https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nzTOLjYX2w Hi! I had always wanted a modern Windows terminal that emulated a CRT monitor—something like Cool Retro Term for Linux. However, nothing of the sort existed for Win., aside from attempt at simulating scanlines in Microsoft Terminal. Even when Cool-Retro was eventually ported to Windows, the quality of the effects in the port seemed inferior to the Linux version. At the time, I was developing a game and its custom engine -- featuring a highly realistic, deeply customizable CRT simulation (inspired by Cool-Retro) -- because the game was about hackers and geeks in 1980s, requiring interaction with a wide variety of computers and terminals. Then it hit me: I could take that shader from the game, combine it with the native Windows ConPTY, and easily create a Cool Retro Term equivalent -- one that was even more realistic and customizable, and ran natively on Windows. The first prototype was ready in just a couple of days, and it worked beautifully! Of course, it required a lot of polishing, and I also wanted to implement several other useful features, such as: Multi-tab support with individual style settings. Console buffer search, quick text copying via the middle mouse button, etc. Smooth, pixel-perfect vertical scrolling- both in the shell and in applications like Vim. Lua configuration/automation for some cool thing. A built-in mini web browser optimized for keyboard control. Useful for keeping documentation or a web service right inside the terminal. A Gallerey mode for viewing all terminal sessions as thumbnails - "Win-Tab" style. A GUI settings panel (you can also just simply edit the Lua config). The ability to open new tabs with specific CRT-theme directly from the command line. MCP mode that allows AI agents to use the terminal, for example, to debug TUI programs. A toggleable AI assistant panel based on Codex that can interact with the console on your behalf or collaborate with you. Regarding that last feature -- these days, AI is being shoehorned into almost every piece of software, whether it makes sense or not. But in this specific case, it is more than justified. I believe it’s incredibly useful to be able to ask the AI in plain English to turn a request into a PowerShell command, help configure Vim, construct a complex SQL query, and so on, right within the terminal. The key advantage here is that you see everything it writes to the console, allowing you to learn new commands and tricks. It embodies the IBM principle: the machine should do the work, while the human makes the decisions. And if you’re an expert, you can simply disable the panel. By the way, the CRT simulation has a strange psychological effect - at least for me. It boosts concentration and focus on the text. When it’s running in full-screen mode, glowing and "breathing" with that analog feel, it somehow draws me in and helps me concentrate. While I used to work in the console only sporadically, now I actually want to jump in and immerse myself in that cozy phosphor glow -- just me and the code, the text, or a technical process. I experience something similar with vintage tube amplifiers and speakers; their unique sound draws me in and shuts out the outside world - a world that has hooked us all on quick dopamine hits. In any case, it is important for me to test this product and get objective feedback from users who work regularly in the console. https://github.com/z-hunter/Scanline-Term   submitted by   /u/Michael_Voitovich   to   r/coolgithubprojects [link]   [comments]