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Local Terminal

Run commands on your local machine without SSH connection. Perfect for quick tasks, local development, and managing your computer alongside remote servers.

What is Local Terminal?​

Simple Explanation: Local Terminal is a built-in terminal that runs commands directly on your computer (where Xermius is installed), without connecting to any remote server via SSH.

Example:

# In Local Terminal - Runs on YOUR computer
ls -la ~/Documents
pwd
# Output: /Users/yourname

# In SSH Terminal - Runs on REMOTE server
ls -la ~/Documents
pwd
# Output: /home/remoteuser

Key Difference: Local = Your computer, SSH = Remote server

Why Use Local Terminal?​

1. Quick Local Access​

No need to switch apps:

Scenario: Deploy local build to server

Without Local Terminal:
1. Build in external terminal
2. Switch to Xermius
3. Connect to server
4. Deploy

With Local Terminal:
1. Build in Xermius local terminal
2. Deploy in same app (different tab)
All in one place!

2. Side-by-Side Comparison​

Compare local vs remote:

Tab 1: Local Terminal
→ ls -la
→ du -sh *

Tab 2: SSH to Server
→ ls -la
→ du -sh *

Compare outputs side by side!

3. Unified Workflow​

Everything in one app:

Tab 1: Local - Build project
Tab 2: Local - Git operations
Tab 3: SSH - Staging server
Tab 4: SSH - Production server
Tab 5: Local - Monitor logs

4. No Connection Required​

Works offline:

  • No internet needed
  • No SSH setup required
  • Instant access
  • Always available

5. Same Features​

All Xermius features work:

  • ✅ Themes & customization
  • ✅ Keyboard shortcuts
  • ✅ Copy/paste
  • ✅ Search in output
  • ✅ Split panes
  • ✅ Tab management
  • ✅ Snippets execution

Common Use Cases​

1. Local Development​

# Start development server
npm run dev

# Watch for changes
npm run watch

# Run tests
npm test

# Build project
npm run build

2. Git Operations​

# Check status
git status

# Commit changes
git add .
git commit -m "Update feature"

# Push to remote
git push origin main

# Pull latest
git pull --rebase

3. File Management​

# Navigate directories
cd ~/projects/myapp

# List files
ls -la

# Create directories
mkdir -p src/components

# Copy files
cp config.example.json config.json

# Find files
find . -name "*.log"

4. System Monitoring​

# Check disk space
df -h

# Monitor processes
top

# Network connections
netstat -an

# System info
uname -a

5. Build & Deploy Workflow​

# Build locally
npm run build

# Test build
npm run test:prod

# Then switch to SSH tab to deploy
# (Copy build to server)

6. Quick Commands​

# Check local IP
ifconfig

# Ping server
ping server.example.com

# Test HTTP endpoint
curl https://api.example.com

# Download file
wget https://example.com/file.zip

7. Local Scripts​

# Run custom scripts
./scripts/setup.sh

# Python scripts
python3 process_data.py

# Shell scripts
bash deploy.sh staging

How It Works​

Architecture​

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Xermius Desktop App         │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                     │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐ │
│  │ Local Term  │  │  SSH Term    │ │
│  │             │  │              │ │
│  │ Your        │  │ Remote       │ │
│  │ Computer    │  │ Server       │ │
│  └──────┬──────┘  └──────┬───────┘ │
│         │                 │         │
└─────────┼─────────────────┼─────────┘
          │                 │
          ↓                 ↓
    Local Shell        SSH Connection
    (bash/zsh)         → Remote Shell

Process Flow​

When you open Local Terminal:

1. Xermius spawns local shell process
   (bash, zsh, fish, or powershell)

2. Shell starts in your home directory
   (or configured default directory)

3. Terminal UI renders in Xermius

4. Your commands → Local shell
   
5. Shell output → Terminal display

No network involved!

Opening Local Terminal​

Method 1: New Terminal Button​

1. Click "+" button in terminal area
2. Select "New Local Terminal"
3. Terminal opens instantly

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut​

Press: Ctrl+Shift+T (Windows/Linux)
       Cmd+Shift+T (macOS)

Local terminal opens in new tab

Method 3: Menu​

1. Menu → Terminal → New Local Terminal
2. Or right-click terminal tab bar
3. Select "New Local Terminal"

Method 4: Quick Command​

1. Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac)
2. Type "local terminal"
3. Select "Open Local Terminal"
4. Press Enter

Terminal Interface​

Tab Indicator​

Local terminal tabs show indicator:

┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [💻 Local]  [📡 server1]  [📡 web]│
│      ↑            ↑          ↑     │
│    Local        SSH       SSH      │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Working Directory​

Shows current directory in tab:

[💻 Local: ~/projects/myapp]

Updates automatically when you navigate:

cd ~/Documents
# Tab updates to: [💻 Local: ~/Documents]

