shitty
A serious terminal emulator with a stupid name
What is it?
What it is
Shitty is a low-latency, fast-startup terminal emulator built for predictable resource use, rendering cells with native compute backends (Vulkan on Linux, Metal on macOS) and sharing code with its polite-brand counterpart Pretty (pt).
Why it exists
To provide a blazingly fast, correct, flicker-free, indestructible terminal with Unicode grapheme cluster support, self-contained operation, and locked-down-by-default security, while offering a polite alternative (Pretty) for users who prefer a non-offensive name.
Who should use it
Developers needing high-performance terminal emulationPower users prioritizing speed and low latencySystem administrators optimizing terminal resources
Who should avoid it
Security-focused users due to memory-unsafetyBeginners lacking technical expertise for setupUsers requiring strict security guarantees
How it works
A quick walkthrough in plain English
How shitty works
Step 1 of 3
You interact with it
Open shitty, send a request, or connect it to your stack.
Features
Advantages
- Extremely fast performance with high throughput and low latency
- Comprehensive correctness: 5,000+ tests, fuzzed parser, no crashes on random data
- Flicker‑free rendering with damage‑driven updates
- Indestructible parser state machine, total and fuzzed with corpora
- Robust Unicode support: grapheme clusters, emoji, combining marks, wide CJK
- Self‑contained: single binary, embedded fonts, no external dependencies
- Locked‑down security: default restrictions on selection and window control
Disadvantages
- Does not support bidirectional text layout
- No inline graphics protocols such as sixel
- Requires a Vulkan driver and Wayland compositor on Linux (may limit use on some systems)
- Some historical DEC and xterm extensions are intentionally unsupported
- Memory‑unsafe implementation (may be a concern for safety‑critical environments)
Installation
FAQ
How do I install Shitty on macOS using Homebrew?
Run `brew install pg83/tap/shitty` for the Shitty brand and `brew install pg83/tap/pretty` for the Pretty brand. The tap automatically tracks the latest release and installs the portable binaries `st-darwin-arm64.tar.gz` and `pt-darwin-arm64.tar.gz`.
How can I start a terminal with a specific size and scrollback capacity?
Use the `-geometry` and `-saveLines` options. For example: `./st -geometry 120x36 -saveLines 5000` starts a 120‑column by 36‑row terminal with 5,000 lines of scrollback.
How do I configure multiple fonts and fallbacks?
Pass `-font` multiple times or use a comma‑separated list. Later fonts act as fallbacks. Example: `./st -font 'DejaVu Sans Mono' -font 'Noto Sans Mono CJK JP'`. The terminal will automatically resolve regular, bold, italic, and bold‑italic faces and fall back to the embedded monospace‑emoji trio if no system font is available.
How can I remap a key combination to another or disable it?
Use the `-remap` flag or add a `remap` entry in the config file. Syntax: `-remap from=to`. Example: `./st -remap ctrl+b=ctrl+d -remap super+t=ctrl+shift+t -remap ctrl+l=none`. The remap applies to the application, kitty protocol, and terminal shortcuts.
How do I enable OSC 52 clipboard access or allow applications to read selections?
By default OSC 52 is disabled. Add `allowClipboard = true` or `allowOSC52 = true` in `~/.config/shitty/shitty.toml` (or the equivalent Pretty config) to grant trusted applications access to the clipboard and OSC 52 operations.
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