> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openidea.sh/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Terminal > Use the built-in terminal: tabs, splits, shells, links, find, and terminal settings. The **Terminal** tool window runs your shell in the IDE. Each tab is a real pseudo-terminal session, rendered with xterm.js. In a remote project the shell runs on the remote machine. ## Open the terminal | Action | macOS | Windows/Linux | | - | - | - | | Show or hide the Terminal tool window | `⌥F12` | `Alt+F12` | | New Terminal Tab (terminal focused) | `⌘T` | `Ctrl+Shift+T` | Showing an empty Terminal window opens a tab in the start directory (the project root by default). To open a terminal in a specific folder, right-click it in the Project tool window and choose **Open In › Terminal**, or run **Open in Terminal**. ## Tabs and splits * **+** (**New Tab**) opens a tab with the default shell. * The **▾** button (**More Terminal Options**) has **New Terminal Tab**, **New Predefined Session** (one entry per installed shell, plus **SSH Session…**), **Split Right**, **Split Down** and **Settings**. * Right-click a tab for **Rename Session…**, **Close Tab**, **Close Other Tabs**, **Split Right**, **Split and Move Right**, **Split Down**, **Split and Move Down** and **Unsplit**. Double-clicking a tab also renames it. * Drag tabs to reorder them, or drop a tab on the edge of another group to split. A tab is named after your custom name, otherwise after the program running in it (when the shell reports it), otherwise `Local`, `Local (2)` and so on. A spinner shows while a command runs; **Exited** or **Failed** shows once the session ends. When a session's process exits, the terminal prints the exit code; press `Enter` to restart it. With **Close session when it ends** on (the default), the tab closes instead. Closing a tab that still runs a program asks you to confirm. ### Across restarts OpenIDEA remembers each project's terminal tabs: their directory, custom names, the shell used and the split layout (up to 32 tabs). After a restart each tab starts a **new** session in its directory. Scrollback and running commands are not restored. ## Keys in the terminal | Action | macOS | Windows/Linux | | - | - | - | | Copy selection | `⌘C` | `Ctrl+Shift+C`, or `Ctrl+C` with a selection | | Paste | `⌘V` | `Ctrl+Shift+V` | | Find in terminal | `⌘F` | **Find in Terminal** action (no default key) | | Clear buffer | `⌘K` | **Clear Terminal Buffer** action (no default key) | | Close session | `⌘W` | **Close Terminal Session** action (no default key) | | Start / end of line | `⌘←` / `⌘→` | shell default | | Word left / right | `⌥←` / `⌥→` | shell default | | Delete word / line | `⌥⌫` / `⌘⌫` | shell default | Other `Ctrl` combinations go to the shell. `Shift+Enter` sends `Esc` + `Return`, which TUIs such as Claude Code treat as a newline. `Esc` clears a selection first, then goes to the shell. With **Override IDE shortcuts** on (the default), the terminal keeps most keys for the shell. A short list of IDE shortcuts still works: tool window keys, Find Action, Go to File, Class and Symbol, Settings, Push, Recent Files, the switcher and the terminal actions. Use **Configure terminal keybindings** on the settings page to review them. The pane's context menu has **Copy**, **Paste**, **Select All**, **Clear Buffer**, **Split Right**, **Split Down** and **Close Session** (plus **Restart Session** after the process exits). ## Find `⌘F` (or **Find in Terminal**) opens the find bar over the scrollback (10,000 lines). Toggle **Match Case** (`Alt+C`), **Words** (`Alt+W`) and **Regex** (`Alt+X`); `Enter` and `Shift+Enter` move between matches, `Esc` closes the bar. ## Links, paths and drops * `http`, `https` and `file` URLs open in your browser. OSC 8 hyperlinks from programs work too. * File locations such as `src/main.rs:42:7` or `Main.java(42,7)` open in the editor at that line. Paths resolve against the shell's current directory, then by file name across the project. * Pasting copied files pastes their paths, quoted for the shell in use (bash/zsh/fish, PowerShell or cmd). Pasting an image from the clipboard saves it to a file and pastes that file's path. * Dropping files from your file manager onto the terminal types their quoted paths at the prompt. They are not run. Turn off **Highlight hyperlinks** in the settings to stop detecting links. ## Shell and environment The default shell is: * **macOS/Linux**: your login shell (from the user database, then `$SHELL`), falling back to `/bin/zsh`, `/bin/bash`, `/bin/sh`. zsh, bash, sh, fish, ksh, dash, tcsh and csh start as login shells. * **Windows**: `pwsh.exe`, then `powershell.exe`, then `%COMSPEC%`, then `cmd.exe`. **New Predefined Session** also offers the other shells it finds: zsh, bash, fish, nu and pwsh on macOS/Linux; PowerShell, cmd, WSL and Git Bash on Windows. Every session gets `TERM=xterm-256color`, `COLORTERM=truecolor`, `TERM_PROGRAM=OpenIDEA` and `TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION`, plus `LANG=en_US.UTF-8` if `LANG` is unset. Your own variables from the settings are added on top. With **Shell integration** on, zsh, bash and fish report the current directory and command start/end to the IDE. That keeps links and new splits in the right folder and lets the tab title follow the running program. ## Settings **Settings › Tools › Terminal**: | Setting | Default | Notes | | - | - | - | | **Start directory** | Project root | Relative paths resolve against the project root. **Open in Terminal** still opens the chosen folder. Project setting. | | **Environment variables** | none | Added to new sessions. Project setting. | | **Shell path** | login shell | A command line, e.g. `/bin/zsh --login`. **Installed Shells** lists what was found. | | **Default Tab name** | `Local` | | | **Audible bell** | on | | | **Close session when it ends** | on | | | **Mouse reporting** | on | Off: programs can't capture the mouse. | | **Copy to clipboard on selection** | off | | | **Paste on middle mouse button click** | on | | | **Move focus to the Editor with Escape** | off | Otherwise `Esc` goes to the shell. | | **Override IDE shortcuts** | on | See above. | | **Shell integration** | on | | | **Highlight hyperlinks** | on | | | **Use Option as Meta key** | off | macOS only. | | **Cursor shape** | Block | Block, Underline or Vertical. | | **Blinking cursor** | on | | | **Use editor font** | on | Off: set **Font**, **Size** (6–72), **Line height**, **Fallback font** and **Column width**. | Changes apply to open sessions right away. Colours follow the IDE theme. ## Related * **Tools › Start SSH Session…** opens an SSH connection from a saved SSH configuration in a terminal tab. See [SSH](https://openidea.sh/en/guide/remote/ssh.md). * Docker containers can open a shell in a terminal tab with **Create Terminal**. See [Docker and services](https://openidea.sh/en/guide/services.md). This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.