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The default Terminal app built into OS X is a great tool that features tabs, and other helpful and modern conveniences like dragging and dropping file paths; however, the built in Terminal app does have some other competition. From more features, to more beauty, other terminal apps are edging up on our faithful ‘ole pal. Continue reading, and we’ll show you the competition, and why you may just want to make the switch to another terminal emulator.
Cathode is definitely one of our favorite terminal emulator apps, because it provides both functionality and beauty in the form of eye and ear candy. From the moment you start up this app, you’ll be transported back to the 1970s, when the CLI (command line interface) was a modern marvel.
Pick from tons of interface themes, and sound effects to relive the joys of retro computing on your modern Mac. Your theme can even be customized to make the terminal experience fit your style. Plus, you’ll enjoy the ability to store your most used commands into the Favorites list, making them executable with only one-click.
The cool nostalgia of using Cathode will definitely put a smile on your face, even if you’re not old enough to remember the days before graphical user interfaces were the norm.
Price: $10 on the Mac App Store
Pros: Store favorite or most-used commands, beautiful interface, retro sounds, most of the functionality of the built-in Terminal client, including dragging and dropping, full-screen support.
Cons: No tabs for multiple sessions, processor-intensive graphics, not accessible with VoiceOver.
While it doesn’t have the graphically intense beauty of Cathode, iTerm2 does include a lot of great features, and makes a great alternative to the built-in terminal emulator.
iTerm2 includes tons of customization options for the appearance, set multiple profiles, change the keyboard shortcuts, and mouse/trackpad actions.
Using the built-in Toolbelt, you can see things like the currently running jobs, profiles, and paste history. Another nicety is the Instant Replay (View > Step Back/Forward in Time) that lets you view what was typed (or printed) to the terminal at a specific time, allowing you the ability to step forward or back if you missed some output.
Price: Free (Download Page)
Pros: Tabs, ability to create multiple profiles, ability to completely customize the keyboard shortcuts and mouse/trackpad gesture actions, accessible with VoiceOver.
Cons: Only basic appearance settings.
Do you have another terminal emulator that you prefer to use over the built-in Terminal app included in OS X? Let us know in the comments below!
Cory Bohon is a freelance technology writer, indie Mac and iOS developer, and amateur photographer. Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
dirdled
January 08, 2013 at 7:35pm
I use xterm with X11, It used to be included with the OS, but now I think i remember having to install it separately. It may not be quite as easy to configure, but there are all kinds of options.
