Linux is an operating system just like Windows and Mac Os developed by Linus Torvalds in

1991. But Linux is not just an operating system as it is a great platform for embedded systems
and servers. Linux can be considered somehow superior to other operating systems as it has
several advantages. Some of its advantages include security, open-source,customization,
stability, large community support, performance, various distribution and the list goes on and
on.

Among various distributions of Linux Ubuntu is one of the most popular ones. If you are an
Ubuntu user you must be familiar with the terminal and its richness in features. Terminal or
emulator isn’t just an interface through which we can type cryptic Linux commands to execute
our desired work on the system but works as the heart of the system. We can control our
system and its workflow all from our terminal and that looks as well as feels pretty cool.

But due to various limitations in the default terminal it is very normal to feel difficult or boring at
some point. However it depends on the individual and the needs. For any reason If you’re
looking for the alternatives to the default terminal available on your Ubuntu system we have got
a great list of alternatives for you with its key features and installation process.

Terminator
Terminator is a useful alternative to the default terminal emulator. It is an open-source and
cross platform terminal emulator. It can be very handy as it enables you to open multiple
command line terminals in a single window. Despite being slightly heavyweight emulator, it can
be considered as a great alternative for its features like:
● Various options for customization to get the personalised experience
● Offers split screen and multiple terminals feature
● Plenty of keyboard shortcuts to make work fast and convenient
The installation process is so simple as it can be installed with a single line of command:

Guake
Guake is another great alternative to the default terminal emulator, inspired by a First Person
Shooter video game: Quake and adopts its behaviour of dropping down i.e. users can hide the
terminal and bring it back up by using the single key. There are various other features which
make Guake a better alternative.
● Can split the terminal horizontally or vertically
● Compatible with multiple-monitor setup
● Features of customization of its appearance, background and text colours, windows
size, scrolling preferences, etc.
● Options to open multiple tabs at a time and also restore the previous tab
The installation process is similar to the previous terminal as the process can be executed with
the command:
Simple Terminal
If you prefer a very neat terminal with minimal design, Simple Terminal can be the best terminal
you’re looking for. It is lightweight and consumes less memory. With other features like multiple
colours, resizing, wide-character support, mouse and keyboard shortcuts and more, it can be a
great alternative.
The installation can be done with these commands:

Cool Retro Term

Cool Retro Term is another popular terminal emulator. With an old CRT monitor like interface it
gives a great retro vibe and makes your terminal experience really interesting. Despite some
really unique and cool features, it may not be the perfect alternative you’re looking for as it
lacks extra functionality that other terminals provide.
The installation is simple and can be done with:

eDEX-UI
If you’re looking for an alternative terminal with a great environment which can boost up your
experience not on functionality but on design eDEX-UI can be a great one. For me it’s a
standout terminal among others due to its design inspired TRON legacy movie. Some of its key
highlights include:
● Sci-Fi look
● Cross Platform
● Customization of terminal
● Supports touch-enabled display with inclusion of on-screen keyboard
● Sounds effects are available
The installation can be done by executing the given line of commands:

Hyper
Another great alternative for terminal to use in Ubuntu can be Hyper which is an electron based
terminal with HTML, CSS and JavaScript as its foundation. Its richness in features make it a
great terminal emulator as its feature includes:
● Cross Platform
● Multiple tabs can be opened
● Plenty of shortcuts
 ● Add your own custom CSS
● Install plugins, themes and more
First way of installing is by double clicking the .deb file after downloading from Ubuntu
software center. The other way it can be installed is by executing these commands in the
terminal after updating the package list..

Tilda
Tilda is another drop-down Gtk-based terminal emulator. It can be a great alternative as it has
various features such as:
● Supports customization
● Search bar integrated
● Hotkeys can be set for quick access or certain work
However, the drag and drop feature isn’t included which can make your experience really
unpleasant.
The installation of this terminal emulator is so simple as you can simply type in:

Tilix
Tilix is another feature rich terminal perfect for Ubuntu. It offers a similar drop-down experience
that you find with Guake but allows you to have multiple terminal windows in tiling mode. Some
of its features includes:
● Supports custom titles and hyperlinks
● Drag and drop can be used
● Splits terminal horizontally and vertically according to the need of the use
● Notifications are supported
For Ubuntu official Tilix packages are available and can be installed simply with the command:

There are several other terminals out there and you can try any one of them. However, if you do
some research on the topics you’ll find out these are the best terminals which can provide a
productive and stable environment. So without having any doubt, basing on your needs and
preferences choosing terminals best suitable for you would be the ideal thing for you. These
terminals can make your computing and terminal experience a better one than the previous
one.

If this guide helped you, please share it.