Terminal GuideTerminal Guide
tilix icon

Tilix

Terminal Emulators•
Linux
•D

GTK3-based tiling terminal emulator with quake mode.

Official Website

Features

TilingQuake ModeCustom LayoutsSession SyncVTE Based

Installation

APT (Debian/Ubuntu)
apt install tilix
Pacman (Arch)
pacman -S tilix
DNF (Fedora)
dnf install tilix

Why Use Tilix?

Tilix is a GTK3-based tiled terminal emulator that lets you freely arrange multiple terminals in a single window. It has excellent GNOME integration and provides an intuitive UI.

Tile Layout

Freely split windows and display multiple terminals simultaneously. Rearrange via drag and drop.

Quake Mode

Dropdown terminal sliding from top of screen. Quick access via hotkey.

Session Synchronization

Input same commands simultaneously across multiple terminals. Ideal for managing multiple servers.

Bookmarks

Save frequently used directories and commands as bookmarks for quick access.

Main Features

Tile Layout

Tilix's main feature is flexible tiling. Split windows horizontally and vertically to efficiently manage multiple terminal sessions.

Tile Operations
# Tile operation shortcuts
# Ctrl+Shift+E: Split current pane right
# Ctrl+Shift+O: Split current pane down
# Alt+Arrow: Move between panes
# Ctrl+Shift+X: Close pane

# Tile resizing
# Ctrl+Shift+Arrow: Adjust pane size

# Swap tiles
# Drag and drop panes to move
# Ctrl+Shift+Page Up/Down: Change tile order

Quake Mode

In Quake mode, press a hotkey to drop a terminal from the top of the screen. Execute commands without interrupting work.

Quake Mode
# Start in Quake mode
tilix --quake

# Add to auto-start (GNOME)
# Settings > Startup Applications, add:
# Command: tilix --quake

# Quake mode hotkey configuration
# Default: Super+~ (customizable)

# Configure Quake mode with dconf
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/quake-specific-monitor 0
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/quake-height-percent 40
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/quake-width-percent 100

Session Sync (Input Broadcasting)

Input the same commands simultaneously across multiple terminal panes. Very useful when performing identical operations on multiple servers.

Session Sync
# How to use session sync

# 1. Open multiple terminal panes (e.g., SSH to multiple servers)

# 2. Enable sync by:
#    - Menu: Terminal > Synchronize Input
#    - Or from hamburger menu of each pane

# 3. Sync groups:
#    - Can assign to one of groups 1-4
#    - Input broadcasts to terminals in same group

# Use case examples:
# - Check log files on multiple servers simultaneously
# - Deploy to multiple environments at once
# - Make configuration changes across entire cluster

Custom Layouts

Save frequently used tile layouts and recall them later. Pre-configure project-specific workspaces for efficiency.

Custom Layouts
# Save and load layouts

# Save current layout
# File > Save Layout or Ctrl+Shift+S

# Start with saved layout
tilix --session=/path/to/session.json

# Session file location
# ~/.config/tilix/sessions/

# Command line examples
tilix --session="Development Setup"

# Start terminal with custom command
tilix -e "htop"
tilix --working-directory=/var/log -e "tail -f syslog"

Installation

Debian/Ubuntu

Debian/Ubuntu
# Install with apt
sudo apt install tilix

Arch Linux

Arch Linux
# Install with pacman
sudo pacman -S tilix

Fedora

Fedora
# Install with dnf
sudo dnf install tilix

VTE Configuration

Some distributions require additional configuration to enable shell integration features.

VTE Configuration
# For Bash (add to ~/.bashrc)
if [ $TILIX_ID ] || [ $VTE_VERSION ]; then
    source /etc/profile.d/vte.sh
fi

# For Zsh (add to ~/.zshrc)
if [ $TILIX_ID ] || [ $VTE_VERSION ]; then
    source /etc/profile.d/vte.sh
fi

# For Fish (add to ~/.config/fish/config.fish)
if set -q TILIX_ID || set -q VTE_VERSION
    source /etc/profile.d/vte.sh
end

# If vte.sh doesn't exist
# Use /etc/profile.d/vte-2.91.sh instead

Official Website

Check https://gnunn1.github.io/tilix-web/ for detailed documentation.

