There was never an XTerm for AROS (at least I did not write one). XTerm is the standard terminal emulator for the X Window System, used to run a text-based shell or command-line interface in a graphical desktop (wiki). Because the terminal is not a port of Xterm, I used no Xterm code in its creation, and it is not related to Xterm in any way. I decided to change the name, and the released product is called Limpet (limpet is a type of mollusk - they have a shell, and they attach strongly).

So yes, Limpet is the terminal and soon the console-handler for AROS.

So Limpet is the name of XTerm for AROS? Or is it a separate project?

Ah, right. I know the Kitty terminal, but I only use Kitty's graphical protocol. My preferred ones are Ghostty and iTerm with zsh. So the inspiration is coming from many directions but yes, a lot of improvements known from other terminals are planned to be covered by Limpet.

Ah, okay I've been using his terminal

https://sw.kovidg...net/kitty/

Which Kitty do you mean? AROS kitty? No, not really. But I'm high on terminal interfaces and Kitty, the protocol, was the reason I started working on this (https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/graphics-protocol/)

Incredible Mister

Was this inspired by Kitty I've been wondering that since the first post

AROS Archives has more software because uploading a file there doesn’t automatically add it to arospkg. arospkg isn’t just a frontend for Archives: it needs package metadata to know which build to download, what it requires, and how to install it.

Until 0.4, I downloaded and tested each package and wrote that metadata myself, so the catalog grew at the pace I could. In 0.4, I added tools for authors to prepare and submit packages, with automated checks replacing the requirement for me to run every application first.

AROS Archives is one download source; arospkg can also install packages hosted on GitHub or elsewhere.

Is the data on Aros Archive up to date? I see very few software archives compared to how many actually exist on Aros Archive.
Have you thought about localizing the GUI?

Limpet formerly known as AROS-Xterm, is available now:

https://github.co...tag/v0.4.0

AROS-Xterm was a temporary name, and it could have been interpreted as a port of Xterm from Linux/Unix. Limpet is unrelated and built from scratch for AROS.

It's a modern terminal with many (and many to come) the features you'd expect from apps like Ghostty or iTerm, including support for the Kitty Graphics Protocol. So yes, it can run Doom. It works with SSH natively and is intended to become a proper console handler, replacing the traditional CON and RAW devices.

Limpet is also a development target, as the app provides many capabilities, including support for rich terminal UI - it enables porting advanced tools like Helix. My package manager, apkg, when launched from Limpet, will use some of those capabilities.

It's available for Pi, x86_64, i386 but only v11 x86_64 was properly tested. Mainline is coming soon.

SSH, TUI, PTY all fine but I think many have the same question - can it run Doom?

Bells and whistles.

Truecolor and scrolling in place works.

Halfway through connecting it to the system. If it works, I will propose we have a new category in the demoscene: terminal demos.

(this is not yet a real player, but I do have it on my list to do a mod player for the console. Interface is real code though - ratatui)

It looks promising. I can't wait for the first release to test it out

No screens for now - working on the integration with the system and full termios implementation. Launched a quick landing page: https://tomaszstaniak.com/aros-term/

Ok, now I understand. I was just making sure VMWARE driver works on your setup too. BTW, you can control the cursor by software by sending input events (same with keyboard). I use that in some of my automated tests.

Okay, I lied. Chafa is also supported, and Kitty is on the line
https://hpjansson...

Last for tonight: Interactive SSH with EOF, POSIX signal propagation, and size negotiation -> works.

Thanks! Not an odd question at all. Think of XTerm (name will change) as a native terminal that could potentially replace KingCON or VincED. Running development tools is very much one of its intended uses. Something like Windows Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty, Alacritty, or whatever is your poison on other OSes.

An AROS-native GCC should work through XTerm’s Shell integration, provided the compiler and SDK are installed and configured. XTerm provides the terminal; GCC handles compilation. I haven’t verified a complete native compile-and-run workflow yet, though.

A native GUI editor would be a separate project, but XTerm could also open the door to terminal-based editors with syntax highlighting, both locally and over SSH. I definitely want to look into Micro, Helix (my favorite), and Neovim. Getting them running locally will still require compatibility work, but that's the direction I want to take.

Scintilla seems like a plausible porting candidate, although it is an editing component, so someone would still need to build an editor around it. Sublime Text is proprietary, which makes a community port a different proposition.

There is also Zed: jonx has managed to compile it on Macaros. I’ve only launched it once, so I can’t yet comment on its dependencies or day-to-day usability. I’m a fan of Zed, though, and would definitely be interested in helping that effort along.

PS. The terminal already integrates with the AROS shell, so anything you can do in Shell/Execute, you can do with "XTerm". On my list is to explore *sh. ZSH is unlikely, but FiSH is quite likely.

Also, you will soon see my broader idea*, since I already have two apps that wait for the terminal: a package manager and an OpenCode/Charm-inspired coding agent.

*) And I hope it all works; otherwise, I will have to leave the forum in shame