https://github.com/reddimus/kettle
Fast cross-platform GPU terminal emulator in Rust — Terminator splits, Ghostty themes, bundled Nerd Font
https://github.com/reddimus/kettle
Last synced: 3 days ago
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Fast cross-platform GPU terminal emulator in Rust — Terminator splits, Ghostty themes, bundled Nerd Font
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/reddimus/kettle
- Owner: Reddimus
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-05-19T04:29:56.000Z (21 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-30T04:35:41.000Z (10 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-30T06:20:04.321Z (10 days ago)
- Language: Rust
- Size: 5.44 MB
- Stars: 2
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 5
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Roadmap: docs/ROADMAP.md
- Notice: NOTICE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# kettle 🫖
[](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/actions/workflows/audit.yml)
[](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/actions/workflows/deny.yml)
[](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/actions/workflows/machete.yml)
[](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/releases/latest)
[](Cargo.toml)
[](LICENSE)
**Works out of the box** — bundled Nerd Font, ~512 themes, Terminator
keybinds, right-click Preferences. **GPU-accelerated** with `wgpu` so
splits and scrollback stay smooth on busy panes. **Cross-platform**:
one binary on Linux, macOS, and Windows 11.
A fast, GPU-accelerated terminal emulator written in Rust — combining
the best ideas of **Ghostty**, **Terminator**, **kitty**, **Alacritty**
and **WezTerm** into one tool.
> **Status: v2.0 — production-ready** on Linux, macOS and Windows 11.
> See [latest release](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/releases/latest)
> for prebuilt binaries (Linux tarball with installer + `.sha256`
> sidecar, macOS universal `.app`, Windows zip with embedded `.ico`).
> Eight CI workflows gate every push: build/test on all three OSes →
> `cargo doc -D warnings` → headless GPU smoke → `--screenshot-menu`
> visual regression → MSRV (Rust 1.89) verify → `cargo audit` →
> `cargo deny` (licenses + sources + bans) → `cargo machete` (unused
> deps) → `actionlint` (workflow YAML). See
> [docs/ROADMAP.md](docs/ROADMAP.md) for what is landing next.
## Highlights
- **GPU rendering** — `wgpu` (Vulkan/Metal/DX12/GL) + a `cosmic-text` glyph
atlas, with damage-aware draws.
- **Battle-tested VT core** — built on `alacritty_terminal` + `vte`, so
vim/tmux/neovim/AstroNvim work out of the box (truecolor, undercurl,
alt-screen, bracketed paste, mouse, kitty keyboard).
- **Terminator-style multiplexing** — tabs (clickable tab bar), splits,
focus cycling, broadcast/group input (with a yellow active-tab and
focused-pane accent so you always know broadcast is on) — with
Terminator's default keybindings.
- **Every Ghostty theme bundled** (~500, from iTerm2-Color-Schemes), default
**TokyoNight Night**. Ghostty-compatible `key = value` config with live
reload.
- **Bundled JetBrains Mono Nerd Font** — AstroNvim icons render with zero
setup.
- **Search overlay** — `Ctrl+Shift+F`, real regex with **smart-case**
(case-insensitive until you type an uppercase), highlight + cycle.
- **Hyperlinks** — OSC 8 + URL autodetection, underlined with hover, open
with `Ctrl`/`Cmd`+click.
- **Inline images** — Sixel, kitty graphics, and iTerm2 (OSC 1337) decoded
and GPU-composited (`img2sixel`, `kitten icat`, `imgcat`).
- **Shell integration** — OSC 133 prompt marks; jump between prompts with
`Ctrl+Up`/`Ctrl+Down` (see [docs/SHELL-INTEGRATION.md](docs/SHELL-INTEGRATION.md)).
- **Mouse reporting** — full passthrough so `vim`/`tmux`/`htop`/`fzf` mouse
works (X10 + SGR 1006); focus-event reporting (DEC ?1004) too.
- **Configurable bell** — visual flash and/or window-attention
(taskbar/dock urgency); `bell = off|visual|attention|both`.
- **Polished input** — safe bracketed paste (newline-normalized,
injection-guarded), double-click word / triple-click line selection +
**Alt-drag rectangular (block) selection**, auto-copy, middle-click
paste, focus-aware hollow cursor, configurable blink, visual bell.
- **Drag-and-drop files** — drop any file onto the window and its
shell-quoted path is inserted at the cursor (with a trailing space, so
`cat ` + drop + Enter works). Honors broadcast mode.
- **Session restore** — the tab/split tree and each pane's working directory
are saved and restored across launches; new tabs/splits also inherit the
focused pane's current directory (OSC 7).
- **SSH multiplexing** — `Ctrl+Shift+S` opens an SSH launcher (configured
`ssh-host` names with fuzzy tab-complete, or any `user@host`); SSH tabs
persist across sessions.
- **Quick-select hints** — `Ctrl+Shift+H` labels every URL / path /
git-hash / IP on screen; type a label to open it (URLs) or copy it.
