st is a simple and lightweight terminal emulator for the X Window System, developed by the Suckless community. It is designed to be fast, simple, and minimalist, with a small codebase and a focus on keyboard-based navigation and customization.
st supports basic features such as Unicode character encoding, copy-pasting, and Xterm-style escape sequences, as well as some more advanced features like font rendering and fontconfig support. It also supports customization through a simple configuration file, allowing users to modify settings like font size, color schemes, and keyboard shortcuts.
One of the key design principles behind st is its simplicity and minimalism. The codebase is deliberately small and readable, and the focus is on providing a fast and reliable terminal emulator that can be easily customized and extended by users.
If you encounter the below error while running the command st:
st: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install st |
| Alpine | apk add st |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install st |
| Fedora | dnf install st |
| OS X | brew install st |
st Command Examples
1. Open a terminal:
# st
2. Open a terminal with a specific title:
# st -T title
3. Open a terminal, execute a given command, and write the output to a file:
# st -o path/to/file -e command argument1 argument2
4. Increase/decrease the font size:
# Ctrl + Shift + Page Up|Page Down
5. Copy/paste from the clipboard:
# Ctrl + Shift + C|V
Summary
Overall, st is a popular choice for users who value simplicity, performance, and customization in their terminal emulator. Its lightweight design and flexible configuration options make it a great choice for users who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts and other advanced features to maximize their productivity when working in the terminal.