If you are starting to use and learn Linux, remember this:
Linux is not magic 🪄
It's sudo science 🔬
Okay...sorry... my dad jokes urges get the better of me at times 😁
💬 Let's see what else you get in this edition
Cropping a video in VLC (no, seriously)
Cloning SD card in Raspberry Pi
Modern terminals with modern features
And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
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And I know there is Logseq, its open source alternative. Between you and me, we have a tutorial series planned on Logseq, covering its features and tips on using it.
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The first web browser was introduced by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web on 26th Feb 1991. It was named WorldWideWeb at first but renamed later to Nexus to avoid the confusion.
While the classics are focused on providing additional features like multiplexing windows, there is a new breed of terminals that offer GPU acceleration, AI and even flaunt that they are built on Rust 🦀
🚧
Modern solutions bring modern problems. Some of the options here are non-foss, some may even have telemetry enabled. I advise checking these things when you try any of the mentioned terminals here.
1. Wave Terminal
Wave terminal
Wave is an open-source cross-platform terminal emulator, that offers several unique features like graphical widgets. It feels like you are using an IDE like VS Code and that is in the good sense.
Oh! It comes baked in with AI as well.
Features of Wave Terminal
Integrated AI chat with support for multiple models
Built-in editor for seamlessly editing local and remote files.
Command Blocks for isolating and monitoring individual commands with auto-close options.
File preview, that supports Markdown, images, video, etc.
Custom themes, background images, etc.
Inline Web browser.
Overall, this terminal is the best fit for those who are looking for serious application development projects.
Since most of the features are easily accessible, a relatively newer terminal user can also enjoy all the benefits.
Install Wave Terminal
Ubuntu users can install Waveterm from the snap store.
sudo snap install --classic waveterm
The project also provides DEB, RPM and AppImage package formats.
Warp is a Rust-based terminal emulator, that offers built-in AI features and collaboration workflows.
The AI agent answers your query and can even run commands for you.
Like Wave, this too has an IDE-like feel, suitable for the new breed of developers and devops who dread the dark alleys of the command line.
The workflow feature is useful for both individuals and teams. If you have different project scenarios where you must run one command after another, you can create workflows. It improves your efficiency.
🚧
Warp is not open source software.
Features of Warp Terminal
Built-in AI features like command lookup, AI autofill, command suggestions, chat with Warp AI, etc.
IDE-like text editing, with mouse support.
Markdown viewer with embedded command execution support.
Collaboration workflow with Warp Drive.
Extensive customization possibilities.
Install Warp Terminal
Warp provides DEB files for Ubuntu and other Debian-based systems.
Rio is a hardware-accelerated GPU terminal emulator, written in Rust. It is intended to run as a native desktop application as well as a browser application.
Rio Terminal
Features of Rio Terminal
Hardware-accelerated, fast and written using Rust.
Multi-windows and Split panels
Image support: iTerm2 and Sixel image protocols.
Supports hyperlinks.
Vi Mode
Install Rio Terminal
Rio offers separate DEB files for both X11 and Wayland. SO choose according to your specific needs.
There are installation instruction available for other distributions like Arch Linux, NixOS, etc. You can find those in the official installation instructions.
5. Contour
Contour is a GPU-accelerated modern terminal emulator with high-DPI support. This cross-platform terminal emulator focuses on speed, efficiency, and productivity.
Contour Terminal
Features of Contour
GPU-Accelerated Terminal emulator with high-DPI support.
Font ligature support.
Complex Unicode support, including emojis.
Runtime configuration reload
Key binding customization
VT320 Host-programmable and Indicator status line support
Install Contour Terminal
Ubuntu and Debian-based distribution users can download the DEB file from official releases page. There is an AppImage package available as well.
If you are a Fedora user, you can install it directly from the official repository.
sudo dnf install contour-terminal
There is a detailed installation instructions for other platforms on the official documentation.
6. Alacritty
Alacritty is a modern terminal emulator, that offers heavy configuration capabilities. It is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator, written on Rust.
Alacritty Terminal
Features of Alacritty
GPU accelerated terminal, written in Rust.
Hyperlink support.
Supports running multiple terminal emulators from the same Alacritty instance
Vi mode
Cross-platform support.
Install Alacritty
Alacritty is fairly popular among Linux users. It is available in the default repositories of most distributions. For latest Ubuntu releases, you can install it using the apt command:
sudo apt install alacritty
7. Hyper
Hyper is a terminal emulator, built on open web standards. Written in Typescript, this extensible terminal focuses on speed and stability.
If nothing else, it does look good. The screenshot below may not do justice.
