You may be a Linux power user, system administrator, or spend time particularly at the command window. You will require the best terminal for Linux to take advantage of. For instance, you can customize the terminal, just like choosing Linux distros. In this article, we have compiled a list of 10 interesting and best terminals for Linux. You can make use of them to enhance your workflow and add aesthetic appeal to your desktop screen. Before looking into the list of best Linux terminals, you should understand the performance and functionality of the terminal emulator.
A terminal emulator or terminal application is software with the functionalities of GUI to enable communication with the host computer. They are used to access the command-line interfaces, the console, and its applications. Modern desktops come with default terminal emulators. But at times, you may not prefer using the default terminal again and again. In such a scenario, you shall look into some other terminal as an alternative.
Best Terminals for Linux
- Terminator
- Cool Retro Term
- Tilix
- Guake
- Terminology
- Alacritty
- Yakuake
- GNU Screen
- Tilda
- Minicom
1. Terminator
Terminator is open-source software and one of the best command-line interfaces. You can switch between multiple terminals quickly using split windows or tabs. It is the perfect choice for power users to use multiple terminals on a single-window simultaneously. It also helps to arrange terminals in a gnome desktop.
Key Features
- Number of key bindings
- Ability to use multiple terminals
- Saving of layouts
- Third-party plugins
- Can use drag and drop for terminal reordering
2. Cool Retro Term
If you love vintage style, this terminal will give you a cool retro look and feel. It is a very lightweight emulator that provides a complete retro screen. In addition, you can add a screen jitter to repeat the exact retro look with Cool Retro Term. You can also change or customize some additional settings in this terminal to change the look as you wish.
Key Features
- Cathode ray screen
- Eye candy look
- Various color schemes & effects
- Customizable & lightweight
3. Tilix
Tilix is formally known as Terminix. It allows the user to split the terminal into different sections to avoid switching one tab into another terminal tab. You can arrange or rearrange the split terminals by simply using the drag and drop option. The Quack mode option lets you use the shortcut keys to hide or show the terminal screen.
Key Features
- Highly configurable UI
- Multiple terminal window support
- Custom titles
- Supports different layouts & themes
- Notification support
4. Guake
Guake is the best Linux terminal application, especially for the GNOME environment. It offers a multimonitor setup. The terminal allows you to change the color on focused windows while using multiple terminal windows. It has various pre-configured color palettes which give you elegant visualization while working in the command window.
Key Features
- Color schemes to customize command lines
- Top-down terminal for GNOME
- Allows using F11 and F12 keyboard shortcut keys
- Autoconfigure
5. Terminology
The name ‘Terminology’ sounds similar to ‘Terminator,’ but their functionality and features are totally different. Terminology is the best Linux terminal based on ETL (Enlightenment Foundation Libraries). It gives cutting-edge visuals to the terminal UI. Further, it is the most stylish Linux terminal with powerful features and features numerous pre-installed wallpapers and themes.
Key Features
- Packed with multiple color schemes
- Config panel & buffer support
- Tab switcher with live thumbnail content
- Can stream media from URL links
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6. Alacritty
Alacritty is one of the fastest, cross-platform, and OpenGL Linux terminal emulators. It is written in Rust language, and it has been the most trending Linux terminal. Alacritty is the GPU-accelerated terminal that utilizes OpenGL. With this, it performs incredible execution even while operating in full-screen mode on a 4K monitor. It allows extensive configuration.
Key Features
- GPU accelerated
- Cross-platform
- Colored emojis
7. Yakuake
Yakuake is a drop-down terminal emulator created with QT technology (i.e., software for creating a cross-platform app and QT technology). This is a pop-up terminal like Guake. In this application, users can customize the text size and speed of animation. It supports multiple tabs and gives smooth scrolls over the screen.
Key Features
- Transparent background
- Bookmarking options for SSH and directories
- Provides multiple tabs & split terminal option
8. GNU Screen
GNU is a terminal window manager which allows users to have multiple terminal windows inside the main terminal windows. The screen will run commands simultaneously on all the numerous windows inside the main window. The terminal emulator will be a good choice to manage multiple terminal sessions.
Key Features
- Nested screen sessions
- Start screen on every shell
- Informative status bar
- Setting multiple bashes prompts while on the screen
9. Tilda
Tilda is a lightweight and minimal terminal emulator. It needs very few dependencies and several resources. You will find a wide range of customizations on this terminal, such as turning backgrounds transparent, setting maximized size, adjusting borders/orientation/animation, toggling the scrollbar on and off, and so on.
Key Features
- Highly customizable
- Few dependencies
- Supports transparency
- Supports Multiple tabs
- Easily accessible drop-drown
10. Minicom
It is a platform-free application, and it is suitable for Linux. You can use it on any Linux machine based on the Linux kernel. It is the most useful application to access your device based on Embedded Linux through serial communication with RS232. The connection parameters can be specialized and manipulated easily, and you can modify your connection in the desired parameters.
Key Features
- Menu-driven communication program
- Supports external scripting language
- Includes dialing directories
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Wrapping Up
Thus the article has covered some of the best terminals for Linux. Each of these Linux terminals has its own set of functionalities and features. Working with a terminal will be more comfortable when you choose the right emulator based on your OS. Hope, this article helps you to find the best terminal for Linux. Which one do you choose from the above listing? Let us know in the below comment section.