The vtm project is a text-based desktop environment written in C++ that uses a TUI (Text-based User Interface) grid to represent the entire user interface as a mosaic of text cells in the terminal.

Key Features:

• Text-Based Desktop Environment: Allows running multiple console applications simultaneously, organized in windows within a textual desktop environment.

• Flexible Rendering: The TUI grid can be displayed in its own GUI window or in compatible text terminals.

• Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with Windows (8.1+), GNU/Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD.

• Advanced Configuration: Uses plain XML config files, supporting inheritance and dynamic references.

• Built-in Applications: Includes internal apps such as a teletype console, log viewer, and more, all running inside the textual environment.

• MIT License: Open-source code under the MIT license.

Additional Resources:

• Documentation: Available in the repository, covering architecture, command-line options, UI, configuration, and more.

• Binary Downloads: Available for various platforms, including different Windows architectures, *nix-like systems, and macOS.

Installation example for GNU/Linux x86_64 distros:

wget -q https://github.com/directvt/vtm/releases/latest/download/vtm_linux_x86_64.zip
unzip vtm_linux_x86_64.zip
tar xf vtm_linux_x86_64.tar # The .tar is inside the zip
sudo install -v vtm /usr/local/bin/
rm vtm_linux_x86_64.zip vtm_linux_x86_64.tar

Then run:

vtm

For more information, run:

vtm --help

Project repository: https://github.com/directvt/vtm

🎥 Watch the demo video

👓 See also

tui terminal cpp

Marcos Oliveira

Software developer

https://github.com/terroo