The Terminal Candy Blog
Honest guides on terminals, Claude Code, themes, nerd fonts, and the small art of a workspace you actually enjoy living in.
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The Bug That Ate Right-Clicks: A macOS Selection Postmortem
A selection bug with an invisible boundary turned out to be three bugs. What AppKit stops doing for you the moment you override hitTest, and why mouse reporting is now off by default.
·5 min read ·engineering · macos · appkit
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The VS Code Terminal vs a Real One (2026)
Integrated terminals were built to be a strip below your real work. Agents turned the terminal into the real work. Where each one wins, and the settings that fix the worst of it.
·6 min read ·vscode · cursor · zed
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Starship vs Powerlevel10k vs Pure (2026)
The most popular zsh prompt on Mac is now in maintenance mode. What that changes, how the three compare on speed and config, and why agents make a minimal prompt worth reconsidering.
·6 min read ·zsh · prompt · starship
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Do You Still Need tmux for AI Agents on a Mac? (2026)
tmux is not obsolete, it got narrower. Where it still wins, where it now actively hurts agent work, and the one rule that fixed it for me.
·6 min read ·tmux · claude-code · workflow
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Dropdown Terminals on macOS: The Quake-Style Setup (2026)
A terminal that drops over whatever you're doing and vanishes when you're done. How to set one up in iTerm2 or with Hammerspoon, and when it beats a real window.
·6 min read ·macos · hotkey · workflow
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We Launched Terminal Candy on Product Hunt. Here's How It Went.
Number 7 of the day, 123 points by noon, a daily digest feature, and a $7 deal. The real numbers from a solo launch, and the one edit that mattered.
·4 min read ·launch · product-hunt · indie
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The Claude Code Status Line: Setup, Examples & Ideas (2026)
How to set up and customize the Claude Code status line in 2026 — the settings.json wiring, working script examples for git branch, model and directory, and ideas for making it genuinely yours.
·7 min read ·claude code · status line · customization
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Aider on a Mac: A Terminal Setup That Makes It Pleasant (2026)
Install aider cleanly, fix its colors, get real diffs, pick a font that survives long sessions, and run it beside Claude Code without losing track.
·6 min read ·aider · setup · macos
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AI Agent Alerts on Mac: Stop Watching Claude Code Think
Long agent runs turn you into a babysitter. The DIY options on macOS, real hook configs, where each one breaks, and what per-tab alerts fix.
·6 min read ·claude-code · alerts · macos
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Skin Your AI Agent: Terminals Are the New Desktop Theme
Coding agents live in the terminal, which makes it the screen you stare at most. Winamp-era skinning is back, and this time it has a job to do.
·6 min read ·skins · ai-agents · design
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iTerm2 & Warp Alternatives for Mac (2026)
Honest iTerm2 alternatives and Warp alternatives for Mac in 2026 — Ghostty, Alacritty, WezTerm, kitty, Wave, and Terminal Candy compared.
·8 min read ·alternatives · iterm2 · warp
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iTerm2 Themes in 2026: The Ones Worth Installing
Seven iTerm2 color schemes I have actually lived in, with install steps, honest complaints, and where color presets stop being enough.
·6 min read ·iterm2 · themes · macos
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The Best Terminal for Claude Code on Mac (2026)
An honest guide to the best terminal for Claude Code on Mac in 2026 — iTerm2, Ghostty, Warp, Wave, and Terminal Candy compared for AI coding.
·7 min read ·claude code · terminals · comparison
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Camera-Ready Terminals: Pretty Shells for Screenshots & Streaming (2026)
How to make a camera-ready terminal for screenshots and streaming in 2026 — legible font sizes, palettes that survive compression, and a window with personality.
·3 min read ·streaming · screenshots · aesthetics
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Claude Code Skins: How to Customize the Way Your Agent Looks (2026)
The definitive 2026 guide to Claude Code skins: theme the terminal, then turn the whole window into a device, character, or frame with Terminal Candy.
·8 min read ·claude code · skins · customization
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SF Mono vs JetBrains Mono vs Monaspace (2026)
Three monospace fonts, one Mac. Real differences in metrics, ligatures, Nerd Font patching, and licensing, with a verdict per use case.
·6 min read ·fonts · macos · typography
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The Best Terminal Setup for Codex CLI & Gemini CLI on Mac (2026)
How to set up your Mac terminal for Codex CLI and Gemini CLI in 2026 — fonts, colors, true color, scrollback, and a window that keeps agent output readable.
·3 min read ·codex cli · gemini cli · ai coding
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The Best Claude Code Themes & Color Palettes (2026)
A guide to the best Claude Code themes and terminal color schemes for 2026 — Solarized, Dracula, Nord, Gruvbox, and retro palettes that beat eye strain.
·8 min read ·claude code · themes · color palettes
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Transparent Terminals on macOS: Blur, Opacity, Done Right
How to set up terminal transparency in Terminal.app, iTerm2, and skinnable terminals, plus the contrast rules that keep it readable.
·6 min read ·macos · transparency · design
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Alacritty vs Kitty on macOS (2026)
Two GPU terminals, two opposite philosophies. Config, fonts, ligatures, tabs, Mac quirks, who should pick which, and the thing neither of them does.
·6 min read ·comparison · terminal · macos
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Ghostty vs. Terminal Candy: Native macOS Terminals Compared (2026)
An honest Ghostty vs. Terminal Candy comparison for 2026 — two native macOS terminals with very different goals. Which one fits speed, config, and looks.
·3 min read ·ghostty · comparison · terminals
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The Best Nerd Fonts for Your Terminal (2026)
The best nerd fonts for your terminal in 2026, ranked. What a Nerd Font is, ligatures, where to download, and how to install one on macOS.
·8 min read ·nerd fonts · fonts · terminals
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CRT Terminal Effects on macOS: Scanlines, Phosphor Glow & Retro Vibes (2026)
A guide to CRT terminal effects on macOS in 2026 — scanlines, phosphor glow, screen curvature, and how to get the retro look without wrecking readability.
·3 min read ·crt · retro · terminals
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Vibe Coding: Why Your Terminal's Aesthetic Actually Matters
Vibe coding turned the terminal into where you actually live. Here's why terminal aesthetics affect focus, flow, and how long you'll stay.
·8 min read ·vibe coding · aesthetics · ui/ux
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How to Set Up Claude Code on a Mac (2026)
A real checklist for Claude Code on macOS: install, auth, terminal choice, Nerd Font, status line, hooks, and knowing when it finished.
·6 min read ·claude-code · setup · macos
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The Best AI Terminal in 2026 — An Honest Comparison
The best AI terminal in 2026, compared honestly: Warp, Wave, Ghostty, iTerm2, and Terminal Candy for running AI coding agents on Mac.
·7 min read ·ai terminal · comparison · terminals
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Warp vs Ghostty in 2026: Which Mac Terminal Wins?
Warp and Ghostty are opposite bets on what a terminal is for. An honest look at speed, accounts, config, and the thing neither one does.
·5 min read ·comparison · ghostty · warp
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How to Make Your Mac Terminal Look Good (2026)
How to make your Mac terminal look good in 2026 — fonts, color schemes, a cleaner prompt, spacing, and skinning the whole window. A practical glow-up guide.
·4 min read ·terminal · macos · customization