Skip to main content
AutomexiaDocs
Ctrl K

Features#

Automexia combines a focused terminal core with useful defaults, clear output, and keyboard control. Keep related tasks visible, inspect results, and adjust the interface to your workflow while your shell runs the commands. This guide explains the Linux development features with practical examples. Features can differ between source revisions; this is not a stable-release promise. Read Development status and follow the current setup guide before trying them.

The shortcuts below are Linux defaults. Check the command palette in your build for the keys it actually offers. Windows and macOS behavior still needs native validation; their planned keys are in the keyboard reference.

Find a capability#

This catalog shows what to look for. Each linked task guide explains the controls, example use cases, and limits in more detail.

Start in the right place#

Begin with useful defaults#

You can start without a configuration file. Tabs, split panes, search, and keyboard navigation are part of the terminal experience. Supported shell integration adds command context during normal launch. Use the defaults first, then customize the parts that matter to your work. Normal terminal use needs no AI agent, provider account, or extension.

Open your project in the shell you know#

Start Automexia normally to use your configured shell. To open a project directly, pass its existing directory with automexia --working-dir <PATH>. For example, start in ~/work/example before running tests there. This is a launch option, not a keyboard shortcut. The launch guide explains one-off shells and commands.

For a setup you use repeatedly, choose New Terminal with Profile in the command palette. A named profile can start another shell and directory with a recognizable theme or tab color, while ordinary New Tab keeps your default. Saving a profile does not restart existing sessions.

Keep shell commands in the shell#

Type git, scripts, pipes, and other commands at the normal prompt. The shell still owns history, quoting, and completion; use its usual Tab completion. For example, run a build in one session without learning a new Automexia command language. Shell integration explains the extra context Automexia can display without taking over editing.

Use a window tab for another task#

Press Ctrl+T to open a window tab and Ctrl+Tab to switch tabs. Use this when one tab is for an application and another is for its infrastructure. Each tab keeps its own workspace layout. For a separate desktop window, use Ctrl+Shift+N. See Workspaces, tabs, and panes.

Use a split when both sessions matter now#

A split keeps two sessions on screen, such as a server beside its logs. Press Alt+Shift+R for a fresh split right or Alt+Shift+D for a fresh split down. The new pane starts your default shell. To start another independent shell with the current launch profile and validated directory, use Alt+R (right) or Alt+D (down). Cloning does not copy a running program or SSH connection.

Use a local tab inside one pane#

Press Ctrl+Shift+T to add a tab to the selected pane. Use this when one side of a split alternates between a REPL and a log while the other side stays in view. Alt+PageDown / Alt+PageUp switches that pane's local tabs; it does not switch the whole workspace.

Select, resize, or close the intended pane#

Alt+Arrow moves focus to a neighboring pane. On Linux, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Arrow resizes the selected split. Ctrl+Shift+W closes the selected local tab, pane, or window tab according to what has focus. Check the selected session first: closing it can stop a running task. The workspace guide shows which level each action affects.

Find and understand output#

Search the selected pane or visible panes#

Press Ctrl+F to find text in the selected pane. Use Ctrl+Shift+F when a message could be in any visible pane. Enter moves to the next match, Shift+Enter to the previous one, and Esc closes search. For example, find an error in logs while leaving the shell's editable command untouched. Search does not cover hidden tabs or files on disk. See Shortcuts and input.

Scroll, select, copy, and paste#

Use Shift+PageUp / Shift+PageDown to revisit earlier output. Drag text or use Shift+Arrow to select it. With a selection, Ctrl+C copies; without one, it still interrupts the shell. Ctrl+Shift+C always copies, and Ctrl+Shift+V pastes on Linux. For example, copy one error line without stopping the running command. Review pasted commands before pressing Enter.

When output contains a web link or local-looking path, press Ctrl+Alt+O to show link hints in the Linux development defaults. Select the displayed hint, inspect its exact destination, then press Enter to open it. Typing a hint label alone does not open it. This uses the platform opener; it does not paste the link into the shell or run the surrounding output. For example, open a documentation URL from a build log without copying the whole line. Review the destination first: terminal output can contain misleading links. See Files, output, and images.

