iTerm2 and Alternative Terminals

While Terminal.app is capable, many power users prefer third-party terminal emulators. iTerm2 is the most popular choice, offering features like split panes, extensive customization, and powerful automation. This chapter covers iTerm2 in depth and surveys alternatives.

iTerm2

iTerm2 is a free, open-source terminal emulator for macOS with an active community and extensive feature set.

Installation

# Via Homebrew (recommended)
$ brew install --cask iterm2

# Or download from: https://iterm2.com

Key Features

Split Panes

Create multiple panes in a single tab:

Hotkey Window

A terminal that slides down from the top (like Quake consoles):

1. Preferences → Keys → Hotkey
2. Create a Dedicated Hotkey Window
3. Assign a hotkey (e.g., Option+Space)
4. Configure to show/hide with hotkey

Search with Regex

Cmd+F opens find bar with regex support:

# Search for IP addresses
\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}

# Search for email-like patterns
\S+@\S+\.\S+

Shell Integration

iTerm2’s shell integration provides:

• Current directory in tab title
• Command history with timestamps
• Marks at prompts
• Captured command output
• Alerts on long command completion
• File download from remote servers

Install:

# Automatic installation
$ curl -L https://iterm2.com/shell_integration/install_shell_integration.sh | bash

# Or install for specific shell
$ curl -L https://iterm2.com/shell_integration/zsh -o ~/.iterm2_shell_integration.zsh
$ echo 'source ~/.iterm2_shell_integration.zsh' >> ~/.zshrc

After installation, right-click to:

• Select output of last command
• Download files from remote hosts
• Open Recent Directories

Triggers

Automatically perform actions when text matches patterns:

1. Preferences → Profiles → Advanced → Triggers
2. Add regex patterns
3. Choose actions: highlight, alert, run command, etc.

Examples:

• Highlight errors in red
• Alert on build completion
• Run command when pattern matches

Instant Replay

Scroll back through terminal history with time-based replay:

1. Press Cmd+Option+B
2. Use arrow keys to move through history
3. Press Escape to return to live view

Password Manager

Store frequently-used passwords:

1. Preferences → Profiles → Advanced → Triggers
2. Or: Window → Password Manager (Cmd+Option+F)
3. Store username/password pairs
4. Click to paste (use with Secure Keyboard Entry)

Image Display

iTerm2 can display images inline:

# Using imgcat (part of shell integration)
$ imgcat image.png

# For remote servers, install imgcat:
$ curl -L https://iterm2.com/utilities/imgcat -o ~/bin/imgcat
$ chmod +x ~/bin/imgcat

Broadcast Input

Type in multiple panes simultaneously:

1. Shell → Broadcast Input
2. Options: To All Panes, To All Tabs, etc.
3. Type once, appears everywhere

Useful for running the same command on multiple servers.

Profiles

Create different profiles for different contexts:

• Development (large font, dark theme)
• SSH (different colors per server)
• Presentation (huge font, high contrast)

Switch with Cmd+O (profile picker).

Configuration

Appearance

Preferences → Appearance:

• Theme: Dark, Light, Minimal, etc.
• Tab position: Top, Left, Bottom
• Status bar: Enable/configure

Keys

Preferences → Keys → Key Bindings:

• Global hotkey
• Custom key mappings
• Presets: Natural Text Editing (makes Option+Arrow work like other apps)

Natural Text Editing Preset:

1. Preferences → Profiles → Keys
2. Key Mappings → Presets → Natural Text Editing

This enables:

• Option+Left/Right - Move by word
• Option+Backspace - Delete word
• Cmd+Left/Right - Move to line start/end

Status Bar

Preferences → Profiles → Session → Status bar:

Components:

• Current directory
• Git branch
• CPU/Memory usage
• Battery
• Custom text

Scripting

iTerm2 supports Python scripting:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# Requires: pip install iterm2

import iterm2

async def main(connection):
    app = await iterm2.async_get_app(connection)
    window = app.current_terminal_window
    if window:
        await window.current_tab.current_session.async_send_text('echo Hello\n')

iterm2.run_until_complete(main)

Recommended Settings

For productivity:

1. Enable hotkey window (Option+Space)
2. Install shell integration
3. Enable Natural Text Editing
4. Configure triggers for errors/completions
5. Set up profiles for different contexts

