# cool-retro-term: A Terminal Emulator That Looks Like a Cathode Tube Screen > cool-retro-term is a Linux and macOS terminal emulator built with Qt6 and QML that renders terminal output with authentic cathode ray tube visual effects, including scan lines, phosphor glow, and screen curvature. It is the right tool when aesthetics matter more than the fastest possible rendering. **Swordfish90/cool-retro-term** — A good looking terminal emulator which mimics the old cathode display... - Repository: https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term - Stars: 26,458 · Forks: 1,028 - Language: QML - License: not declared - Published: 2026-09-21 · Updated: 2026-09-21 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/swordfish90-cool-retro-term ## What cool-retro-term Is and What It Solves Most terminal emulators optimize for speed and low resource use. cool-retro-term takes the opposite priority: it renders the terminal output to look like a 1970s or 1980s cathode ray tube display, complete with screen curvature, phosphor afterglow, scan lines, and color bleeding. The project targets users who want a visually distinctive terminal. That includes developers who take desktop screenshots, streamers who want an aesthetic environment on screen, and anyone who prefers the visual character of old green-phosphor or amber-phosphor displays over a flat modern terminal. The README describes it as designed to be eye-candy, customizable, and reasonably lightweight. The underlying terminal widget is the QML port of qtermwidget (Konsole), so the actual terminal behavior, including shell support and text rendering, is handled by a proven component. ## Platform Support and Qt6 Requirement cool-retro-term runs on Linux and macOS. Windows is not supported. The README states that the application requires Qt6, the sixth major release of the Qt application framework. This means distributions that package Qt5 only will not run prebuilt binaries from the repository without recompiling against Qt6. The latest release is 2.0.0-beta2, published on 2026-05-31. The prior stable release was in the rolling release channel from 2026-01-22. The last push was on 2026-05-31. These recent releases indicate active maintenance. The repository uses git submodules: qmltermwidget (the terminal widget) and KDSingleApplication (a helper that prevents multiple instances from opening). Cloning requires initializing submodules to get the complete source tree. ## How to Install cool-retro-term The README describes three installation paths. The simplest is to download a prebuilt release from the GitHub Releases page. Linux users get an AppImage, which is a self-contained executable that requires no system-level installation. macOS users get a dmg disk image. Both are available on the Releases page linked in the README. The second path is the package manager. The README mentions Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch as distributions that package cool-retro-term in their official repositories. On Ubuntu, installation follows the standard apt workflow. On Arch, it is available through pacman or the AUR depending on the version. The third path is building from source. The README points to the wiki for build instructions specific to Linux and macOS separately, acknowledging that the steps differ between platforms. For macOS, Apple Silicon (arm64) requires separate attention as noted in the related searches for that platform. ## Customization Through the Context Menu Settings in cool-retro-term are accessed through a right-click context menu rather than a separate settings window or configuration file. From that menu, users can adjust colors (the classic choices are the default amber, IBM DOS green, and default green profiles visible in the README's screenshot table headings), fonts, and visual effects. The visual effects include phosphor glow intensity, screen curvature, scan line visibility, color bleeding between adjacent characters, and flicker. Each can be adjusted independently. Profiles named in the screenshot table include Default Amber and C:\ IBM DOS, suggesting built-in presets that approximate specific historical terminal appearances. The README does not document which effect parameters are exposed or their ranges, directing users to the context menu directly. This means the full configuration space is discovered through the UI rather than through a config file reference. ## How cool-retro-term Compares to Alacritty Alacritty is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator that prioritizes performance and minimalism. It targets users who want the fastest possible terminal with low latency, deliberately excluding built-in tabs, splits, and visual decorations. cool-retro-term takes the opposite position: it adds significant visual overhead in exchange for the cathode tube appearance. Alacritty renders as fast as the GPU allows; cool-retro-term renders to simulate the imperfections of old hardware. For a developer who runs tests in a tight loop or needs maximum throughput, Alacritty is the better fit. For a developer who wants a distinctive terminal for recording or screenshots, cool-retro-term is the choice. The two also differ in theme approach. Alacritty uses a YAML or TOML config file for colors; cool-retro-term uses context menu presets and sliders. ## Repository Layout and Build System The top-level repository contains the .pro file for the qmake build system (cool-retro-term.pro), a CMakeLists.txt for CMake builds, the app directory with the QML source code, a packaging directory with platform-specific packaging configurations, and the scripts directory. The snap directory holds Snapcraft configuration for Ubuntu Snap distribution. The gpl-2.0.txt and gpl-3.0.txt files at the root indicate that the project uses a dual GPL licensing approach, though the repository reports the license field as unknown in the metadata. Contributors are referred to the CONTRIBUTING.md file in the .github directory. Because the project uses QML (Qt Modeling Language) as the primary language for the visual effects layer, the rendering logic is in declarative QML files under the app directory rather than in compiled C++ code, which makes the visual effects relatively accessible to contributors who want to add new profiles or adjust effect behavior. ## Conclusion cool-retro-term suits developers who want a highly stylized terminal for screenshots, presentations, or desktop aesthetics. It is not a substitute for a high-performance terminal on machines where rendering overhead matters. The project runs on Linux and macOS only; Windows is not supported. Before building from source, check the wiki for Qt6 build instructions specific to your platform. ## FAQ ### What is cool-retro-term? cool-retro-term is a terminal emulator for Linux and macOS that renders output to look like a vintage cathode ray tube screen. It uses the QML port of the Konsole terminal widget and requires Qt6. Settings like colors, phosphor effects, and scan lines are configured through a right-click context menu. ### How do I install cool-retro-term? Download the AppImage (Linux) or dmg (macOS) from the GitHub Releases page, or install it from your distribution's package repository. Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch all package it in their official repositories. Building from source requires Qt6 and instructions from the project wiki. ### How do I install cool-retro-term on Ubuntu? Ubuntu packages cool-retro-term in its official repositories. Use the standard apt install flow. For the latest version with Qt6 support, the GitHub Releases AppImage may be more current than the repository package. ### How do I customize cool-retro-term themes? Right-click inside the terminal window to open the context menu, where colors, fonts, and visual effects including phosphor glow, scan lines, and screen curvature are all adjustable. Built-in profiles include Default Amber and IBM DOS green. ### How do I use cool-retro-term? After installation, launch cool-retro-term from your application menu or terminal. It opens a standard shell session in the retro-styled window. Right-click to access settings for effects, fonts, and color profiles. The application otherwise behaves like any other terminal emulator. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term/issues) - [README](https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term/blob/master/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term/releases) - [Swordfish90/cool-retro-term on GitHub](https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/swordfish90-cool-retro-term