Configuration and Customization

Configuration via GUI

Tilix provides a graphical settings interface. Access settings from Hamburger Menu (☰) > Preferences.

Settings Screen
# Main sections of settings

# General:
# - Default working directory
# - New window/tab behavior
# - Notification settings

# Appearance:
# - Window style
# - Terminal title style
# - Theme application

# Profiles:
# - Font settings
# - Color scheme
# - Scrollback lines
# - Cursor style

# Shortcuts:
# - View and modify all keybindings

# Advanced:
# - Process settings
# - Safe paste confirmation

Configuration with dconf

dconf Configuration
# Command-line configuration using dconf

# View current settings
dconf dump /com/gexperts/Tilix/

# Font configuration
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/font "'JetBrains Mono 12'"
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/use-system-font false

# Color scheme
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/foreground-color "'#c0caf5'"
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/background-color "'#1a1b26'"

# Scrollback lines
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/scrollback-lines 10000

# Transparency (0.0 to 1.0)
dconf write /com/gexperts/Tilix/profiles/2b7c4080-0ddd-46c5-8f23-563fd3ba789d/background-transparency-percent 10

# Export settings
dconf dump /com/gexperts/Tilix/ > tilix-settings.ini

# Import settings
dconf load /com/gexperts/Tilix/ < tilix-settings.ini

Import Color Schemes

Color Schemes
# Install Gogh themes (many color schemes)
bash -c "$(wget -qO- https://git.io/vQgMr)"

# Manually add color schemes
# 1. Get color scheme files
git clone https://github.com/storm119/Tilix-Themes.git

# 2. Copy schemes
mkdir -p ~/.config/tilix/schemes
cp Tilix-Themes/*.json ~/.config/tilix/schemes/

# 3. Restart Tilix and select from Preferences > Profiles > Colors

# Import Base16 themes
git clone https://github.com/karlding/base16-tilix.git
cp base16-tilix/themes/*.json ~/.config/tilix/schemes/

Bookmark Configuration

Bookmarks
# Bookmark Configuration

# Add bookmarks
# Preferences > Bookmarks

# Bookmark types:
# - Path: Navigate to specific directory
# - Command: Execute any command
# - Remote (SSH): Connect via SSH

# Use bookmarks
# Ctrl+Shift+B to display bookmark list
# Or right-click > Bookmarks

# Configuration file location
# ~/.config/tilix/bookmarks.json

# Example: Bookmark configuration
{
  "name": "Development",
  "type": "path",
  "value": "/home/user/projects"
}

{
  "name": "Production Server",
  "type": "remote",
  "value": "ssh user@prod.example.com"
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

ShortcutFunction
Ctrl+Shift+ESplit right (new terminal)
Ctrl+Shift+OSplit down (new terminal)
Ctrl+Shift+TOpen new tab
Ctrl+Shift+NOpen new window
Alt+ArrowMove between panes
Ctrl+Shift+ArrowResize pane
Ctrl+Shift+XClose current pane
Ctrl+Shift+BShow bookmarks
Ctrl+Shift+FSearch
Super+~Toggle Quake mode

Tips

  • *Save Sessions: Save work environments as sessions to resume with the same layout on next startup. Useful to prepare per-project.
  • *Use Input Sync: When performing the same operations on multiple servers, session synchronization significantly reduces work time.
  • *Quake Mode: Set Quake mode to auto-start for quick terminal access anytime via hotkey.
  • *Custom Commands: Set custom commands in profiles to auto-connect via SSH or launch specific environments on terminal start.
  • *VTE Integration: Shell integration (vte.sh) enables more accurate directory tracking and notification features.
Written by Dai AokiPublished: 2026-01-20

Related Articles

Terminator - Multiple Terminals

Terminal emulator supporting multiple panels in one window

tools6 min read

GNOME Terminal - GNOME Default Terminal

Default terminal emulator for GNOME desktop

tools5 min read

Explore More

Browse Terminal Emulators

See all tools in this category

All CLI Tools

Explore all tool categories