prettymux

5 min read Original article ↗

The linux terminal built for

Native Linux GTK4 app built on Ghostty with vertical tabs, split panes, and agent notification rings. Streamline your workflow using lightning-fast quick search, command navigation, and seamless browser integration. Script the whole workspace with prettymux-open and the built-in socket API.

Features

  • Vertical tabs: sidebar shows git branch, working directory, ports, and project favicon
  • Notification rings: panes light up when agents need attention
  • Favicon detection: each tab auto-detects the project's logo so you can instantly see what each agent is working on
  • In-app browser: split a WebKit browser alongside your terminal
  • Split panes: horizontal and vertical splits within each tab
  • Workspaces: separate environments for each project with instant switching
  • Broadcast mode: type in all panes simultaneously
  • GPU-accelerated: powered by libghostty for smooth rendering
  • Lightweight: native GTK4, no Electron
  • Search palette: fuzzy search across files, commands, and workspaces
  • Quick notes: built-in notepad accessible via shortcut
  • Keyboard shortcuts: extensive shortcuts for workspaces, splits, browser, and more
  • Themes: cycle through themes on the fly with live preview

Quick Start

Ctrl+Shift+N

New Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+E

Split Horizontal

Ctrl+Shift+O

Split Vertical

Ctrl+Shift+B

Toggle Browser

Ctrl+Shift+S

Command Palette

Ctrl+Shift+K

All Shortcuts

In Detail

Features in action

Split terminals, browser panes, and workspace tabs — all in one GPU-accelerated window.

Features

Everything you need

A terminal multiplexer built for the age of AI agents. Power and beauty, together.

01

Vertical tabs

Sidebar shows git branch, working directory, ports, and project favicon.

02

Notification rings

Panes light up when agents need attention.

03

Favicon detection

Each tab auto-detects the project logo so you can instantly see what each agent is working on.

04

In-app browser

Split a WebKit browser alongside your terminal.

05

Split panes

Horizontal and vertical splits within each tab.

06

Workspaces

Separate environments for each project with instant switching.

07

Broadcast mode

Type in all panes simultaneously.

08

GPU-accelerated

Powered by libghostty for smooth rendering.

09

Lightweight

Native GTK4, no Electron.

10

Search palette

Fuzzy search across files, commands, and workspaces.

11

Quick notes

Built-in notepad accessible via shortcut.

12

Keyboard shortcuts

Extensive shortcuts for workspaces, splits, browser, and more.

13

Themes

Cycle through themes on the fly with live preview.

14

Drag-and-drop tabs

Reorder tabs or drop them into another pane with direct manipulation.

15

Quick tab move

Send a tab to another pane fast from the fuzzy search modal without dragging.

16

Terminal search

Search inside Ghostty from the bottom status bar with live feedback and keyboard navigation.

Shortcuts

Keyboard-first

Every action at your fingertips. Fully customizable.

Ctrl+Shift+N

New Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+D

Close Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+[ or ↑

Previous Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+] or ↓

Next Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+1…9

Jump to Workspace

Ctrl+Shift+E

Split Horizontal

Ctrl+Shift+O

Split Vertical

Ctrl+Shift+T

New Terminal Tab

Ctrl+Shift+G

Move Tab to Pane

Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Broadcast Mode

Ctrl+Shift+B

Toggle Browser

Ctrl+Shift+P

New Browser Tab

Ctrl+Shift+L

Focus URL Bar

Ctrl+Shift+I

Inspector Docked

Ctrl+Shift+J

Inspector Window

Ctrl+Shift+M

Picture in Picture

Ctrl+Shift+F

Terminal Search

Ctrl+Shift+H

Command History

Ctrl+Shift+C

Copy Selection

Ctrl+Shift+S

Search Palette

Ctrl+Shift+K

Shortcuts Overlay

Ctrl+Shift+Y

Recording Marker

Install

Get prettymux

Native Linux application. Built with GTK4.

# Install from prettymux.com APT repo (Ubuntu 24.04 / 26.04, amd64)
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install -y ca-certificates lsb-release
$ echo "deb [trusted=yes arch=amd64] https://prettymux.com/apt/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/prettymux.list
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install prettymux
# Install from prettymux.com APT repo (Debian 12 Bookworm, amd64)
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install -y ca-certificates
$ echo 'deb [trusted=yes arch=amd64] https://prettymux.com/apt/debian bookworm main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/prettymux.list
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install prettymux
# Install from prettymux.com APT repo (Debian Sid, amd64)
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install -y ca-certificates
$ echo 'deb [trusted=yes arch=amd64] https://prettymux.com/apt/debian sid main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/prettymux.list
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install prettymux
# Install RPM (Fedora 42, x86_64)
$ sudo dnf config-manager addrepo --from-repofile=https://prettymux.com/rpm/fedora/prettymux.repo
$ sudo dnf install prettymux
# Install from AUR (x86_64)
$ yay -S prettymux

# Or install the prebuilt package
$ yay -S prettymux-bin

# Or with paru
$ paru -S prettymux-bin
# Download AppImage (x86_64)
$ wget https://prettymux.com/appimage/PrettyMux-x86_64.AppImage
$ chmod +x PrettyMux-x86_64.AppImage
$ ./PrettyMux-x86_64.AppImage

Direct download

Fastest option. Download the DMG, open it, then drag PrettyMux into Applications.

$ curl -L -o PrettyMux-macos-arm64.dmg \
  https://github.com/patcito/prettymux/releases/latest/download/PrettyMux-macos-arm64.dmg
$ open PrettyMux-macos-arm64.dmg

Direct download

Fastest option. Download the MSI and run it normally on 64-bit Windows.

> Invoke-WebRequest https://github.com/patcito/prettymux/releases/latest/download/PrettyMux-Installer-x64.msi -OutFile PrettyMux-Installer-x64.msi
> Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -ArgumentList '/i', 'PrettyMux-Installer-x64.msi'
# Build from source
$ git clone https://github.com/patcito/prettymux
$ cd prettymux
$ meson setup builddir
$ ninja -C builddir

Automation

Script PrettyMux with prettymux-open

PrettyMux is not just a GUI. Use prettymux-open to drive a running window from shell scripts, launch URLs, create workspaces, run commands in terminals, or move tabs around programmatically.

$ prettymux-open https://prettymux.com
$ prettymux-open --action split.vertical
$ prettymux-open --action search.show
$ prettymux-open --new-workspace api
$ prettymux-open --exec "bun run dev" -w 0 -p 0 -t 0
$ prettymux-open --move-tab --from-w 0 --from-p 0 --from-t 1 --to-w 1 --to-p 0