Ghostty - Gentleman.Dots

Ghostty is a modern terminal emulator written in Zig that emphasizes native platform integration, blazing-fast performance, and stunning visual customization through GLSL shaders. It brings cutting-edge features while maintaining the speed of traditional terminals.

Why Ghostty?

Native Performance

Written in Zig with Metal/Vulkan rendering for maximum speed

Custom Shaders

GLSL shader support for cursor effects and visual customization

Modern Features

Splits, tabs, and modern terminal protocols

Platform Native

True native feel on macOS and Linux

Ghostty is currently in early access and rapidly evolving. The Gentleman.Dots configuration showcases its powerful shader system with 50+ custom cursor effects.

Installation

Install Ghostty

# Currently requires early access or building from source
brew install --cask ghostty

# Or from official releases
# Download from https://ghostty.org/

Install IosevkaTerm Nerd Font

# macOS
brew tap homebrew/cask-fonts
brew install font-iosevka-term-nerd-font

# Linux - Download from nerdfonts.com

Link Gentleman.Dots configuration

# Create config directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/ghostty

# Link the entire GentlemanGhostty directory
# This includes config, themes, and shaders
ln -sf ~/Gentleman.Dots/GentlemanGhostty/* ~/.config/ghostty/

Launch Ghostty

Open Ghostty and enjoy your modern terminal with shader effects!

Configuration Breakdown

The Gentleman.Dots Ghostty config (GentlemanGhostty/config) is feature-rich and includes shader customization:

Custom Shader System

config

# Enable custom GLSL shader for cursor effects
custom-shader = shaders/cursor_smear_gentleman.glsl

This is the standout feature of the Ghostty config. The shader creates a smooth cursor trail effect as you type.

The GentlemanGhostty/shaders/ directory contains 50+ shader options! Change custom-shader to any of these:

cursor_blaze.glsl - Fiery cursor trail
cursor_frozen.glsl - Icy, crystalline effect
cursor_smear_rainbow.glsl - Rainbow gradient trail
crt.glsl - Retro CRT monitor effect
starfield.glsl - Space background
And many more!

Transparency & Blur

config

background-opacity = 0.95
background-blur-radius = 20

Ghostty’s blur implementation is particularly smooth:

95% opacity - Subtle transparency
20px blur radius - Soft, modern background blur
Platform-native - Uses Metal on macOS, Vulkan on Linux

Window Decoration

config

gtk-tabs-location = hidden
window-decoration = false

Creates a minimal, distraction-free interface:

Hidden tab bar (use splits instead)
No window decorations for maximum screen space

Color Palette

The config uses a custom color scheme (not standard Kanagawa):

config

# Background and foreground
background = 06080f  # Deep blue-black
foreground = f3f6f9  # Soft white

# Cursor
cursor-color = e0c15a  # Golden yellow

# Selection
selection-background = 263356  # Deep blue
selection-foreground = f3f6f9  # Soft white

This unique color scheme complements the shader effects, with the golden cursor (#e0c15a) standing out beautifully against the deep background.

Normal Colors (0-7)

config

palette = 0=#06080f  # Black (background)
palette = 1=#cb7c94  # Red
palette = 2=#b7cc85  # Green
palette = 3=#ffe066  # Yellow
palette = 4=#7fb4ca  # Blue
palette = 5=#ff8dd7  # Magenta
palette = 6=#7aa89f  # Cyan
palette = 7=#f3f6f9  # White

Bright Colors (8-15)

config

palette = 8=#8a8fa3   # Bright black (gray)
palette = 9=#de8fa8   # Bright red
palette = 10=#d1e8a9  # Bright green
palette = 11=#fff7b1  # Bright yellow
palette = 12=#a3d4d5  # Bright blue
palette = 13=#ffaeea  # Bright magenta
palette = 14=#7fb4ca  # Bright cyan
palette = 15=#f3f6f9  # Bright white

Font Configuration

config

font-family = IosevkaTerm NF
font-size = 14
# font-size = 20  # Commented alternative for larger text

Window Sizing

config

window-padding-color = extend
window-step-resize = false
window-padding-balance = true
window-height = 100
window-width = 100

These settings create:

Full window coverage - 100% width and height
Balanced padding - Symmetric window padding
Extended padding color - Padding matches background

macOS Option Key Fix

config

# Make Option key work as Alt (left side only)
macos-option-as-alt = left

# Unbind conflicting shortcuts
keybind = alt+left=unbind
keybind = alt+right=unbind

The macos-option-as-alt = left setting enables Alt+f/Alt+b for word navigation in shells, but unbinds Alt+Arrow keys which macOS uses for word jumping in GUI apps.

Split Management

config

# Create splits
keybind = alt+v=new_split:right  # Vertical split
keybind = alt+d=new_split:down   # Horizontal split

# Navigate splits
keybind = alt+k=goto_split:up
keybind = alt+j=goto_split:down
keybind = alt+h=goto_split:left
keybind = alt+l=goto_split:right

# Resize splits
keybind = ctrl+shift+j=resize_split:up,10
keybind = ctrl+shift+k=resize_split:down,10
keybind = ctrl+shift+h=resize_split:left,10
keybind = ctrl+shift+l=resize_split:right,10

These Vim-style keybindings (hjkl) make split navigation feel natural for Vim/Neovim users. The config integrates seamlessly with the GentlemanNvim setup.

