Kitty Documentation

Kitty is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator that leverages your graphics hardware for fast rendering, supports multiple font sizes and images inline, and offers deep protocol-level extensibility through kittens.

Who This Track Is For

• Operators managing remote servers who need a modern, fast terminal with SSH integration
• Developers working with multiple terminals, who want inline images, GPU rendering, and rich kitty protocol features
• DevOps engineers automating terminal workflows with kittens and remote control
• Users looking to replace xterm, GNOME Terminal, or Alacritty with a feature-rich alternative

What You Will Build

• A fully customized kitty configuration with your preferred fonts, colors, and key bindings
• Multi-window and multi-tab workflows with advanced tiling layouts
• Remote SSH workflows with automatic terminfo management
• Scripted terminal automation using remote control and kittens

How To Use This Track

• Follow the modules in order (1 to 11). Each lesson includes real commands and exercises.
• Start by installing kitty on your local machine. Most examples work out of the box.
• Copy/adapt the config examples to your own kitty.conf as you progress.

Learning Path

Module	Focus	Lessons
1. Introduction	Fundamentals and mental model	3
2. Configuration	kitty.conf and customization	4
3. Windows and Tabs	Layout and splitting	3
4. Navigation and Shortcuts	Key bindings and navigation	3
5. Remote Control	Scripting and remote control	3
6. SSH Integration	SSH workflows and terminfo	3
7. Kittens	Extending kitty with kittens	4
8. Shell Integration	Marks, scrollback, and cloning	3
9. Real-World Workflows	DevOps and server admin patterns	3
10. Troubleshooting	Root-cause debugging	3
11. Cheatsheet	Fast operational reference	3

Core Architecture

How Kitty Works

Terminal / SSH ──▶ Kitty Client (frontend)
                    │
                    ▼
              Kitty Server (backend)
                    │
              ┌─────┴─────┐
              ▼           ▼
        GPU Renderer    Event Loop
              │              │
        ┌─────┴─────┐  ┌────┴────┐
        │  Window   │  │  Kitten │
        │  Manager  │  │  System │
        └─────┬─────┘  └─────────┘
              │
        ┌─────┴─────┐
        ▼           ▼
     Tab 1        Tab 2
        │           │
   ┌────┴────┐  ┌──┴──┐
   │ Window  │  │ OS  │
   │ 1: vim  │  │ WDW │
   │ 2: bash │  └─────┘
   └─────────┘

GPU Rendering Pipeline

CPU (pty output) ──▶ Kitty Parser ──▶ Cell Buffer
                                         │
                                    GPU Upload
                                         │
                                         ▼
                              OpenGL / Vulkan Renderer
                                         │
                                         ▼
                                    Display

Quick Start

first-kitty-run.sh

# 1) Install kitty
curl -L https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/installer.sh | sh /dev/stdin

# 2) Start kitty
kitty

# 3) Open a new tab
# Press: Ctrl+Shift+t

# 4) Split the window vertically
# Press: Ctrl+Shift+Enter

# 5) Navigate between windows
# Press: Ctrl+Shift+arrows

# 6) Open the command palette
# Press: Ctrl+Shift+p

note

The default kitty prefix key is Ctrl+Shift. Most shortcuts start with this combination.

Kitty vs Alternatives

Tool	Use Case	Key Advantage
kitty	GPU-accelerated, feature-rich terminal	Inline images, kittens, protocol extensions
Alacritty	GPU-accelerated minimal terminal	Simpler config, no tabs built-in
xterm	Legacy compatibility	Available everywhere
GNOME Terminal	Desktop default on Linux	Simple, integrated
Konsole	KDE default	Split views, profiles
iTerm2	macOS power user	Deep macOS integration

Prerequisites

• Linux shell basics (ls, cd, paths)
• A desktop environment capable of running a GPU-accelerated terminal
• Basic understanding of terminal emulators and configuration files

Success Criteria

By the end of this track, you can:

• Install and configure kitty with a custom kitty.conf
• Navigate multiple windows and tabs efficiently using keyboard shortcuts
• Use kittens to extend kitty's functionality (icat, diff, themes, etc.)
• Integrate kitty with SSH for remote terminal sessions
• Script and automate kitty using remote control commands

Next Step

Start with What is Kitty.