Scanline Term - The Past’s Future

A modern Windows terminal with authentic CRT emulation.

Scanline Term is a Windows terminal emulator, featuring:

• Instant response, GPU rendering, multithreading
• Physical CRT screen simulation (toggleable)
• Smooth pixel-by-pixel line scrolling, even in TUI applications
• Lightweight and native
• Lua configuration and scripts allow for automation within the terminal
• Historical and custom presets for various terminals and screens
• Built-in mini web browser/PDF viewer
• Built-in AI assistant
• MCP server
• Visual tab switching (gallery mode)
• Open Source

Combining the raw nostalgia of cathode-ray tube monitors with modern power-user capabilities — multi-tab sessions, vim-like search, a 'Quake-style' console global hotkey, and a context-aware AI terminal assistant — Scanline Term brings the golden era of computing straight into your modern developer workflow.

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Why Scanline Term?

1. Authentic CRT Physics

Scanline Term features a custom multi-pass WebGL shader pipeline extracted from our Scanline game engine. It accurately simulates physical CRT phenomena:

• Sinc-integrated Fourier scanlines with dynamic electron beam modulation.
• Phosphor persistence & ghosting trails with ping-pong framebuffers and adjustable decay rates.
• Multi-pass bloom & phosphor halation (soft and spiral diffusion algorithms).
• Physical glass distortion: adjustable spherical barrel curvature, corner vignetting, and bezel ambient glow.
• Hardware breathing & electrical fluctuations: HV deflection breathing under heavy load, anti-moiré filtering, and phosphor grain/noise.

2. Keyboard-First workflow

Keep your hands on the keyboard and stay in the zone:

• Built-in WebView2 Browser Tabs: Open documentation, API references, or web tools right alongside your terminal (Menu + B or pass URLs via CLI). A blank browser tab starts on a local bookmark home page stored in %APPDATA%\\com.zhunter.scanlineterm\\home.json; each browser tab adopts the opened page's theme/background color.
• Open Terminal Links: Hold Ctrl and middle-click an HTTP(S) URL in the terminal, including normal scrollback. The whole URL is highlighted while the pointer remains over it; release the middle button to open it in a new browser tab.
• Fast Tab Switching: Jump between multiple live console sessions and browser tabs instantly using Menu + 1...9, or open the static Sessions Gallery with Menu + Backspace.
• Tab Reordering: Drag the active tab left or right in the tab bar, or move it one position at a time with Menu + Shift + ←/→ or Menu + Shift + H/L. Tab numbers are refreshed automatically.

3. Native Windows ConPTY Engine

Built specifically for Windows with Rust and native APIs:

• ConPTY Backend: Direct integration via conpty-oxide with bundled Windows ConPTY binaries.
• Win32 Input Mode: Full support for Win32 Console Input Mode (?9001h), function keys, numpad application modes, and full mouse tracking (SGR 1006, drag, and any-event).

4. 'Quake-Style' Global Hotkey

Summon Scanline Term from anywhere in Windows with a single keystroke. When you're done, press Win + ~ again to tuck it away without disrupting your active window layout.

5. AI Terminal Assistant

Connect any terminal session to an embedded Codex AI assistant (Menu + A). The operator can only see the terminal session and execute commands in it.

Note: To use the AI Terminal Assistant, Codex CLI (version 0.152.1 or newer) must be installed on your system and available on your PATH.

6. Ultra-Lightweight & Fast

Scanline Term is built on Tauri 2 + Rust + WebGL. The production installer is only 30 MB* (most of which consists of the included fonts), launches instantly, and stays lightweight on system resources.

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Lua Configuration & Scripts

Lua can set global defaults, add custom ANSI palettes and shell profiles, and run event scripts that react to terminal tabs, processes, and cursor changes. The shipped User's palette is enabled by default; optional examples show Vim/Neovim and Helix mode-based layout switching with Smart Caps, plus switching to a saved preset while FAR Manager runs. Uncomment the examples you want in the main Lua config. The Lua API will continue to grow in future versions. See the Lua guide.

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Quick Preset Picker

Menu + P opens a compact preset list in the upper-right corner without dimming the display, so each preview remains visible. Type to filter preset names; use arrow keys to choose a preview, use the mouse wheel to scroll the list, or click a row to choose its preview. Enter, a second Menu + P, or a double-click keeps the selected preset. Esc or clicking outside the picker restores the preset that was active before opening it.

