Vadym/obsidian
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Packages Wiki Activity Actions
obsidian/wiki/dotfiles/tabby-terminal.md
Vadym Samoilenko 2020a36116 vault backup: 2026-04-17 13:18:19
2026-04-17 13:18:19 +01:00

4.7 KiB
Raw Blame History

title aliases tags sources created updated
Tabby Terminal
tabby
eugeny-tabby
terminus-terminal
terminal
ssh
dotfiles
tools
cross-platform
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
2026-04-17 2026-04-17

Overview

Tabby (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 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 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