# Tilix

> Tiling terminal emulator for Linux using GTK+3

Stars: 5.7k · Language: D · License: MPL-2.0 · Platforms: Linux

Features: built-in multiplexer, configurable

- Repository: https://github.com/gnunn1/tilix
- Page: https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/tilix

## Overview

Tilix is a tiling terminal emulator for Linux, written in D on GTK 3 and the VTE terminal widget, and licensed under MPL-2.0. It was formerly called Terminix. It is for GNOME users and others on Linux desktops who want several terminals laid out in one window without running a separate multiplexer.

Terminals can be split horizontally or vertically in any arrangement, rearranged by drag and drop within and between windows, or dragged out into a new window. Open sessions are listed in tabs or a sidebar. Input can be synchronized so that a command typed in one terminal is replicated to others in the group, and a whole layout of terminals can be saved to disk and loaded later. Quake mode gives a drop-down terminal.

Settings are stored in dconf through GSettings, edited in the Preferences dialog, and can be exported and imported with `dconf dump` and `dconf load`. Color schemes are plain files, so a new scheme is just a new file. Profiles can switch automatically based on hostname and directory, and terminals support custom titles, custom hyperlinks, transparent backgrounds and background images. There is optional Nautilus integration. Notifications for processes that finish out of view need the Fedora notification patches for VTE, and the experimental triggers and badges need a patched VTE as well.

Tilix follows the GNOME Human Interface Guidelines and uses client-side decorations (the GTK HeaderBar), which can be disabled. GNOME and Unity are the only officially tested desktops, though users report success elsewhere. It needs GTK 3.18 or later and VTE 0.46 or later. The README carries a "maintainers wanted" notice: only minimal maintenance is happening, no new features are planned, and pull requests may be reviewed slowly.

## Alternatives

- [Windows Terminal](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/windows-terminal.md): Microsoft's terminal for Windows that hosts PowerShell, cmd and WSL shells in tabs and panes, with GPU text rendering and JSON settings. (Windows, 105.3k stars)
- [Tabby](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/tabby.md): Cross-platform Electron terminal with a built-in SSH, Telnet and serial client, saved connection profiles and a plugin system. (Linux/macOS/Windows, 75.3k stars)
- [Alacritty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/alacritty.md): Cross-platform OpenGL terminal emulator written in Rust, configured with a TOML file and leaving tabs and splits to a multiplexer like tmux. (Linux/macOS/Windows/BSD, 66.1k stars)
- [Warp](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/warp.md): Terminal written in Rust with an IDE-style command editor, command output grouped into blocks, and built-in AI agents. (macOS/Linux/Windows, 65.8k stars)
- [Termux](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/termux.md): Android terminal emulator and Linux environment that installs packages through its own apt repository, no root required. (Android, 64.0k stars)
- [Ghostty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/ghostty.md): Terminal emulator written in Zig with GPU rendering and a native UI on each platform: Swift/AppKit on macOS, GTK on Linux. (Linux/macOS, 63.3k stars)
- [Hyper](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/hyper.md): Electron terminal built on HTML, CSS and JavaScript, themed and extended through npm plugins. (Linux/macOS/Windows, 44.8k stars)
- [Kitty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/kitty.md): GPU-rendered terminal written in C and Python, with its own graphics protocol, built-in tabs and splits, and scriptable 'kittens'. (Linux/macOS/BSD, 35.5k stars)

## Guides

- [Best Terminal Emulators for Linux](https://www.trmn.sh/best/terminal-emulators-for-linux): Best terminal emulators for Linux compared: Ghostty, kitty, foot, Alacritty, WezTerm, Konsole and Ptyxis, by rendering, splits and config.
- [Tilix vs Terminator](https://www.trmn.sh/compare/tilix-vs-terminator): Tilix (D, GTK 3, dconf settings) vs Terminator (Python, INI config, broadcast groups): layout, config and maintenance compared.

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Canonical: https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/tilix