Shell Type​

Indicator shows active shell:

[💻 bash]  - Bash shell
[💻 zsh]   - Zsh shell  
[💻 fish]  - Fish shell
[💻 pwsh]  - PowerShell

Shell Selection​

Default Shell​

Xermius uses your system default shell:

macOS/Linux:

# Check default shell
echo $SHELL

# Common defaults:
/bin/bash
/bin/zsh
/usr/local/bin/fish

Windows:

PowerShell (default)
or
Command Prompt
or
Git Bash (if installed)

Changing Shell​

Temporary (current session):

# Switch to bash
bash

# Switch to zsh
zsh

# Switch to fish
fish

Permanent (Xermius settings):

1. Settings → Terminal
2. Default Shell dropdown
3. Select preferred shell:
   - System Default
   - Bash
   - Zsh
   - Fish
   - PowerShell
4. Save

Shell-Specific Features​

Bash:

# Standard features
# Widely compatible
# Good for scripts

Zsh:

# Enhanced autocomplete
# Plugins (oh-my-zsh)
# Better globbing

Fish:

# Syntax highlighting
# Autosuggestions
# Web-based configuration

PowerShell:

# Windows-native
# Object-based pipeline
# .NET integration

Terminal Features​

Copy & Paste​

Copy:

  • Select text with mouse
  • Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on Mac)
  • Or right-click → Copy

Paste:

  • Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac)
  • Or right-click → Paste
1. Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F)
2. Type search term
3. Navigate results:
   - Enter: Next match
   - Shift+Enter: Previous match
4. ESC to close

Clear Screen​

# Method 1: Command
clear

# Method 2: Keyboard
Ctrl+L

# Method 3: Reset terminal
reset

Scroll​

  • Mouse wheel - Scroll up/down
  • Shift+PageUp - Scroll up one page
  • Shift+PageDown - Scroll down one page
  • Shift+Home - Scroll to top
  • Shift+End - Scroll to bottom

History​

Command history:

# Previous command
↑ (Up arrow)

# Next command
↓ (Down arrow)

# Search history
Ctrl+R (reverse search)

# Show history
history

Tab Completion​

# Type partial command/path
cd ~/Doc[TAB]
# Completes to:
cd ~/Documents/

# Multiple matches
git che[TAB][TAB]
# Shows: checkout, cherry-pick, etc.

Customization​

Theme​

Apply theme:

1. Settings → Appearance → Terminal Theme
2. Select theme:
   - One Dark (default)
   - Dracula
   - Solarized Dark
   - Solarized Light
   - Nord
   - Monokai
   - Custom...
3. Applies to all terminals (local & SSH)

Font​

Change font:

1. Settings → Terminal → Font
2. Font family: [JetBrains Mono ▼]
3. Font size: [14]
4. Font weight: [Normal ▼]
5. Save

Recommended fonts:

  • JetBrains Mono
  • Fira Code
  • SF Mono (macOS)
  • Cascadia Code
  • Source Code Pro

Cursor​

Cursor style:

1. Settings → Terminal → Cursor
2. Style:
   - Block (default)
   - Underline
   - Bar
3. Blinking: [✓]

Scrollback​

History size:

1. Settings → Terminal → Scrollback
2. Lines: [1000]
   - 500 (minimal)
   - 1000 (default)
   - 5000 (large)
   - 10000 (very large)

Differences from External Terminal​

Advantages​

✅ Integrated:

  • All tabs in one app
  • Unified interface
  • Consistent experience

✅ Features:

  • Same shortcuts everywhere
  • Theme consistency
  • Snippet integration
  • Tab management

✅ Workflow:

  • Switch between local/remote easily
  • Copy commands between terminals
  • Unified history

Limitations​

⚠️ System Integration:

  • Not a full system terminal replacement
  • Some advanced shell features may differ
  • Title bar handling varies

⚠️ External Tools:

  • GUI apps may not launch properly
  • Some interactive TUIs may have issues
  • System dialogs won't show

When to Use External Terminal​

Use external terminal for:

  • Complex interactive programs (vim with plugins)
  • GUI app launching
  • System-level debugging
  • Terminal multiplexer (tmux/screen) sessions
  • Very long-running processes

Use Xermius Local Terminal for:

  • Quick commands
  • File operations
  • Git operations
  • Build commands
  • Script execution
  • Most development tasks

Tips & Tricks​

1. Quick Directory Jump​

Bookmark frequently used directories:

# Add to shell profile (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
alias proj="cd ~/projects"
alias docs="cd ~/Documents"
alias desk="cd ~/Desktop"

