Terminal Basics

Basics · free

AITerm is a real PTY terminal. It's a normal zsh/bash/sh/fish shell first — you can use it exactly like any terminal — and the AI input bar is an optional layer on top. Nothing about the AI is in your way when you don't want it.

Tabs, panes, and workspaces

New tab — ⌘T. Each tab is its own shell session.
Next / previous tab — ⌘⇧] / ⌘⇧[; jump straight to a tab with ⌘1–⌘9.
Split the current pane — ⌘D (right) or ⌘⇧D (down). Panes can nest, so you can build a grid.
Move focus between panes — ⌘⌥ + an arrow key.
Close the focused pane (then tab, then window) — ⌘W.
Saved workspaces remember the whole pane layout and each pane's working directory, so you can reopen a project setup in one step.

Opening a saved workspace replaces the current layout. If a pane is running something or would be risky to replace, AITerm asks before closing it. You can also have AITerm restore your last session automatically on launch (Settings ▸ Terminal). Choose your shell and theme in Settings.

The AI bar vs. typing directly

The input bar at the bottom is the AI-aware surface. When you type there, AITerm can classify the text, propose AI translations, show risk badges, and gate what runs.

You can also click inside the terminal pane and type on the shell line, like any terminal. In that mode the status shows the AI gate is off — you're driving the raw shell. Direct typing hands back to the AI bar when you click the bar, when a proposal is loaded, or after a short idle timeout. If you start typing directly while an agent is running, AITerm pauses the agent and resumes it when you return focus to the bar.

Input-bar sigils

AITerm classifies what you type before deciding to run it literally or translate it. You can force the decision:

A leading space forces a literal shell command (no AI translation).
A leading ? forces AI translation or question handling.
A leading : also forces AI translation.
A trailing ? is treated as a question for the AI.

If AITerm can't tell whether your input is a command or natural language, it runs it literally and can offer a translation afterward if the shell reports command-not-found — so a real command is never sent to the AI by surprise.