Alternative Terminal Emulators

Alacritty

GPU-accelerated, fast, cross-platform terminal:

$ brew install --cask alacritty

Characteristics:

• Very fast (GPU rendering)
• Configuration via TOML file
• No tabs (use tmux)
• Cross-platform (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• Minimal features by design

Configuration (~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml):

[font]
normal = { family = "SF Mono", style = "Regular" }
size = 13.0

[colors.primary]
background = "#1d1f21"
foreground = "#c5c8c6"

[window]
dimensions = { columns = 120, lines = 35 }
padding = { x = 5, y = 5 }

Best for: Users who want speed and use tmux for session management.

Kitty

Feature-rich, GPU-accelerated terminal:

$ brew install --cask kitty

Characteristics:

• GPU rendering (fast)
• Native tabs and splits
• Image display
• Ligature support
• Remote file access
• Extensive customization

Configuration (~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf):

font_family SF Mono
font_size 13.0
background #1a1a1a
foreground #d8d8d8
enable_audio_bell no

Best for: Users wanting features without sacrificing performance.

Warp

Modern terminal with AI features:

$ brew install --cask warp

Characteristics:

• Block-based command interface
• AI command suggestions
• Modern IDE-like editing
• Shared workflows
• Requires account (free tier available)

Best for: Users who want a modern take on terminals with AI assistance.

Hyper

Web-technology-based terminal:

$ brew install --cask hyper

Characteristics:

• Built on Electron (HTML/CSS/JS)
• Highly themeable
• Plugin ecosystem
• Cross-platform
• Higher memory usage than native apps

Configuration (~/.hyper.js):

module.exports = {
    config: {
        fontSize: 13,
        fontFamily: '"SF Mono", monospace',
        cursorShape: 'BLOCK',
        shell: '/bin/zsh',
    },
    plugins: ['hyper-dracula'],
};

Best for: Web developers who want to customize with JS/CSS.

WezTerm

GPU-accelerated, cross-platform, Lua-configured:

$ brew install --cask wezterm

Characteristics:

• GPU rendering
• Lua configuration
• Multiplexing built-in
• Cross-platform
• Active development

Configuration (~/.wezterm.lua):

local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
return {
    font = wezterm.font 'SF Mono',
    font_size = 13.0,
    color_scheme = 'Catppuccin Mocha',
    enable_tab_bar = true,
}

Best for: Users who want customization with a real programming language.

Feature Comparison

tmux: Terminal Multiplexer

Regardless of which terminal you choose, tmux provides powerful session management:

$ brew install tmux

tmux provides:

• Sessions that persist after disconnection
• Split panes (works in any terminal)
• Multiple windows
• Session sharing
• Scriptable

Basic tmux usage:

# Start new session
$ tmux new -s work

# Detach
Ctrl+b, d

# List sessions
$ tmux ls

# Reattach
$ tmux attach -t work

# Split panes
Ctrl+b, %    # Vertical
Ctrl+b, "    # Horizontal

# Navigate panes
Ctrl+b, arrow

Recommendation: If you use Alacritty, tmux is essential. For iTerm2 or Kitty users, tmux is optional but useful for remote work.

Choosing a Terminal

Use Terminal.app if:

• You want no additional software
• You’re working on shared/managed Macs
• Your needs are basic

Use iTerm2 if:

• You want split panes and hotkey window
• You need advanced features (triggers, shell integration)
• You prefer GUI configuration
• You’re a power user

Use Alacritty/Kitty if:

• You want maximum performance
• You prefer config-file configuration
• You use tmux
• You work cross-platform

Use Warp if:

• You want AI assistance
• You prefer modern IDE-like interfaces
• You’re comfortable with an account requirement

Summary

The terminal emulator choice is personal, but common paths:

1. Start with Terminal.app - Learn the basics
2. Graduate to iTerm2 - Most macOS power users land here
3. Consider alternatives - If you have specific needs (speed, cross-platform, etc.)

iTerm2’s combination of features, stability, and active development makes it the default recommendation for macOS power users. But any terminal that supports UTF-8 and 256 colors will work well for most tasks—the choice is about workflow optimization, not capability.