How do you set up your terminal?

Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider
in LES Talk

I think I want a really peaceful, retro green terminal like the above screenshot.

I recently installed and wrote about vscodium and code-server, but vscodium, although super great, is not retro green.

In the retro green terminal, there is a peaceful, non-distracting, empty space into which I can load whatever I am working on at the moment. Any one of several editors plus a vast array of command line tools can be used instantly.

In addition to the command line tools, dot files and dot directories can be used keep everything arranged, close by, yet out of the way. Right now I use one dot file and two dot directories.

My dot file is .tlog, which is a simple text file with dates, log entries, comments, and terminal commands transcribed along with their output.

My two dot directories are .current and .attic. The first, .current, is where I keep individual files and project directories on which I currently am working, although not at the precise present moment. The second, .attic, is where I keep files and projects on which I am not currently working, but which I think I might need or want to see again before too long.

Once a new project hits .current or moves from .current to .attic, I still can go work on it there. Its not like I have to move the project back to my home directory in order to edit a file.

As a simple workflow example, here is me working on this post, comments added.

root@tx:~# su - tom # Logging in as root saves me from typing sudo a million times as day. 
tom@tx:~$ date # I need to remind myself of the date in order to add the date to the log.
Mon Oct 27 05:16:31 PM UTC 2025
tom@tx:~$ vi .tlog # Starting todays log entries. 
tom@tx:~$ cp -p .tlog .tlog~ # Local quick backup, just in case.
tom@tx:~$ vi How-do-you-set-up-your-terminal # Write todays post.j 
tom@tx:~$ ls # Does the post exist in my home directory?
How-do-you-set-up-your-terminal # Yes!
tom@tx:~$ vi .tlog # Add log entry for this post.
tom@tx:~$ ls .current/ # Not much yet on the new Texas server.
tom@tx:~$ mv How-do-you-set-up-your-terminal .current/ # Move the draft to the .current directory.
tom@tx:~$ clear # Restore the peacefulness of the clean view of my home directory.

The green color I am using is #00ED00, which reminds me of the IBM 5151 that I used to use.

For backup, I mirror my /home/tom directory on another server from a different provider. I can log in to either mirror and begin working right away. In addition to mirroring, I keep tar backups at a third provider and also on a local disk.

The biggest disadvantage of my retro green setup might be that it is stuck in time. I loved and lost the infinite scrollback from the slightly earlier days of paper terminals. Also, perhaps my love of retro green keeps me from embracing many advantages of newer terminal setups?

How do you set up your terminal? Can you convince me, almost 78 years old now, to move forward in time, to become young again?

Comments

  • havochavoc OG

    Mostly just set up tmux and nvim. Trying to learn nvim as dev platform but yeah...learning curve

    You're 77? Congrats...would have guessed much younger

  • skorousskorous OG

    Just because you mentioned IBM 5151. Even has to squaring controls....

    https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @skorous IBM 5151 got one and a 1980s microwave halfway to my time machine!!!

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • skorousskorous OG

    @AuroraZero said:
    @skorous IBM 5151 got one and a 1980s microwave halfway to my time machine!!!

    I wish I still had my old monochrome VGA monitor.

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @skorous said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    @skorous IBM 5151 got one and a 1980s microwave halfway to my time machine!!!

    I wish I still had my old monochrome VGA monitor.

    There is 4 or 5 in storage want one? Believe I have a 19 inch even.

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    @skorous said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    @skorous IBM 5151 got one and a 1980s microwave halfway to my time machine!!!

    I wish I still had my old monochrome VGA monitor.

    I picked up a handful of those for pennies when they updated a bank to lcds. Afraid I don't have them anymore.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • terrorgenterrorgen OG

    I want to recreate paper terminals on modern hardware.

    DM us for private tracker invite.

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    Here are some great screenshots from 2002 of terminals of Ritchie, Kernighan, and Moolenaar plus more, with comments by the terminal owners.

    https://anders.unix.se/2015/10/28/screenshots-from-developers--unix-people-2002/

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    Note the 2015 update linked within the 2002 post:

    https://anders.unix.se/2015/12/10/screenshots-from-developers--2002-vs.-2015/

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    Is there going to be a 2025 update?

  • cmeerwcmeerw

    I usually just use a normal black on white xfce4-terminal on the laptop with a few tabs (and a few windows) open. On the servers I use tmux sessions with this config (as I got way too used to screen before switching to tmux):

    set -g prefix C-a

bind a send-prefix
bind C-a last
unbind C-b

set -g status off
  • bikegremlinbikegremlin ModeratorOG
    edited November 2025

    I use whatever ships by the factory in Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows (cmd and Powershell).
    Also, on Windows, I sometimes use PuTTY (because the "factory" terminal sometimes refuses to work in SSH).

    Internet is full of screenshots, but if you need, I could try to capture and post those.