- **Command palette** — `Ctrl+Shift+K` opens a fuzzy command palette;
type to filter every action, `Tab`/`↑↓` to select, `Enter` to run.
- **Live theme switching** — cycle the ~512 bundled themes at runtime
(palette: "Next/Previous theme", or `next_theme`/`prev_theme` binds).
- **Cross-platform** — one codebase for Windows 11, Linux (X11/Wayland) and
macOS, via `winit` + `portable-pty` (ConPTY on Windows).
## Install
| OS | Versions | Recommended install |
|----|----------|---------------------|
| **Linux** | X11 + Wayland | one-line installer (below) |
| **macOS** | 11+ — Intel & Apple Silicon (universal `.app`) | drag-to-Applications (below) |
| **Windows** | Windows 11 | `install.ps1` from the release `.zip` (below) |
Every release ships prebuilt binaries on the
[releases page](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/releases/latest)
(Linux `.tar.gz` + `.sha256`, macOS universal `.app`, Windows `.zip`) — or
build from source.
### Linux — one-line installer (recommended)
Downloads the latest prebuilt binary + XDG launcher + icons and drops
everything into `~/.local/` (no `sudo`, no Rust toolchain):
```sh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Reddimus/kettle/main/scripts/install-online.sh | sh
```
Then search **"kettle"** in GNOME Activities / KDE Krunner / Ubuntu's
Super-key, or run `kettle` from any shell on your `$PATH`.
Pin a specific version: `KETTLE_VERSION=v2.1.0 sh` instead of `sh`.
System-wide install: `KETTLE_PREFIX=/usr/local sh` (needs write access).
Uninstall later: `~/.local/share/kettle/install.sh --uninstall`.
### macOS
Grab `kettle-macos-universal.zip` from
[the latest release](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/releases/latest),
unzip, and drag `kettle.app` to `/Applications`. The binary is a true
arm64 + x86_64 universal — runs natively on every Mac.
### Windows 11
Grab `kettle-windows-x86_64.zip` from
[the latest release](https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle/releases/latest),
unzip it, and run the bundled installer from the extracted folder:
```powershell
.\install.ps1 # per-user install: Start-menu entry + PATH (no admin)
.\install.ps1 -WithShellIntegration # also wire OSC 133 prompt marks into your $PROFILE
.\install.ps1 -Uninstall # remove it again later
```
Then press **Win** and type **"kettle"** to launch it from the Start menu.
(If PowerShell blocks the script, run
`powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install.ps1`.) Prefer it
portable? Skip the installer — just `cd` into the folder and run
`kettle.exe`.
kettle opens **PowerShell 7+ (`pwsh`)** by default when it's installed —
the same default as Windows Terminal — falling back to Windows PowerShell
then `cmd.exe`. Set `shell = cmd.exe` (or any program) in your config to
override. To use **WSL / Ubuntu**, set `command = wsl.exe -d Ubuntu` — see
[Launching WSL as your shell](docs/CONFIG.md#launching-wsl--ubuntu-as-your-shell-windows).
### Build from source
```sh
# Linux build deps (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt-get install -y pkg-config libfontconfig1-dev libfreetype6-dev \
libx11-dev libxkbcommon-dev libxkbcommon-x11-dev libwayland-dev libxcb1-dev
git clone https://github.com/Reddimus/kettle && cd kettle
cargo run --release # try it
./scripts/install.sh # XDG desktop install
./scripts/install.sh --uninstall # undo later
```
Rust ≥ 1.89 (the workspace MSRV). See
[`docs/INSTALL.md`](docs/INSTALL.md) for packaging details across all
three platforms.
## First launch
1. **Run `kettle`** (or launch it from your app menu / Start menu). It
opens with the **TokyoNight Night** theme and the bundled JetBrains
Mono Nerd Font — zero setup. On Windows it starts **PowerShell 7+**.
2. **Right-click any pane → Preferences ▸** to toggle the scrollbar,
cursor blink, bell, copy-on-select and font size — changes persist
instantly to your config.
3. **Split** with `Ctrl+Shift+O` (top/bottom) or `Ctrl+Shift+E`
(left/right), cycle panes with `Ctrl+Shift+N` / `P`, and open a new
tab with `Ctrl+Shift+T`.
4. **Search** the screen with `Ctrl+Shift+F` (regex, smart-case), or open
the **command palette** with `Ctrl+Shift+K` to fuzzy-find any action.
5. **Configure** it:
`kettle --print-default-config > ~/.config/kettle/config` (Windows:
`%APPDATA%\kettle\config`) — edits live-reload the moment you save.