Read context without relying on decoration alone#

When integration is available, the prompt area can show a directory, Git branch, shell, and command result. Use it to orient yourself when moving between projects. Output highlighting can make warnings or familiar tool states easier to scan. Neither is proof of a remote target, successful deployment, or safe command: confirm important facts with the tool itself. There is no shortcut to enable a result that the shell did not provide. Read Terminal experience for the limits.

Browse files and preview images#

An interactive ls may show file icons when the shell integration and required tools are present. Use native commands when a script needs exact output. For a local image path shown in output, when your build supports it, hover to inspect it or select it and press Ctrl+Alt+I. Click to pin the preview; press Esc to close. Use an external application for remote images, SVG, PDF, or editing. When supported by the build, image-aware programs can also draw inline through a terminal graphics protocol; no Automexia shortcut is involved. See Files, output, and images.

Return to a command in long output#

When shell integration marks command boundaries, use the previous- or next-prompt action if your build lists it in the command palette. This moves the terminal view; it does not rerun a command or search files on disk. If the action or a trusted boundary is unavailable, use scrollback or text search instead. See Terminal experience.

When an integrated command completes, the command guide explains result grouping, command jumping, and last-command review. Recognized tables have a separate table viewer guide.

Make the workspace comfortable#

Discover an action instead of memorizing every key#

Open the command palette with Ctrl+Shift+P. Search for a tab, pane, or other available action when a shortcut is unfamiliar or a control is hidden in a small split. The palette controls the terminal interface; it does not execute arbitrary shell commands.

Adjust the view and keep only useful settings#

Use Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- to change the application-wide font size, Ctrl+0 to clear its saved override, or Alt+Shift+T to toggle the appearance. For a lasting preference, create a starter config with automexia --write-config and open it on Linux with Ctrl+Shift+,. For example, set one preferred font instead of copying an entire configuration file. Add a custom [bindings] entry only for a frequent action; use the palette for occasional ones. Read Customization before changing bindings or shell defaults.

The in-app Customizations pages cover information tags, command colors, Kubernetes status colors, tables, timestamps, themes, fonts, and supported window controls. The configuration file owns the ordinary shell and advanced defaults; the separate Profiles editor owns named launch recipes. Customization explains when to use each path with examples.

Use the tools you already trust#

Connect with OpenSSH#

Run ssh host-alias in the shell as usual. Keep a local pane open, make a fresh split, then connect in the new pane when you need local commands beside a remote session. OpenSSH still owns credentials, host verification, and network policy. A cloned pane will not duplicate the remote connection. See Remote sessions and WSL.

Current source also implements an explicit Automexia +ssh wrapper. It invokes system OpenSSH with optional temporary remote shell integration; it is not the disabled Connection Hub Connect action. Use ordinary ssh whenever that simpler path is enough.

The same shell can run scp or sftp for file transfer, and your normal SSH aliases and jump-host configuration remain in OpenSSH. An Automexia pane is the place to use those tools, not a replacement for them. The optional Connection Hub is a read-only review surface in development builds; it does not start a managed connection.

Run containers, Kubernetes, and cloud commands#

Run installed tools such as docker, kubectl, or your cloud provider's CLI in the shell. Put local work and an operations command in separate panes when seeing both at once helps. Automexia does not supply those tools, authenticate to providers, or turn a colored label into proof of your target environment. Check the active context with the tool before changing a remote system.

For deliberate browser search, local literal search, and offline command examples, see Browser search and local tools.

Restore useful context after a restart#

Current source can preserve a useful workspace layout and bounded history for review. Restoring creates fresh shells; it does not rerun jobs or reconnect remote hosts. See Restore a workspace for startup choices, privacy limits, and examples.

Development-only work#

Some source revisions include experimental surfaces such as the Connection Hub, Quick Actions, extensions, or managed workflows. They are not presented here as ready-to-use connection, automation, or installation paths. Follow the development status and the documentation for the exact revision you evaluate; keep using your shell and established tools for daily work. Source builds that expose Quick Actions have a review-first guide with a sample action file. Source builds that expose the read-only Connection Hub have a setup and SSH config guide; it does not connect to a host for you.

For complete key names and platform differences, use the keyboard reference. For step-by-step examples, see Workflow recipes.