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TUIOS Demo

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What is TUIOS?

TUIOS (Terminal UI Operating System) is a terminal-based window manager that provides a modern, efficient interface for managing multiple terminal sessions. Built with Go using the Charm stack (Bubble Tea v2 and Lipgloss v2), TUIOS offers a vim-like modal interface with comprehensive keyboard shortcuts, workspace support, and mouse interaction. Think of it as tmux meets a modern window manager - with the power of vim’s modal editing, the organization of workspaces, and the polish of a desktop environment, all in your terminal.

Get Started

Install TUIOS on macOS, Linux, or Windows with package managers or pre-built binaries

Quick Start

Learn the essential keybindings and start managing terminal windows in 5 minutes

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Key Features

9 Workspaces

Organize windows across independent workspaces. Switch with Alt+1-9 and move windows between them seamlessly.

BSP Tiling

Binary Space Partitioning with automatic spiral layout. Create horizontal/vertical splits, control where new windows spawn, and resize with precision.

Vim-Style Copy Mode

Navigate 10,000 lines of scrollback with vim keybindings. Search, select, and copy text without touching the mouse.

Tape Scripting

Automate workflows with a simple DSL. Record live sessions, replay them interactively, or run headless in CI/CD.

Session Persistence

Daemon mode provides persistent sessions with detach/reattach. Window positions, workspaces, and terminal content are preserved.

Remote Access

SSH server mode for remote terminal multiplexing. Web terminal mode (tuios-web) provides browser-based access with WebGL rendering.

Modal Interface

Vim-inspired modes: Window Management for navigation and Terminal Mode for direct input. Switch contexts without keyboard conflicts.

Customizable

TOML configuration with full keybinding customization. Support for Kitty keyboard protocol, custom themes, and extensive UI options.

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Why TUIOS?

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Powerful Window Management

Unlike traditional terminal multiplexers, TUIOS provides true window management:
  • Drag, resize, and snap windows with mouse or keyboard
  • Automatic tiling with BSP algorithm or manual floating mode
  • Visual feedback with borders, shadows, and smooth animations
  • Edge-based snapping (drag to screen edges for instant layouts)

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Workspace Organization

Manage complex workflows with 9 independent workspaces:
  • One workspace for development, another for monitoring, another for documentation
  • Windows stay organized and out of sight until needed
  • Move windows between workspaces or switch workspace while staying in terminal mode

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Vim-Powered Navigation

If you love vim, you’ll feel at home:
  • Modal interface prevents keybinding conflicts
  • Copy mode with h/j/k/l navigation, search (/ and ?), and text selection
  • Familiar prefix key system (Ctrl+B like tmux, fully customizable)
  • 100+ configurable keybindings

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Automation-First Design

Tape scripting brings automation to terminal workflows: 
# Create a development environment
NewWindow
Type "cd ~/project && vim"
Enter
Ctrl+B
Type "n"
Sleep 500ms
Type "npm run dev"
Enter
Record sessions with Ctrl+B T r, then replay them or run headless in CI.

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Modern Performance

Built with performance in mind:
  • Smart style caching (40-60% allocation reduction)
  • Viewport culling for off-screen windows
  • Adaptive refresh rates (60Hz focused, 30Hz background)
  • Memory pooling for strings, buffers, and styles
  • Works smoothly with dozens of windows

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Architecture

TUIOS is built on battle-tested technologies:
  • Bubble Tea v2 - Event-driven TUI framework with Model-View-Update pattern
  • Lipgloss v2 - Terminal styling and layout engine
  • go-pty - Cross-platform PTY interface for true terminal emulation
  • Wish v2 - SSH server framework for remote access
  • Vendored VT emulator - Complete ANSI/VT100 terminal emulation
The architecture follows clean separation:
  • Window Manager (internal/app/os.go) - Central state and workspace orchestration
  • Terminal Emulation (internal/vt/) - ANSI parser with scrollback
  • Rendering Engine (internal/app/render.go) - Layer composition with viewport culling
  • Input System (internal/input/) - Modal routing and configurable keybindings

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Use Cases

TUIOS excels at managing complex terminal workflows where you need multiple sessions organized and accessible.
Development Workflows
  • Editor in one window, test runner in another, logs in a third
  • Separate workspaces for different projects
  • Tape scripts to set up your entire dev environment
System Administration
  • Monitor multiple servers in different windows
  • Keep production and staging in separate workspaces
  • SSH server mode for remote administration
DevOps & CI/CD
  • Tape scripts for deployment automation
  • Headless execution for automated testing
  • Record workflows and share them as documentation
Terminal Enthusiasts
  • Full mouse support when you want it, pure keyboard when you don’t
  • Showkeys overlay for presentations and screencasts
  • Customizable themes and border styles

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What’s Next?

Installation

Install TUIOS with your preferred package manager or build from source

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with essential keybindings and workflows

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Community

TUIOS is open source and actively developed:
TUIOS was featured as Tool of The Week on Terminal Trove, the home of all things in the terminal.

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