> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.quadrillion.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Terminal

> An integrated terminal for running shell commands without leaving Qualia.

Qualia includes a full-featured terminal so you can run shell commands directly in the app. Each terminal runs in its own tab and persists across sessions.

## Opening a terminal

There are several ways to open a new terminal:

* Click the **terminal icon** next to "New notebook" in the tab bar
* Press **Cmd+\`** (Mac) or **Ctrl+\`** (Windows/Linux)
* The keyboard shortcut opens a terminal in the currently focused pane

## Terminal basics

The terminal is a standard shell session with full access to your system:

* Run any shell command (`ls`, `git`, `npm`, `python`, etc.)
* Navigate directories with `cd`
* Install packages and manage dependencies
* Run scripts and executables

The terminal uses your system's default shell, or you can configure a specific shell in [Settings > General](/settings/general).

<Info>
  Agents use built-in shell tools rather than directly controlling terminal tabs. In script mode, all agents create and run workspace files through those tools; in notebook mode, all agents can also use notebook code cells.
</Info>

## Working with multiple terminals

You can open multiple terminals simultaneously:

* Each terminal appears as a separate tab
* Drag terminal tabs between panes in [split view](/tabs)
* Close terminals by clicking the X on the tab or typing `exit`

When you close and reopen Qualia, your terminal sessions are preserved, though the shell state (environment variables, current directory) resets.

## Terminal and notebooks

The terminal and notebooks share the same workspace context:

* Both see the same files and directories
* Changes made in the terminal (new files, installed packages) are immediately available in notebooks
* The default Python environment from Settings is automatically activated in new terminals

## Terminals in the cloud

In the browser app, the terminal opens a `bash` session inside your workspace's
cloud environment rather than on your own machine:

* It starts in your workspace directory and sees exactly the files your
  notebooks, the file viewer, and your agents see
* Use it for the things a shell is for — `git clone`, `pip install`,
  `nvidia-smi` on a GPU workspace, tailing the output of a long run
* The **Terminal Shell** setting below applies to desktop terminals only; cloud
  terminals always run `bash`
* A terminal keeps running while its tab is open. Closing the tab ends the
  session, and sessions end when the workspace environment shuts down

## Shell configuration

Configure your terminal shell in **Settings > General > Terminal Shell**:

* Leave empty to use your system's default shell
* Set a specific path like `/bin/zsh` or `/bin/bash`
* The setting applies to new terminals only

<Info>
  On Windows, the terminal defaults to PowerShell. On macOS and Linux, it uses your `SHELL` environment variable.
</Info>

## Keyboard shortcuts

| Shortcut        | Action                            |
| --------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Cmd/Ctrl+\`** | Open new terminal in focused pane |
| **Cmd/Ctrl+C**  | Interrupt running command         |
| **Cmd/Ctrl+D**  | Send EOF (often closes shell)     |
| **Cmd/Ctrl+K**  | Clear terminal screen             |

Standard terminal shortcuts work as expected — Qualia doesn't intercept them.