Terminal lifecycle

A profile is a saved definition; its shell is a live process. Changing a definition, replacing a shell, and starting a saved command are separate operations.

Shell initialization #

Selecting a terminal ensures its interactive shell exists. Switching to another terminal leaves that shell and its programs running. On launch, Terminalis initializes up to ten profiles, preferring recently used ones and filling remaining slots from other profiles. Additional profiles initialize as needed.

The shell reads your normal shell startup configuration, plus Terminalis integration for Bash, Zsh, or Fish. It receives the profile environment and starts in a valid remembered or configured directory. Shell customization can therefore affect startup time and command availability.

A new shell is normally idle. Automatic execution only applies to eligible profiles with the explicit startup option. Saving, duplicating, importing, and reloading a definition do not themselves start its saved command.

Reinitialize #

Use the terminal's gear/context menu and choose Re-Initialize to destroy its existing shell and create a fresh one. This stops work in that shell, clears its terminal view and saved scrollback, and opens a fresh prompt. It does not run a saved command.

The Re-Initialize prompt offered after changing shell-bound profile settings is different in one respect: it replaces the shell while preserving the current visible output and scrollback. You can defer it to keep existing work running; the changed environment or history setting applies to the next shell. Reinitialization still ends any process in the replaced shell.

Native shell history persists separately from output. Zsh's isolated history is appended as commands are entered; other shells follow their own flushing behavior. See Shell history before relying on an abrupt shell replacement to save recent history.

Quitting #

Quit with Cmd+Q, the app menu, or the main window's close control. If managed work, visible long-running manual work, or startup work is still active, Terminalis lists the affected terminals and asks for confirmation. Cancel keeps the app running. Confirming ends the app and its shell sessions.

An idle prompt does not require confirmation. During macOS logout, restart, or shutdown, Terminalis does not hold up the operating system with this dialog. Save important work before quitting; restored scrollback is a record of output, not a restored running process.

Queued or preparing CLI requests do not add a quit guard. Quitting can interrupt submission; the caller reports failure or uncertain delivery instead of automatically retrying the command.