terminal.
8. Terminology
Great if you want: practical file previews in the terminal
If you often work with multiple terminal windows, Terminology can help you organize them by splitting a window into panes. Every pane can contain multiple tabs that you can resize at will. That way you can combine several windows into one. Another way to control Terminology is the Tab Switcher. It displays all terminal windows in a grid, letting you quickly shuffle through them to find the one you need.
9. QTerminal
Great if you want: a drop-down terminal with support for multiplexing
Thanks to Multiplexer features, QTerminal can display multiple terminal emulator instances in one window. You can also split the QTerminal application window vertically or horizontally, and easily switch between opened tabs and windows.
10. Termite
Great if you want: a Vim-like workflow that relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts
But that’s not all! Termite can work in two modes: Insert and Selection, each with its own set of keyboard shortcuts. They are all designed to make you more productive without ever needing to reach for the mouse. This is why Termite is a perfect fit for mouseless workflows in tiling window managers.
Note: There’s another Linux terminal emulator called Termit. Although similar in name, it doesn’t have the same approach as Termite.
11. Mlterm
Great if you want: support for numerous languages and encodings
Special features for vertical writing, double-width and combining characters make it possible to use East Asian, Thai, and Vietnamese scripts. Furthermore, Mlterm supports multiple X Input Method servers, and can automatically detect the necessary encoding for your input.
12. Cool Retro Term
Great if you want: nostalgia-inducing eye candy
Cool Retro Term comes with several color schemes and effects like screen flickering and scan lines. Although its primary purpose seems to be just eye candy, you can still use Cool Retro Term as any other terminal emulator.
13. Roxterm
Great if you want: a lighter yet featureful alternative to Gnome Terminal
Apart from that, ROXTerm has a practical pop-up menu that lets you hide the menu bar and maximize screen space. Furthermore, ROXTerm can recognize file paths, SSH hostnames, email addresses, and web URLs. You can either click them to open/access the destination, or press Ctrl and drag the link into another application.
Speaking of dragging, it’s also possible to drag-and-drop text and files into the ROXTerm application window. Text gets pasted into the terminal, while files show up as a path that you can manipulate further.
14. Tilda
Great if you want: a drop-down terminal with a decent amount of options
Keyboard shortcuts make tab navigation easier, and to make sure you don’t miss anything from a command’s output, you can enable unlimited scrollback. Last but not least, Tilda has a search bar that you can pull up at anytime with a keyboard shortcut. The query can be case-sensitive, and you can also use regular expressions.
15. Terminix
Great if you want: a lightweight terminal with different window layouts
Optionally, Terminix can run as a drop-down terminal – configure this in the Preferences > Quake dialog. There’s also the option to turn on desktop notifications for completed processes.
SEE ALSO: 10 Linux Markdown Editors You Should Try
The Best Terminal Emulators for Linux!
Although this is already a long list, there are even more terminal emulators for Linux. Some stick to the basics and sport a traditional approach. Others, like the (discontinued) Cyborg Terminal project, go for something completely different and unexpected.
As always, the choice is up to you, so pick a terminal that suits your level of experience. With so many terminal emulators striving to be more user-friendly and easier to customize, even complete Linux beginners shouldn’t have trouble choosing – and using – one.
What do you look for in a terminal emulator? Which one is your favorite? Can you recommend some other terminal emulators for Linux? Let us know in the comments!
Image Credits: DEC VT100 Terminal by Wolfgang Stief via Flickr; Featured image source.