    Ahh - cover image here is the Mint terminal I use:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/26280/linux-command-notes/

    Windows cmd:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38819/windows-command-prompt-and-powershell-notes/

    P.S.
    Of course I already wrote about it: LOL :)

    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38600/my-os-system-software-stack/#6

    🔧 BikeGremlin guides & resources

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @bikegremlin said:
    I use whatever ships by the factory in Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows (cmd and Powershell).
    Also, on Windows, I sometimes use PuTTY (because the "factory" terminal sometimes refuses to work in SSH).

    Internet is full of screenshots, but if you need, I could try to capture and post those.

    Ahh - cover image here is the Mint terminal I use:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/26280/linux-command-notes/

    Windows cmd:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38819/windows-command-prompt-and-powershell-notes/

    P.S.
    Of course I already wrote about it: LOL :)

    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38600/my-os-system-software-stack/#6

    Aka he is a pansy

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    I just use the default with ProFont.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • bikegremlinbikegremlin ModeratorOG

    @AuroraZero said:

    @bikegremlin said:
    I use whatever ships by the factory in Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows (cmd and Powershell).
    Also, on Windows, I sometimes use PuTTY (because the "factory" terminal sometimes refuses to work in SSH).

    Internet is full of screenshots, but if you need, I could try to capture and post those.

    Ahh - cover image here is the Mint terminal I use:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/26280/linux-command-notes/

    Windows cmd:
    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38819/windows-command-prompt-and-powershell-notes/

    P.S.
    Of course I already wrote about it: LOL :)

    https://io.bikegremlin.com/38600/my-os-system-software-stack/#6

    Aka he is a pansy

    Laughing in Notepad++

    :)

    🔧 BikeGremlin guides & resources

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    @AuroraZero said:
    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    Gay. Also homosexual.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    Gay. Also homosexual.

    Better than Le Gaeigh,

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    @AuroraZero said:

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    Gay. Also homosexual.

    Better than Le Gaeigh,

    Fucking French.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    Gay. Also homosexual.

    Better than Le Gaeigh,

    Fucking French.

    Canadian eh!!!!

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    @AuroraZero said:

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:

    @WSS said:

    @AuroraZero said:
    Here is my boring gnome terminal. Don't bag on me too much guys. It is nothing fancy and just works like it should.

    Gay. Also homosexual.

    Better than Le Gaeigh,

    Fucking French.

    Canadian eh!!!!

    Even worse.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • somiksomik OG Hostbusters

    @Not_Oles / @AuroraZero why is this thread marked as announcement?

    I speak fluent sarcasm and broken logic. | I would agree with you, but thæn we’d both be wrong.

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @somik said:
    @Not_Oles / @AuroraZero why is this thread marked as announcement?

    I dint do it dont ask me!!! I blame @MichaelCee or @bikegremlin

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    @somik

    All LES Talk threads are, as far as I know, announced for a while. As you can see, this thread is also included in the LES Talk current listing at the bottom of the main page (just above the Exclusive Deals current listing).

  • somiksomik OG Hostbusters

    @Not_Oles said:
    @somik

    All LES Talk threads are, as far as I know, announced for a while. As you can see, this thread is also included in the LES Talk current listing at the bottom of the main page (just above the Exclusive Deals current listing).

    Ah, that makes sense! Something like a "sticky" thread i guess!

    I speak fluent sarcasm and broken logic. | I would agree with you, but thæn we’d both be wrong.

  • MasonMason OG

    @bikegremlin said: I use whatever ships by the factory in Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows (cmd and Powershell).

    Same here! Guess I'm joining the pansy club.

    I do like MobaXterm as well so I use that sometimes if I'm on a Windows box.

    @Not_Oles said: All LES Talk threads are, as far as I know, announced for a while.

    Correct! Usually announced for 7 days (sometimes longer if I forget to unannounce... which is more likely than not).

    yabs daddy

  • AuroraZeroAuroraZero Retired

    @Mason said:

    @bikegremlin said: I use whatever ships by the factory in Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows (cmd and Powershell).

    Same here! Guess I'm joining the pansy club.

    I do like MobaXterm as well so I use that sometimes if I'm on a Windows box.

    @Not_Oles said: All LES Talk threads are, as far as I know, announced for a while.

    Correct! Usually announced for 7 days (sometimes longer if I forget to unannounce... which is more likely than not).

    Ginger Pansy!!!! :tongue:

    The Yeti has left the building.

  • bikegremlinbikegremlin ModeratorOG

    Not terminal, but "terminal green" is what I was aiming for - to make the bold text in my Obisidian editor & viewer stand out better:

    🔧 BikeGremlin guides & resources

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    CSS mark up for an editor. Let me guess, you have to run it in node from a docker image?

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • cochoncochon

    @Not_Oles said:
    The green color I am using is #00ED00, which reminds me of the IBM 5151 that I used to use.