Special Keybindings

config

# Clear screen
keybind = cmd+k=clear_screen

# Write screen to file and paste path (for Neovim integration)
keybind = alt+s=write_screen_file:paste

# Shift+Enter sends proper escape sequence
keybind = shift+enter=text:\x1b\r

The alt+s binding is particularly clever:

Captures terminal screen content to a file
Pastes the file path
Useful for opening terminal output in Neovim: alt+s then prepend nvim

Shader Gallery

The Gentleman.Dots config includes 50+ GLSL shaders in GentlemanGhostty/shaders/:

Cursor Effects
Visual Effects
Backgrounds
Experimental

Cursor Trail Shaders

cursor_smear_gentleman.glsl - Default smooth trail (current config)
cursor_smear_fade.glsl - Fading trail effect
cursor_smear_glow.glsl - Glowing trail
cursor_smear_rainbow.glsl - Rainbow gradient trail
cursor_blaze.glsl - Fiery particle effect
cursor_blaze_tapered.glsl - Tapered flame effect
cursor_frozen.glsl - Icy, crystalline cursor

Example:

config

custom-shader = shaders/cursor_smear_rainbow.glsl

Aesthetic Shaders

crt.glsl - Classic CRT monitor effect with scanlines
bettercrt.glsl - Improved CRT with better colors
bloom.glsl - Bloom/glow effect on text
retro-terminal.glsl - 80s terminal aesthetic
underwater.glsl - Underwater wavering effect
glitchy.glsl - Glitch art effects

Example:

config

custom-shader = shaders/crt.glsl

Background Shaders

starfield.glsl - Animated starfield
starfield-colors.glsl - Colored stars
galaxy.glsl - Swirling galaxy background
fireworks.glsl - Animated fireworks
sparks.glsl - Particle sparks
just-snow.glsl - Falling snow effect
gradient-background.glsl - Animated gradient

Example:

config

custom-shader = shaders/starfield.glsl

Advanced/Experimental

inside-the-matrix.glsl - Full Matrix effect
gears-and-belts.glsl - Mechanical steampunk
smoke-and-ghost.glsl - Ethereal smoke effects
manga_slash.glsl - Anime-style slash effects
party_sparks.glsl - Party mode!

Example:

config

custom-shader = shaders/inside-the-matrix.glsl

Some experimental shaders may impact performance. Test before using in production work.

Key Features

Native Platform Integration

Ghostty feels truly native:

macOS: Uses native Swift/Metal for window management and rendering
Linux: Integrates with GTK and uses Vulkan for rendering
Proper font rendering: Uses platform font APIs (CoreText on macOS)

Performance

Startup

~50ms cold start

Memory

~20MB idle

Rendering

Metal/Vulkan GPU acceleration

Ghostty rivals Alacritty for raw speed while offering more features.

Split & Tab Management

Built-in tiling with intuitive keybindings:

# Create splits
Alt+V    # Split right
Alt+D    # Split down

# Navigate
Alt+H/J/K/L    # Vim-style navigation

# Resize
Ctrl+Shift+H/J/K/L    # Resize splits

Shell Integration

Works perfectly with all Gentleman.Dots shells:

# Full compatibility with Zsh features
# oh-my-zsh, powerlevel10k, etc. all work

Working with Gentleman.Dots

With or Without Tmux

Ghostty’s native splits mean tmux is optional: Option 1: Use Ghostty splits alone

# Ghostty's native splits with shaders work great
# Alt+V/Alt+D to create splits
# Alt+H/J/K/L to navigate

Option 2: Combine with tmux

# Use tmux for:
# - Session persistence
# - Remote sessions
# - Complex automation
tmux attach || tmux new

Ghostty’s shader effects work whether you use tmux or not, making it visually distinctive either way.

Neovim Integration

The alt+s keybinding creates a powerful Neovim workflow:

# Run a command with lots of output
npm run build

# Press Alt+S to capture output to file
# Then type:
nvim <cursor-is-here-with-path>

# Opens the output in Neovim for analysis

Customization Examples

Change Shader Effect

Try different cursor effects:

config

# Smooth trail (default)
custom-shader = shaders/cursor_smear_gentleman.glsl

# Rainbow trail
# custom-shader = shaders/cursor_smear_rainbow.glsl

# Fiery effect
# custom-shader = shaders/cursor_blaze.glsl

# CRT monitor
# custom-shader = shaders/crt.glsl

# No shader (maximum performance)
# custom-shader = 

Adjust Transparency

config

# More transparent
background-opacity = 0.85

# Less transparent
# background-opacity = 0.98

# Fully opaque
# background-opacity = 1.0

Alternative Font Sizes

config

# Smaller (more content)
font-size = 12

# Default
# font-size = 14

# Larger (presentations)
# font-size = 20

Custom Color Schemes

The config includes the Catppuccin Mocha theme:

