Xterm

xterm is the standard terminal emulator for the X Window System. It helps users run programs that need a command-line interface. When you open xterm without choosing a specific program, it starts your usual shell. Multiple people can use xterm at the same time on one screen, with each person having their own window.

Each xterm window works as its own separate process, but they all share the same keyboard. The keyboard focus normally moves when you move the mouse between different programs, but xterm has special features that let it control the keyboard in certain ways.

XTerm was created before the X Window System even existed. It was first made for a machine called the VAXStation 100 by a student named Mark Vandevoorde in 1984. Later, it became part of the X Window System, where it has stayed ever since. Today, xterm is maintained by a developer named Thomas Dickey. Many other terminal programs are based on xterm, including versions made especially for Korean and Japanese speakers.

Features

Xterm can mimic many old computer screens, like the VT102 and Tektronix 4014. Over time, it learned to act like more screens, such as the VT220, VT320, VT420, and VT520.

You can change how xterm looks and works using special setting files or commands. Normally, it doesn’t show a menu bar, but you can access menus by holding down the control key and pressing mouse buttons.

Xterm follows many standard rules for controlling text on a screen and also supports special features like mouse tracking and different numbers of colors. It started with simple fonts and later added support for more modern ones.