title: FAQ description: Frequently asked questions about Termy order: 2 category: Help & Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions

For: end users

General Questions

Is Termy free?

Yes. Termy is completely free and open source, released under the MIT license. You can use it for personal or commercial projects without cost.

Is Termy stable?

Termy is currently in beta. While it's stable for daily use, you may encounter occasional bugs. We recommend:

Keeping your config backed up
Reporting issues on GitHub
Updating regularly for fixes

How is Termy different from other terminals?

Feature	Termy	Typical Terminal
GPU-accelerated	Yes	Rarely
Memory usage	~18MB	100-300MB+
Startup time	~8ms	50-200ms
Built with	Rust	Electron/C++
Config file	Single text file	Often complex

Can I use Termy for work/commercial projects?

Absolutely! The MIT license permits commercial use. No attribution required (though appreciated).

Installation & Updates

How do I install Termy?

macOS (Homebrew - easiest):

brew install --cask termy-org/termy/termy

Arch Linux:

paru -S termy-bin

Other: Download from GitHub Releases

See Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

How do I update Termy?

Automatic: Use the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + P) → "Check for updates"

Package Managers:

# macOS
brew upgrade --cask termy

# Arch Linux
paru -S termy-bin

Manual: Download the latest release and replace the app.

Is Termy available on my platform?

Platform	Status	Method
macOS	✅ Supported	Homebrew, DMG
Windows	✅ Supported	Setup.exe
Linux (x64)	✅ Supported	AppImage, tarball
Arch Linux	✅ Supported	AUR
Linux (ARM)	🔄 Planned	Future release

Why isn't Termy code-signed?

Code signing certificates are expensive ($200-500/year). As an open-source project, we're evaluating options:

Community funding for certificates
Free certificates (e.g., SignPath for Windows)
Self-signed with manual trust

For now, you'll need to bypass security warnings on first launch. See Installation for platform-specific steps.

Configuration

Where is the config file?

~/.config/termy/config.txt

Create it if it doesn't exist:

mkdir -p ~/.config/termy
touch ~/.config/termy/config.txt

Do I need to restart Termy after changing config?

No! Changes apply immediately. This is one of Termy's best features—tweak and see instantly.

Can I import my config from another terminal?

Not automatically, but you can manually translate:

iTerm2: Colors can be exported and converted
Alacritty: Similar config structure, easy to adapt
Windows Terminal: JSON to Termy's format

Example conversion from Alacritty:

# Alacritty
font:
  normal:
    family: JetBrains Mono
  size: 14

# Termy
font_family = JetBrains Mono
font_size = 14

What's the difference between `config.txt` and the UI settings?

They're the same thing! The UI settings editor just writes to config.txt. Use whichever you prefer:

UI: Good for discovery and quick changes
Text file: Good for bulk edits, version control, comments

Features

Does Termy support tabs?

Yes! Tabs are a core feature:

Cmd/Ctrl + T — New tab
Cmd/Ctrl + W — Close tab
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + [/] — Switch tabs
Drag to reorder
Right-click to rename

Can I split panes/windows?

Pane splitting is planned for a future release. Currently, use tabs for multiple sessions.

Does Termy have scrollback/search?

Yes:

Scrollback: Configurable (default 2,000 lines; raise scrollback_history for more)
Search: Cmd/Ctrl + F to find in buffer
Regex search: Supported
Case sensitivity: Toggle with Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + C

Is there a command palette?

Yes! Press Cmd/Ctrl + P for the command palette. Access:

All actions
Settings
Theme switching
Update checking
Keyboard shortcuts

Does Termy support true color?

Yes. Termy fully supports:

24-bit true color
256 colors
ANSI colors
Undercurl (underlines with colors)

Can I use my favorite shell?

Absolutely. Termy works with any shell:

Bash
Zsh
Fish
Nushell
PowerShell
Custom shells

Set in config:

shell = /usr/local/bin/fish

Customization

How do I change the theme?

Via Command Palette:

Cmd/Ctrl + P
Type "switch theme"
Select from list

Via Config:

theme = catppuccin

Built-in themes: termy, catppuccin, gruvbox, tokyonight, github, dracula

How do I change the font?

font_family = JetBrains Mono
font_size = 14

Find available fonts:

# macOS
system_profiler SPFontsDataType | grep "Family:"

# Linux
fc-list : family

Can I make the background transparent?

background_opacity = 0.9    # 0.0-1.0
background_blur = true      # Optional blur effect

How do I customize keybindings?

# In config.txt
keybind = secondary-p=toggle_command_palette
keybind = secondary-t=new_tab
keybind = cmd-w=unbind    # Disable default

See Keybindings for full reference.

Troubleshooting

Why won't Termy launch?

Common causes:

macOS Gatekeeper: Run sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Termy.app
Windows SmartScreen: Click "More info" → "Run anyway"
Broken config: Move ~/.config/termy/config.txt aside and restart
Missing dependencies: Install required libraries

See Troubleshooting for detailed solutions.

Why does my config not work?

The fix is almost always file location, syntax (key = value with spaces around =), a typo in the key name, or an inexact font name. Full checklist in Troubleshooting → Config Issues.

How do I report a bug?

Check existing issues
Include:
- Termy version (termy --version)
- Operating system
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs actual behavior
- Your config file (remove sensitive info)

Where can I get help?

Discord: https://discord.gg/4VDBFD7vAp (fastest response)
GitHub Issues: https://github.com/lassejlv/termy/issues
GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/lassejlv/termy/discussions

Roadmap & Future

What's planned for Termy?

Near-term:

Pane splitting
Plugins/extensions
Improved search
Better Windows integration

Long-term:

Serial/SSH connections
Plugin API
More built-in themes

When will feature X be available?

We don't commit to timelines, but you can:

Watch the GitHub repository
Join Discord for updates
Check the roadmap

Can I request a feature?

Yes! Open a GitHub Discussion or Issue.

FAQ