DOSSIER 12 / 3 ARTICLES
Shells, terminals, and sessions
Which layer of interaction do Fish, Foot, and Zellij each manage?
Start with the first articleFollow the question further.
The terminal displays characters, the shell edits and executes commands, and the multiplexer manages sessions. Organize shortcuts, search, configuration, and state around these three layers.
- 01
Start with the command line: completion, key bindings, abbreviations, and functions.
Fish: from key bindings to an editable command line
Cover Emacs and Vi bindings, completion, abbreviations, PATH, events, and prompt configuration.
Read article - 02
Then understand the display layer: selection, search, configuration, and color switching.
Foot: the boundaries of search, selection, and configuration
Distinguish keyboard modes, primary selection, font size, and the configuration lifecycle, with a complete key-binding reference.
Read article - 03
Finish with session persistence: the boundaries of detaching, reconnecting, and restoring layouts.
Zellij: does the session survive when the window closes?
Move from panes and tabs to sessions, distinguishing reconnection, layout restoration, and process state.
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