5 Creative Ways to Use the Terminator Tool in Linux

Marco Maigua
The Blockchain Artist
3 min readJan 4, 2023

If you’re a Linux user, you know how convenient it can be to have multiple terminal sessions open at the same time. Whether you’re running multiple commands or just want to keep different tasks separate, having multiple terminal windows can be a real timesaver. That’s where Terminator comes in.

Terminator is a terminal emulator that allows you to run multiple terminal sessions in a single window. With Terminator, you can split your terminal window horizontally or vertically, allowing you to run multiple commands side by side. This can be a huge convenience when you need to work with multiple terminals at the same time.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how to use some of the most useful commands in Terminator. By the end, you’ll be a pro at running multiple terminal sessions in a single window.

  1. Running a command in a new Terminator window: To run a command in a new Terminator window, use the terminator -e <command> syntax. For example, to list the contents of the current directory, you could use the following command: terminator -e 'ls -l'.
  2. Splitting the terminal window: To split the current Terminator window horizontally, use the Ctrl + Shift + E keyboard shortcut. To split the window vertically, use the Ctrl + Shift + O keyboard shortcut. This allows you to run multiple commands side by side in the same window.
  3. Switching between terminal sessions: To switch between terminal sessions in a split window, use the Shift + Page Up and Shift + Page Down keyboard shortcuts.
  4. Closing a terminal session: To close the current terminal session, use the Ctrl + Shift + X keyboard shortcut. This will close the session you are currently focused on, leaving any other sessions open.

Here are a few additional ways you might use the Terminator tool:

  1. Running multiple instances of the same command: You can use Terminator to run multiple instances of the same command, each in its own terminal window. This can be useful if you need to run the same command multiple times with different arguments, for example.
  2. Keeping different tasks separate: By using Terminator to open multiple terminal windows, you can keep different tasks separate and avoid mixing them up. This can be especially useful if you’re working on multiple projects at the same time.
  3. Customizing the appearance: Terminator allows you to customize the appearance of your terminal windows, including the font, color scheme, and background image. You can use this feature to personalize your terminal environment and make it more visually appealing.
  4. Sending broadcast messages: As I mentioned earlier, Terminator includes a broadcast command that allows you to send messages to multiple IP addresses. This can be useful for sending notifications or alerts to other devices on your network.
  5. Running scripts: You can use Terminator to run scripts that perform automated tasks. For example, you might use it to run a script that generates reports, downloads data, or performs other tasks on a regular basis.

I hope these additional uses give you some ideas for how you can get more out of the Terminator tool. Let me know if you have any other questions!

These are just a few examples of the useful commands you can use with Terminator. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be a pro at running multiple terminal sessions in a single window. Happyterminating!

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