Sessions Gallery

Menu + Backspace opens a static overview of all sessions; a primary click on unused workspace or tab-bar space does the same, including the outer monitor frame and the narrow physical-window gutters. Terminal cards retain their last CRT-rendered frame; browser cards show a title/type placeholder. Use arrows or h/j/k/l to move the selection. While Gallery is open, Menu + Shift + ←/→ or Menu + Shift + H/L moves the selected card one position horizontally, and Menu + Shift + ↑/↓ or Menu + Shift + K/J moves it to the nearest card in the adjacent row. Gallery reordering is keyboard-only; cards animate into their new positions and tab numbers are refreshed after every move. Enter, Space, or 1…9/0 opens a tab, while Esc, Menu + Backspace, or a click outside a card returns unchanged. Menu + N and Menu + B create a terminal or browser tab from the overview.

Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Note: The Menu key refers to the Application / Context Menu key (typically situated in the lower right keyboard row between Alt/Win and Ctrl).

Shortcut	Action	Description
Win + ~	Global Show/Hide	Summon or minimize Scanline Term from any Windows application
Alt + Enter	Fullscreen Toggle	Toggle distraction-free full-screen CRT mode
Menu + S	Settings Panel	Open / close the real-time CRT shader lab and display controls
Menu + Z	Toggle Tab Bar	Show or hide the tab bar
Menu + - / Menu + +	Terminal Font Size	Decrease / increase the active terminal font size by one point
Menu + P	Quick Preset Picker	Preview presets immediately; Enter, a second Menu + P, or double-click applies; Esc or a click outside cancels and restores the prior preset
Menu + A	AI Assistant Panel	Open / close the Codex AI assistant panel
Menu + '	AI Assistant Focus	Switch keyboard focus between the AI assistant input and the terminal
Menu + N	New Terminal Tab	Spawn a new independent ConPTY shell session
Menu + B	New Browser Tab	Open a local bookmark home page; links promote the tab to WebView2
Menu + W	Close Tab	Close the active terminal session or browser tab
Menu + Backspace	Sessions Gallery	Open / close a static fullscreen gallery of terminal and browser tabs
Menu + 1...9	Switch Tab	Switch directly to tab 1 through 9
Menu + → / Menu + >	Next Tab	Switch to the next terminal or browser tab (cycles)
Menu + Shift + → / Menu + Shift + L	Move Tab Right	Move the active tab one position to the right
Menu + Shift + ← / Menu + Shift + H	Move Tab Left	Move the active tab one position to the left
Menu + ← / Menu + <	Previous Tab	Switch to the previous terminal or browser tab (cycles)
Menu + Tab	Alternate Tab	Toggle back to the previously active tab
Menu + V	Paste	Paste clipboard text into the active shell
Menu + C	Copy Mode	Activate rectangular screen selection and copy mode
Ctrl + Middle Click	Open Terminal Link	Highlight the HTTP(S) URL under the pointer; release over it to open a new browser tab
Menu + /	Find in Terminal	Open terminal-buffer search; type a query, then use Enter or n for the next match
Menu + Shift + /	Find Back in Terminal	Open reverse terminal-buffer search; Enter or n moves to the previous match
Menu + PgUp / PgDn	Scroll Buffer	Scroll the terminal screen and history buffer up or down

While terminal search is open, N reverses the search direction and Esc closes the overlay and restores terminal input. Search includes normal scrollback; in alternate-screen applications it covers the current screen only.

Browser Tab Keyboard Navigation

Embedded WebView2 browser tabs feature a keyboard-first, Vim-inspired navigation mode:

Key	Action	Description
j / k	Scroll Line	Scroll page down / up (64px)
d / u	Half-Page Scroll	Scroll half page down / up
gg / G	Top / Bottom	Jump to top (gg) or bottom (G) of the page
h / l (or Backspace)	History Navigation	Go back (h / Backspace) or forward (l) in page history
f	Link Hints	Show asdfghjkl hints over interactive elements; on the local home page this covers links, buttons, inputs and the editor
o or F6	Address / Search	Open the native browser address overlay or focus the home search field
/	Find in Page	Search text on the current page
r	Reload	Reload the current page
i	Pass/Insert Mode	Enter pass-through mode to interact directly with web page keys
Esc	Normal Mode	Exit hints, address bar, or pass/insert mode back to normal navigation
F5	Home Safety	The local home page consumes F5 so it cannot reload the application
Menu + ...	App Shortcuts	All main app shortcuts (Menu + W, Menu + 1...9, Menu + B, etc.) remain fully accessible within browser tabs

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Command-Line Usage

Scanline Term can be invoked from the command prompt, PowerShell, terminal scripts, or Windows shortcuts with custom arguments:

sterm [options] [target] [arguments...]