## CLI quick reference
```sh
kettle --print-default-config > ~/.config/kettle/config # bootstrap a commented starter config
kettle --shell-integration bash >> ~/.bashrc # OSC 133 jump-to-prompt (zsh/fish also supported)
kettle --print-completions bash >> ~/.bashrc # tab-complete every kettle flag
kettle --list-themes # list every bundled theme (~512)
kettle --list-keybinds # print the *effective* keymap (defaults + your overrides + unbinds)
kettle --list-actions # list every action name accepted by `keybind = trigger=action`
kettle --list-ssh-hosts # print configured `ssh-host = name=target` entries
kettle --config-path # show where the config file is read from
kettle --check-config # validate config: resolved settings + unknown-key / malformed-value diagnostics
kettle --gpu-info # print the wgpu adapter / backend / driver / texture limits (for bug reports)
kettle --config FILE # use a specific config file (live-reloaded; error if it doesn't exist)
kettle -d /path/to/dir # open the first tab in this directory
kettle -e htop # run a command instead of the shell
kettle -e ssh -t host # (-e consumes the rest of the args)
kettle --screenshot OUT.png # render a representative frame offscreen and exit (no window)
```
## Default keybindings (Terminator-compatible)
| Action | Bind | Action | Bind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split top/bottom | `Ctrl+Shift+O` | New tab | `Ctrl+Shift+T` |
| Split left/right | `Ctrl+Shift+E` | Close pane | `Ctrl+Shift+W` |
| Split (auto-pick) | `Ctrl+Shift+A` | New window | `Ctrl+Shift+I` |
| Focus next/prev pane | `Ctrl+Shift+N` / `P` | Close window | `Ctrl+Shift+Q` |
| Next/prev tab | `Ctrl+PgDn` / `PgUp` | Move tab left/right | `Ctrl+Shift+PgUp` / `PgDn` |
| Goto tab 1..9 | `Alt+1..9` | Zoom / unzoom pane | `Ctrl+Shift+X` |
| Copy / Paste | `Ctrl+Shift+C` / `V` | **Search** | **`Ctrl+Shift+F`** |
| **SSH launcher** | **`Ctrl+Shift+S`** | **Command palette** | **`Ctrl+Shift+K`** |
| **Quick-select hints** | **`Ctrl+Shift+H`** | Fullscreen | `F11` |
| Jump prev/next prompt | `Ctrl+Up` / `Down` | Resize split | `Shift+Arrows` |
| Directional focus | `Alt+Arrows` | Scroll to top/bottom | `Shift+Home` / `End` |
| Scroll line / page | `Ctrl+Shift+Up/Down` / `Shift+PgUp/PgDn` | Reset font size | `Ctrl+0` |
| Font bigger / smaller | `Ctrl+` `+` / `-` | Broadcast on/off | `Super+G` / `Shift+Super+G` |
| Reload config | `Ctrl+Shift+M` | Reset terminal | `Ctrl+Shift+R` |
Full effective keymap with your `--config` applied: `kettle --list-keybinds`.
> **Tip — right-click anywhere in a pane** for the context menu: Copy /
> Paste / Split / Close, plus **Theme ▸** (cycle through ~512 bundled
> themes), **Profile ▸**, and the **Preferences ▸** submenu
> with one-click toggles for scrollbar mode, cursor blink, copy-on-select,
> bell mode, mouse-hide, and font size. Settings persist atomically to
> `~/.config/kettle/config` with a backup at `config.bak`. The menu
> supports keyboard mnemonics (single letter) and typeahead
> (multi-char prefix) — see [docs/CONFIG.md](docs/CONFIG.md)
> "Editing the config from inside kettle" for the full toggle map.
## Configuration
kettle reads `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/kettle/config` (Ghostty syntax). Example:
```ini
theme = TokyoNight Night
font-family = JetBrainsMono Nerd Font
font-size = 13
background-opacity = 1.0
cursor-style = block
keybind = ctrl+shift+t=new_tab
```
See [docs/CONFIG.md](docs/CONFIG.md) and the sample at
[`docs/kettle.example.config`](docs/kettle.example.config).
## Documentation
- [docs/ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — system design + diagrams
- [docs/RESEARCH.md](docs/RESEARCH.md) — analysis of other terminals & citations
- [docs/UX-COMPARISON.md](docs/UX-COMPARISON.md) — cited UI/UX matrix vs Ghostty/kitty/WezTerm/Terminator/Alacritty
- [docs/INSTALL.md](docs/INSTALL.md) — install per-OS / from source
- [docs/ROADMAP.md](docs/ROADMAP.md) — what's done / next
- [docs/TESTING.md](docs/TESTING.md) — test suite + CI
- [docs/PERFORMANCE.md](docs/PERFORMANCE.md) — measured startup / memory / render numbers
- [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) — release history
- [docs/CONFIG.md](docs/CONFIG.md) — every config key
- [docs/SHELL-INTEGRATION.md](docs/SHELL-INTEGRATION.md) — OSC 133 prompt-mark hooks for bash / zsh / fish
- [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) — the audit-cycle pattern + how to land your first change
## License
MIT. Bundled assets, third-party crates kettle consumes (Alacritty's VT
core, WezTerm's `portable-pty`, cosmic-text), and the design-source
projects kettle cites (kitty's graphics protocol spec, Terminator's
splits-and-broadcast convention, Ghostty's config syntax) are all
credited in [NOTICE](NOTICE).