# Try the included Catppuccin theme
# Edit config to import it:
# In config file, add:
import = themes/catppuccin-mocha.conf

Advanced Features

Conditional Configuration

Ghostty supports conditional config based on OS:

config

# macOS-specific settings
[macos]
macos-option-as-alt = left

# Linux-specific settings  
[linux]
gtk-titlebar = false

Configuration Reloading

Ghostty can reload config without restart:

# Edit config file, then:
# Send SIGUSR1 to reload
killall -SIGUSR1 ghostty

Multiple Configurations

Create different configs for different workflows:

# Create alternate config
cp ~/.config/ghostty/config ~/.config/ghostty/config-minimal

# Launch with specific config
ghostty --config ~/.config/ghostty/config-minimal

Performance Optimization

Shader Performance

Complex shaders impact performance:

Lightweight

cursor_smear*.glsl
gradient-background.glsl
dither.glsl

Performance-Heavy

inside-the-matrix.glsl
gears-and-belts.glsl
galaxy.glsl
crt.glsl (with scanlines)

For maximum performance on battery: set custom-shader = (empty) to disable shaders entirely.

Reduce Blur

config

# Less blur = better performance
background-blur-radius = 10

# No blur (fastest)
# background-blur-radius = 0

Troubleshooting

Shader Not Working

Check shader path

Ensure the shader file exists:

ls ~/.config/ghostty/shaders/cursor_smear_gentleman.glsl

Verify shader syntax

Ghostty logs shader errors. Check logs:

ghostty --verbose

Try simpler shader

Test with a minimal shader:

config

custom-shader = shaders/negative.glsl

Font Issues

Ghostty is strict about font names. Use exact PostScript name:

# Find exact font name
fc-list | grep -i iosevka

# Use exact name in config
font-family = IosevkaTerm NF

# Ensure keybindings aren't conflicting
# Check if another app is capturing Alt+H/J/K/L

# Try alternative bindings in config:
keybind = ctrl+alt+k=goto_split:up
keybind = ctrl+alt+j=goto_split:down
keybind = ctrl+alt+h=goto_split:left
keybind = ctrl+alt+l=goto_split:right

Comparison

Feature	Ghostty	Alacritty	WezTerm	Kitty
Speed	⚡⚡⚡	⚡⚡⚡	⚡⚡	⚡⚡
Shaders	✅ GLSL	❌	❌	✅ Limited
Splits	✅ Native	❌	✅ Native	✅ Layouts
Memory	~20MB	~15MB	~50MB	~30MB
Native Feel	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Config Language	Conf	TOML	Lua	Conf
Maturity	🆕 Early	✅ Stable	✅ Stable	✅ Stable

Get Started

Terminal Emulators

Shells

Window Managers

Neovim Configuration

AI Integration

Platform-Specific Guides

Advanced

​Why Ghostty?

Native Performance

Custom Shaders

Modern Features

Platform Native

​Installation

​Configuration Breakdown

​Custom Shader System

​Transparency & Blur

​Window Decoration

​Color Palette

​Normal Colors (0-7)

​Bright Colors (8-15)

​Font Configuration

​Window Sizing

​macOS Option Key Fix

​Split Management

​Special Keybindings

​Shader Gallery

​Cursor Trail Shaders

​Aesthetic Shaders

​Background Shaders

​Advanced/Experimental

​Key Features

​Native Platform Integration

​Performance

Startup

Memory

Rendering

​Split & Tab Management

​Shell Integration

​Working with Gentleman.Dots

​With or Without Tmux

​Neovim Integration

​Customization Examples

​Change Shader Effect

​Adjust Transparency

​Alternative Font Sizes

​Custom Color Schemes

​Advanced Features

​Conditional Configuration

​Configuration Reloading

​Multiple Configurations

​Performance Optimization

​Shader Performance

Lightweight

Performance-Heavy

​Reduce Blur

​Troubleshooting

​Shader Not Working

​Font Issues

​Split Navigation Not Working

​Comparison

​Next Steps

Explore Shaders

Shell Configuration

Neovim Setup

Compare Terminals

​Resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Why Ghostty?

Installation

Configuration Breakdown

Custom Shader System

Transparency & Blur

Window Decoration

Color Palette

Normal Colors (0-7)

Bright Colors (8-15)

Font Configuration

Window Sizing

macOS Option Key Fix

Split Management

Special Keybindings

Shader Gallery

Cursor Trail Shaders

Aesthetic Shaders

Background Shaders

Advanced/Experimental

Key Features

Native Platform Integration

Performance

Split & Tab Management

Shell Integration

Working with Gentleman.Dots

With or Without Tmux

Neovim Integration

Customization Examples

Change Shader Effect

Adjust Transparency

Alternative Font Sizes

Custom Color Schemes

Advanced Features

Conditional Configuration

Configuration Reloading

Multiple Configurations

Performance Optimization

Shader Performance

Reduce Blur

Troubleshooting

Shader Not Working

Font Issues

Split Navigation Not Working

Comparison

Next Steps

Resources