Hyper Terminal
Features of Hyper
Functionality can be extended with plugins available on NPM.
Keymap customization
Cross-platform support
Customization capabilities using JavaScript configuration file.
Install Hyper Terminal
Hyper offers DEB and RPM files for Debian-based and Fedora-based systems, respectively.
Komandi is an AI-powered terminal command manager. Komandi is different from usual terminal emulators. This piece of software allows the user to create and store command snippets and run them on your preferred terminal emulator.
🚧
Komandi is not open source software. It requires you to purchase a license. I found it interesting and hence included it here.
Conclusion
I feel like I should have included Ghostty in this list of modern new terminal emulators. It's the talk of the terminal town, after all. However, I haven't tried it yet. I know, I am late to board the 'Ghost ship'.
For a long time, the only new feature was often multiple terminal windows on the same screen and it was hard to believe that the scenario can be changed. It is interesting to see new terminals coming up with innovative features in the last few years.
💬 Tell me. Are you sticking with the classic terminals, or have switched to one of these modern ones?
Kodi is a versatile media player that can be customized to fit your needs, and one of the best ways to personalize your experience is by installing a Kodi build.
These builds come pre-configured with skins, addons, and settings that make your Kodi experience even better.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps of installing a Kodi build, using the Diggz Xenon Build as an example. The same method is used for installing add-ons to Kodi.
Whether you're using Kodi on a Raspberry Pi, PC, or even an Android Box, these steps will work across all devices.
Step 1: Enable unknown sources
Before we can install third-party builds, we need to allow Kodi to install from unknown sources. Here's how:
Go to Kodi's Home Screen and click the Settings Cog (top-left corner).
Select System from the options.
Scroll down and choose Add-ons. On the right side, toggle the Unknown Sources option to On. A warning message will pop up; click Yes to confirm.
We’re enabling this because Kodi doesn’t allow third-party sources by default for security reasons, but since we trust the source, we’ll proceed.
Step 2: Add the repository source
Now, we’ll add the source for the Team Crew Repository. This is where the HomeFlix and many other amazing Kodi builds reside.
Go back to the Kodi home screen and open Settings again. Select File Manager.
Click on Add Source.
In the window that appears, click on <None>.
Enter the build URL, in our case: https://team-crew.github.io and click OK.
Name the source with any name you prefer), then click OK.
Step 3: Install the build repository
Now that the source is added, we’ll install the build repository.
Return to the Kodi Settings page and click Add-ons.
a
Choose Install from Zip File.
Select the source you just added.
Click on the zip file named repository.thevrew-X.zip (X will be the version number).
Wait for the notification that says The Crew Repository Add-on Installed.
Step 4: Install the build wizard
The next step is to install the build Wizard, which will allow us to install the specific build that we want.
From the Add-ons menu, click Install from Repository.
Open the Build Repository i.e Crew repo in my case.
Select Program Add-ons.
Click on build wizard i.e. The Crew Wizard
and then select Install.
A prompt will appear asking you to confirm the installation of dependent addons. Click OK.
Wait for the installation to complete. This may take a couple of minutes.
Step 5: Install the actual build
Now we’re ready to install the actual build itself. I like Homeflix because if its familiar interface with Netflix, thus I'll be installing that.
Return to the Kodi home screen and go to Add-ons.
Select Program Add-ons
and click on Chef Wizard
Click on Build Menu.
Find and select your preffered build, I'm selecting Homeflix.
Click Continue and wait for the build to download and install. This may take a few minutes, so be patient.
Once the installation is complete, click OK to force close Kodi.
Step 6: Restart Kodi and Enjoy!
After the installation, simply reopen Kodi, and you’ll be greeted with the HomeFlix Build. The interface will be customized with a sleek new look, and you’ll have access to a range of addons and features.
Conclusion
Personally, I love the Homeflix Build by Team-Crew because it gives me that Netflix-like experience, which I find really comfortable.
It’s clean, visually appealing, and comes with tons of addo-ns pre-installed, including some premium ones like Debrid.
If you’re using premium services, you might need to configure those, but the build itself is a great starting point for anyone looking to get a smooth Kodi experience.
There are plenty of builds out there, each catering to different preferences. Whether you’re into movies, TV shows, live sports, or even gaming, there’s likely a Kodi build that fits your style.
I’ve already listed my favorite Kodi builds in a separate article, so be sure to check that out for more recommendations.
Sourav Rudra
Abhishek
Abhishek Prakash
Abhishek Prakash
Abhishek Prakash
Abhishek Prakash
xahodo
