Best Terminal Alternatives For Ubuntu

If you’re looking for the best Terminal alternatives for Ubuntu to get more out of your system, we’re here to help you.

Linux is an operating system developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991. But Linux is not just an operating system, as it is an excellent platform for embedded systems and servers. Linux is somehow considered superior to other operating systems as it has several advantages. 

Some of its benefits include security, open-source, customization, stability, large community support, performance, various distribution, and the list goes on and on. 

Best Terminal Alternatives For Ubuntu

Among various distributions of Linux Ubuntu is one of the most popular ones. If you are an Ubuntu user, you must be familiar with the Terminal and its rich features. Terminal or emulator isn’t just an interface through which we can type cryptic Linux commands. We can also execute our desired work here, but it works as the heart of the system. 

We can control our system and its workflow all from our Terminal, which looks and feels cool. But due to various limitations in the default Terminal, it can become difficult or boring at some point. 

However, it depends on the person using it and their needs. For example, if you’re looking for the alternatives to the default Terminal available on your Ubuntu system—we have got a great list of alternatives for you with its key features and installation process. 

Terminator

Terminator is a valuable alternative to the default Terminal emulator. It is an open-source and cross-platform Terminal emulator. It can be very convenient as it lets you open multiple command line Terminals in a single window. Despite being a slightly heavyweight emulator, it’s still a great alternative for its features like:

• Various options for customization to get the personalized experience
• Offers split screen and multiple Terminals feature
• Plenty of keyboard shortcuts to make work fast and convenient

The installation process is so simple as it can be installed with a single line of command:

$ sudo apt-get install terminator

Guake

Guake is another great alternative to the default Terminal emulator. Inspired by a First Person Shooter video game: Quake, and adopts its behavior of dropping down (i.e., users can hide the Terminal and bring it back up by using the single key). There are various other features that make Guake a better alternative.

• Can split the Terminal horizontally or vertically
• Compatible with multiple-monitor setup
• Features of customization of its appearance, background and text colors, windows size, scrolling preferences, etc.
• Options to open multiple tabs at a time and also restore the previous tab

The installation process is similar to the previous Terminal, as the process can be executed with the following command:

sudo apt-get install guake

Simple Terminal

If you prefer a very neat Terminal with minimal design, Simple Terminal might be the Terminal you’re looking for. It is lightweight and consumes less memory. With other features like multiple colors, resizing, wide-character support, mouse and keyboard shortcuts, and more, it is indeed a great alternative. 

The installation can be done with these commands:

$ git clone https://git.suckless.org/st
$ cd st
$ sudo apt install libxft-dev
$ sudo make clean install

Cool Retro Term

Cool Retro Term is another popular Terminal emulator. With an old CRT monitor-like interface, it gives a great retro vibe and makes your Terminal experience interesting. Despite some unique and cool features, it may not be the perfect alternative you’re looking for as it lacks the extra functionality that other Terminals provide.

The installation is simple and can by inputting:

$ sudo apt install cool-retro-term

eDEX-UI

If you’re looking for an alternative Terminal with a great environment that can boost your experience not on functionality but on design—eDEX-UI is a good alternative for you. We believe it’s a standout Terminal among others due to its design being inspired by the TRON legacy movie. Some of its key highlights include:

• Sci-Fi look
• Cross Platform
• Customization of Terminal
• Supports touch-enabled display with the inclusion of an on-screen keyboard
• Sounds effects are available

The installation can be done by executing the given line of commands:

$ wget -c https://github.com/GitSquared/edex-ui/releases/download/v2.2.2/eDEX-UI.Linux.x86_64.AppImage

Hyper

Another great Terminal alternative in Ubuntu is Hyper.  It is electron-based, with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as its foundation. Its richness in features make it a great Terminal emulator as its feature includes:

• Cross Platform
• Multiple tabs can be opened
• Plenty of shortcuts
• Add your own custom CSS
• Install plugins, themes, and more

You can install Hyper by double-clicking the .deb file after downloading from the Ubuntu software center. The other way it can be installed is by executing these commands in the Terminal after updating the package list.

$ wget -0 hyper_3.0.2_amd64 htpps://releases.hyper.is/download.deb sudo gdebi hyper_3.0.2_amd64

Tilda

Tilda is another drop-down Gtk-based Terminal emulator. It’s a great alternative as it has various features such as:

• Customization support
• Integrated search bar
• Hotkeys can be set for quick access or certain work

However, the drag-and-drop feature isn’t included, which can make your experience really unpleasant.

The installation of this Terminal emulator is so simple you just have to type in:

$ sudo apt install tilda

Tilix

Tilix is another feature-rich Terminal perfect for Ubuntu. It offers a similar drop-down experience that you find with Guake but allows you to have multiple Terminal windows in tiling mode. Some of its features include:

• Custom titles and hyperlinks support
• Drag and drop
• Splits Terminal horizontally and vertically according to the need of the use
• Notifications support

For Ubuntu, official Tilix packages are available and can be installed by inputting this command:

$ sudo apt install tilix

There are several other Terminals out there, and you can try any one of them. However, if you research the topics, you’ll find out these are the best Terminals that can provide you with a productive and stable environment. So without any doubt, choosing the right Terminal totally depends on your needs and preferences. 

If you have any questions regarding this topic, do not hesitate to leave a comment down below.

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