Terminator

When you're looking to manage the deeper layer aspects of your Linux or Unix based machine, a graphical user interface like those offered by Windows and Mac operating systems just won't do. While a pure text based interface may be intimidating to casual users, it offers a higher level of control and quicker work than modern menu based systems offer. Terminator is one of the most popular terminal emulators around. Built off of the GNOME framework, it allows you to juggle multiple terminals at the same time, and it comes with a full suite of features that let you automate and expedite the process of software and resource management. This host of features put it a step above many of the other terminal emulators on the market. Keep in mind that Terminator is not for the casual Linux user. If you're not used to digging deep into the command line interface, you're likely to be lost from the start. But users with a little more experience will find much to appreciate. The developers behind Terminator believe in giving their users choices, and this is reflected in the huge amount of control you have over the design of your terminal. In addition to basic aesthetic choices like background and text coloring (as well as the ability to set a background wallpaper from your photo gallery), you can lay out the terminal design however you like, from a simple four panel grid structure to complex layers. Setting up your terminal space is as simple as clicking and dragging your panels into place. Facilitating this freedom of design is the minimalist and intuitive menus system. The Terminator icon at the top of each panel allows you to name and number them, making navigation simpler. Right clicking on each panel gives you a diverse range of deeper options like copying and pasting, closing or opening tabs, or choosing the encoding format. Further enhancing the experience is the ability to add up to five tabs to each terminal on your grid. These give you control over global settings, key bindings, layouts, plugins, and profiles. Users can even save multiple profiles or templates that they can then pull up with simple access to the menu. This lets you juggle a huge number of settings simply. The range of plug-ins available are powerful and add a significant amount of mileage to an already expansive product. These include file outputting and custom commands. Additionally, you can set up pop-up notifications that alert you when a terminal has been silent for a certain period of time or when designated changes have been made to it. While all the keyboard shortcuts are standard and locked in, you can set up to 26 different bindings to create a more versatile and customized experience. Simultaneous typing between multiple terminals is also permitted in Terminator.