    I used to regularly use VT220/320/420/520 series terminals which came in a choice of colour phosphors: white, green, or amber. I still set my modern day terminal apps to match the amber, and crucially set the background to #300030 to mimic the subtle purple tinge that the amber phosphor coating used to give in bright light.

    TBF I do make use of colour enhanced apps bat, lsd, vim etc. but am quite happy to be stuck in time with the mainly amber text as a comfort blanket :)

  • bikegremlinbikegremlin ModeratorOG

    @WSS said:
    CSS mark up for an editor. Let me guess, you have to run it in node from a docker image?

    🔧 BikeGremlin guides & resources

  • CrabCrab
    edited November 2025

    Since Not_Oles is forever young and modern, I can act as old and boring :D My terminals are pretty much standard bash with just a few simple modifications in .bashrc:

    PS1='[\e[01;32m]\u@\h[\e[0m:\e[01;33m]\w\$>[\e[0m] '
    alias sr='screen -D -r'
    alias v='ls -al'
    alias vd='ls -al -r -t'
    alias vm='ls -al | more'
    alias vs='ls -al -r -S'
    alias dus='du -d 1 | sort -n'
    alias free='freecolor -mt'`

    When it comes colors, it has always been black background, white/silver font and colors enabled. I used to be SecureCRT user for 20 years but recently I have been using tabby.sh as my primary terminal program. Everything works out of the box and no reason to tweak things. I use tabs instead of keeping them all visible on screen and with this little addition to .bashrc the tab in tabby.sh keeps updating accordingly wherever I have ssh'ed into.

    ORIG=$PS1
    TITLE="\e]2;Not_Oles Hosting LLC server #1\a"
    PS1=${ORIG}${TITLE}

    Once the box is open I typically keep gnu screen running with certain tail -f's of commonly checked log files and stuff.

    That pretty much sums it all up!

  • msattmsatt ProviderOG

    All my work is done on a chromebook (developer mode). ssh works great and if I need graphics, spice or VNC works perfectly. Majority of my work is cli based so as long as I have ssh and a browser it is job done. Been using this method for at least 10+ years.
    I have not found anything I can't handle (yet)....
    ssh terminal is 'hazy' - deep purple with light text. Works well in day or night light.
    So I suppose I would say the classic 'thin' client approach.

    Get your FREE VPS if you develop Open Source software

  • ehabehab

    @Not_Oles

    nothing fancy, i am old school, i use https://gnome-terminator.org/

    plenty of shell scripts to help reduce commands.

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    @ehab Eeeks! Your screenshot seems almost familiar! :star: Thank you!

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    @msatt said: if I need graphics, spice or VNC works perfectly

    Hi @msatt! I am curious what you are using for Spice and VNC clients.

    There was a Chrome Spice extension that I used a few times on my Chromebook, but this extension got taken out with the departure of Manifest v2.

    For VNC I used to use a RealVNC Chrome extension, but, IIRC, RealVNC stopped development in favor of their Android extension. I tried Remmina a few times. It seems to work well, but recently I have been getting notices about Remmina wanting some kind of key:

    chronos@penguin:~/servers/linveo$ remmina
** Message: 13:25:18.028: Remmina does not log all output statements. Turn on more verbose output by using "G_MESSAGES_DEBUG=all" as an environment variable.
More info available on the Remmina wiki at:
https://gitlab.com/Remmina/Remmina/-/wikis/Usage/Remmina-debugging
Load modules from /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/remmina/plugins
Remmina plugin glibsecret (type=Secret) has been registered, but is not yet initialized/activated. The initialization order is 2000.

    Pop-up says: Authentication required. An application wants access to the keyring "Default keyring", but it is locked.

    Remmina seems to work without giving it any password, although the pop-up appears 3 times. I have been too lazy to check into what is happening. :) Maybe you know what this is? And, if you do not mind, what do you use for Spice and VNC on your Chromebook?

  • msattmsatt ProviderOG

    @Not_Oles Yes, I am using Realvnc and for spice, I just download the credentials and run virt-viewer in the chromebook cli.
    I needed to do some video editing so used a cloud VM. Vnc does not support remote audio so I used spice which worked very well. No point (in my opinion) having a powerful laptop if you have more powerful cloud VMs.

    Get your FREE VPS if you develop Open Source software

  • vyasvyas OG
    edited November 2025

    Nice discussion on terminals and modifications, etc..

    I used to have more "detailed" terminals before, neofetch, transparency, split terminals...

    Now ? Less is more. Similar to images posted by @Not_Oles and @ehab but if you are still curious- click below

    blog archives

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider
    edited November 2025

    @vyas said:

    @Not_Oles and @ehab

    Wow! @vyas @ehab @Not_Oles

  • vyasvyas OG

    Saw this one on X.. couldn't help posting. I suppose it does not meet the "intent" of the thread.. but..

    Full Video at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DiK5FDpBTg

    blog archives

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