---
title: "Tabby Terminal"
aliases: [tabby, eugeny-tabby, terminus-terminal]
tags: [terminal, ssh, dotfiles, tools, cross-platform]
sources: [raw/Eugenytabby A terminal for a more modern age.md, "raw/Tabby - a terminal for a more modern age 1.md", "raw/Tabby - a terminal for a more modern age.md"]
created: 2026-04-17
updated: 2026-04-17
---

## Overview

[Tabby](https://tabby.sh/) (formerly Terminus) is a highly configurable terminal emulator, SSH/Telnet client, and serial terminal for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Built on Electron — not lightweight, but feature-rich.

**Not a shell or MinGW/Cygwin replacement.** For RAM-sensitive setups, prefer [[wiki/dotfiles/wezterm-config|WezTerm]] or Alacritty.

---

## Terminal Features

- VT220 + extensions; handles fast-flowing output without choking
- **Smart tabs** — detect process progress and notify on completion
- Multiple nested split panes (freely rearrangeable); save split layouts as profiles; tabs on any window edge
- Optional dockable "Quake console" with global hotkey; can dock to any screen edge
- **24-bit True Color** + base16 infrastructure + 150+ community ANSI color schemes
- Font ligatures, Powerline/Nerd Font glyphs, emoji, pixel-perfect box drawing, full Unicode
- **Careful pasting** — bracketed paste support + multi-line paste warnings prevent accidental execution
- **Persistent tabs** — remembers open tabs and restores complete terminal state after accidental close
- Custom shell profiles (PowerShell, PS Core, WSL, Git-Bash, Cygwin, MSYS2, Cmder, CMD)
- **Profile manager** — save all configured options into hotkey-assignable profiles
- **Freely customizable hotkeys** — single and multi-chord shortcuts
- Tab completion on Windows via Clink
- Progress detection, process completion notifications

## SSH Client

- SSH2 with integrated connection manager and key management
- X11 forwarding and **persistent preconfigured port forwards** (save setups, reuse without re-entering)
- Automatic jump host management
- Agent forwarding (Pageant, Windows native OpenSSH Agent)
- Direct file transfer via **Zmodem** in SSH, Telnet, and serial sessions — send/receive from the prompt
- Login scripts
- SFTP tab available via plugin

## Serial Terminal

- Saved connections, readline input
- Optional hex byte-by-byte input + hexdump output
- Newline conversion, automatic reconnection

## Web App

SSH, SFTP, and Telnet available as a hosted web app (`tabby.sh/app`) or self-hosted via `tabby-web`.

## Portability

Runs as portable app on Windows — create a `data/` folder next to `Tabby.exe`.

## Encrypted Secrets

Integrated encrypted container for SSH secrets and configuration.

---

## Plugins

Installed directly from Settings view inside Tabby.

| Plugin | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| `tabby-docker` | Connect to Docker containers |
| `tabby-save-output` | Record terminal output to file |
| `tabby-sync-config` | Sync config to Gist/Gitee |
| `tabby-workspace-manager` | Custom workspace profiles |
| `tabby-sftp-tab` | Open SFTP tab for SSH connections (like SecureCRT) |
| `tabby-highlight` | Keyword highlighting in terminal |
| `tabby-background` | Custom background images |
| `tabby-mcp-server` | MCP server integration — connect AI assistants (Cursor, Windsurf) to terminal |
| `tabby-web-auth-handler` | In-app web auth popups (built for Warpgate) |

## Notable Themes

- `catppuccin` — soothing pastel
- `gruvbox` — classic warm palette
- `hype` — Hyper-inspired
- `noctis` — VS Code Noctis-inspired

---

## Comparison with Alternatives

| Terminal | Strength | Weakness |
|----------|---------|---------|
| **Tabby** | SSH/serial built-in, plugin ecosystem, cross-platform | Heavy (Electron), high RAM |
| [[wiki/dotfiles/wezterm-config\|WezTerm]] | GPU-accelerated, Lua config, lightweight | No built-in SSH manager |
| Alacritty | Minimal, very fast | No tabs, no SSH |
| PuTTY | Familiar SSH client on Windows | Dated UX, no split panes |

---

## Key Takeaways

- Tabby is the **PuTTY replacement** for modern devs — SSH manager, serial, and full terminal in one app
- **Zmodem file transfer** in SSH sessions is a killer feature over plain terminals
- **MCP server plugin** connects Tabby directly to AI assistants — unique among terminal emulators
- **Portable mode** on Windows (just add `data/` folder) makes it easy to carry on USB
- Plugin/theme ecosystem installs from within the app; no manual file management
- Pairs well with **Warpgate** (smart SSH bastion) per the author's own recommendation
- Not for RAM-constrained setups — Electron overhead is real

---

## Sources

- GitHub README: `raw/Eugenytabby A terminal for a more modern age.md`
- Features page: `raw/Tabby - a terminal for a more modern age 1.md` (tabby.sh/about/features)
- Project site: tabby.sh