Command line Arguments

Flag	Parameter	Description
-T	None	Open target in a new tab if an instance of Scanline Term is already running
-P	<path>	Set explicit working directory (cwd) for the launched terminal session
-S / --preset	<name>	Apply the named preset (without .json) to a new terminal tab

Target Arguments

The optional [target] argument is automatically detected and routed:

• Directory Path (. or C:\path\to\dir): Launches the default shell in the specified directory.
• Command or Executable (pwsh, cmd.exe, C:\tools\app.exe): Launches the given command or console program directly. Arguments after the executable are passed to it unchanged.
• HTTP / HTTPS URL (https://... or http://...): Opens the URL directly in an embedded WebView2 browser tab.
• Local document (C:\docs\manual.html, .htm, .html or .pdf): Opens the existing file in an embedded browser tab.

Practical Examples

# Launch default shell in the current working directory
sterm .

# Launch default shell in a specific project folder
sterm C:\Projects\MyProject

# Launch PowerShell with an explicit working directory
sterm -P C:\Projects\MyProject pwsh

# Launch an executable with arguments
sterm C:\Tools\watcher.exe --port 8080 --verbose

# Open a new tab in an existing Scanline Term window
sterm -T pwsh

# Open a local HTML/PDF document in the embedded browser
sterm C:\Docs\manual.html
sterm -T C:\Docs\manual.pdf

# Open a new tab with working directory set
sterm -T -P C:\Projects\MyProject

# Open an executable with arguments in a new tab
sterm -T C:\Tools\watcher.exe --port 8080

# Open a terminal tab using a named preset from the Presets list
sterm -T --preset "DEC VT-100 (1978)" pwsh

# Open documentation directly in the built-in CRT browser
sterm https://docs.rs

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Installation

Download the latest pre-compiled Windows Installer (MSI) or portable ZIP from the Releases page:

Download Scanline Term (Latest Release)

Run the .msi installer for the standard installation, including the sterm command on the system PATH and the bundled optional fonts. System requirements:

• Windows 10 (version 17763+) or Windows 11 (64-bit)
• Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (pre-installed on most modern Windows systems)
• (Optional) Codex CLI (version 0.152.1 or newer) on PATH if using the AI Terminal Assistant.

Portable ZIP (technical release)

1. Download Scanline-Term-<version>-portable-x64.zip and extract the entire archive.
2. Keep sterm.exe next to resources\conpty\x64\; those ConPTY files are required for terminal sessions.
3. Run sterm.exe. No installation or administrator rights are needed.

The portable build needs the same supported Windows version and WebView2 Runtime as the MSI. It includes the preset catalog and font files, but does not add sterm to PATH or install fonts. For the complete manual setup steps, see Portable ZIP Installation, which is included in the archive as docs\PORTABLE-INSTALLATION.md.

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Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       Windows Desktop                       │
│     Global Hotkey (Win+~) ─── Native Child WebViews (URL)   │
└──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
                               │
┌──────────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│                    Rust Backend (Tauri 2)                   │
│   ConPTY Lifecycle (conpty-oxide) ── Codex App-Server IPC   │
└──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
                               │ Tauri Commands & Events
┌──────────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│                  Frontend UI (React 19)                     │
│  Tab Manager ── Headless xterm Buffer ── UI Controls        │
└──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
                               │ Canvas 2D Text Grid
┌──────────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│        Scanline Virtual Screen (external display module)    │
│      Virtual canvas ── CRT/pass-through ── Display canvas   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

For in-depth architectural details, check our comprehensive documentation in docs/:

• Architecture & Data Flow
• Core Systems & Host Integration
• Scanline Virtual Screen
• Design Decisions
• Codex Terminal Assistant Guide

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Building from Source

Prerequisites

1. Rust (stable x86_64-pc-windows-msvc toolchain)
2. Node.js (v20+ recommended)
3. Visual Studio C++ Build Tools

Development Workflow

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/z-hunter/Scanline-Term.git
cd Scanline-Term

# Install frontend dependencies
npm install

# Start development in browser-only mode (simulated mock session for shader testing)
npm run dev

# Launch full native Tauri app with live ConPTY sessions
npm run tauri:dev

# Run frontend & backend test suites
npm test
cd src-tauri && cargo test

# Build production MSI installer and portable ZIP
npm run tauri:build -- --bundles msi
./scripts/package-portable.ps1

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.
The display module is Scanline Virtual Screen, which has its own source-available license and commercial-use terms.

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Enjoy! PRs, suggestions, and feedback are always welcome.