# Then just type:
proj
# Jumps to ~/projects

2. Run in Background​

# Long-running process
npm run dev &

# Check jobs
jobs

# Bring to foreground
fg

# Continue in background
bg

3. Multiple Commands​

# Sequential (one after another)
npm install && npm run build && npm test

# Parallel (all at once)
npm run watch & npm run dev

# Conditional
npm test || echo "Tests failed!"

4. Output Redirection​

# Save output to file
npm run build > build.log

# Append to file
npm test >> test-results.log

# Save errors
npm run build 2> errors.log

# Save everything
npm run build &> all-output.log

5. Quick File Creation​

# Create and open file
touch newfile.txt && code newfile.txt

# Create with content
echo "Hello World" > file.txt

# Append content
echo "More text" >> file.txt

6. Process Management​

# Find process by name
ps aux | grep node

# Kill process
kill -9 <PID>

# Kill by name
pkill -f "node server"

7. Network Testing​

# Test connection
ping -c 4 google.com

# Check port
nc -zv localhost 3000

# HTTP request
curl -I https://example.com

# Download file
curl -O https://example.com/file.zip

Troubleshooting​

Terminal Won't Open​

Issue: Local terminal doesn't open

Causes:

  • Shell not found
  • Permission issues
  • Path problems

Solutions:

Check default shell:

# In Settings
Settings → Terminal → Default Shell
→ Try "System Default"

Verify shell exists:

# macOS/Linux - in external terminal
which bash
which zsh

# Should return path like:
/bin/bash
/bin/zsh

Reset settings:

Settings → Advanced → Reset Terminal Settings

Shell Doesn't Start​

Issue: Terminal opens but shell won't start

Causes:

  • Shell configuration error
  • Broken shell profile
  • Missing dependencies

Solutions:

Check shell profile:

# Look for errors in:
~/.bashrc
~/.bash_profile
~/.zshrc
~/.config/fish/config.fish

Test shell manually:

# In external terminal
bash --norc
# If works, problem is in .bashrc

Use safe mode:

Settings → Terminal → Start Shell Without Profile
[✓] Enable

Commands Not Found​

Issue: Commands work in external terminal but not in Xermius

Cause: PATH environment variable not loaded

Solution:

Check PATH:

echo $PATH

Add to shell profile:

# In ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Reload profile:

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

Slow Performance​

Issue: Local terminal is slow

Causes:

  • Large scrollback buffer
  • Complex shell prompt
  • Many history entries

Solutions:

Reduce scrollback:

Settings → Terminal → Scrollback
Lines: 1000 → 500

Simplify prompt:

# In shell profile
# Simple prompt instead of fancy one
PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '

Clear history:

history -c

Copy/Paste Not Working​

Issue: Can't copy or paste text

Solutions:

Use keyboard shortcuts:

Copy: Ctrl+Shift+C (not Ctrl+C)
Paste: Ctrl+Shift+V (not Ctrl+V)

Or use right-click menu

Check settings:

Settings → Terminal → Copy/Paste
[✓] Enable clipboard integration

Colors Look Wrong​

Issue: Colors don't display correctly

Solutions:

Check terminal type:

echo $TERM
# Should be: xterm-256color

Set in shell profile:

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
export TERM=xterm-256color

Try different theme:

Settings → Appearance → Terminal Theme
→ Try different themes

Best Practices​

1. Organize Tabs​

Naming pattern:
[💻 Local: Build]
[💻 Local: Git]
[💻 Local: Tests]
[📡 Server: Logs]
[📡 Server: Deploy]

2. Use Aliases​

# In ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
alias ll='ls -la'
alias gs='git status'
alias gp='git pull'
alias build='npm run build'
alias test='npm test'

3. Save Important Commands​

As snippets:

1. Run command in local terminal
2. Right-click terminal
3. "Save Last Command as Snippet"
4. Reuse anytime!

4. Keep Sessions Organized​

Local Terminal for:
✓ Building code
✓ Running tests
✓ Git operations
✓ Local file management

SSH Terminal for:
✓ Server management
✓ Log monitoring
✓ Remote deployments
✓ Service restarts

5. Background Long Processes​

# Don't block terminal
npm run dev &

# Or use separate tab

6. Document Complex Commands​

# Add comments in command
npm run build  # Build for production

# Or save as snippet with description

Keyboard Shortcuts​

Terminal Management:

  • Ctrl+Shift+T - New local terminal
  • Ctrl+Shift+W - Close terminal
  • Ctrl+Tab - Next terminal
  • Ctrl+Shift+Tab - Previous terminal

Terminal Actions:

  • Ctrl+Shift+C - Copy
  • Ctrl+Shift+V - Paste
  • Ctrl+Shift+F - Find
  • Ctrl+L - Clear screen

Navigation:

  • Ctrl+Left/Right - Jump words
  • Ctrl+A - Start of line
  • Ctrl+E - End of line
  • Ctrl+K - Delete to end

History:

  • Up/Down - Navigate history
  • Ctrl+R - Search history
  • Ctrl+G - Cancel search

Next Steps​