Named terminal profiles#

A named terminal profile opens a familiar shell and directory in a new tab or window without changing the default for every session. Choose one when a task needs a different program, theme, or tab identity. This guide describes the current public source, not a published package: website downloads are withdrawn, and non-Linux platform behavior still needs native validation.

Open a session with a profile#

Open the command palette with Ctrl+Shift+P on Linux/Windows or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, then choose New Terminal with Profile. You can also open Settings → Profiles.
Choose a profile and select Open in new tab or Open in new window. The new session gets its own terminal process; an existing session is not converted or restarted.
Check the new tab's shell and directory before running a command. An ordinary New Tab still uses the configured default shell.

The starter choices include Default, Work, Personal, and SSH; Windows source also offers WSL. Edit the SSH starter's arguments to use your OpenSSH host alias before connecting. A profile does not store credentials, authenticate for you, or turn the Connection Hub into a managed connection.

For example, keep a Work profile for a project shell and a Personal profile with a different tab color. You can open both beside each other without changing your default for every future tab. Use a normal one-off -e launch when saving a profile would add unnecessary maintenance.

Create or edit a profile in the interface#

Open Settings → Profiles, choose New profile or Edit profile, and set only what the task needs:

Name and platform: identify the choice and limit where it can launch. For example, name a Linux profile Work.
Executable and arguments: choose the program and its exact arguments. For example, bash with one argument, --login. An empty executable in the editor inherits your configured shell and arguments.
Directory: follow configuration, inherit the active terminal's directory, use home, or choose a fixed absolute local path. For example, inherit the current project folder.
Theme, icon, and color: identify the focused session visually. For example, theme aurora-night, icon W, and color #64BEFF.
Environment references: copy the current value of an existing variable into a named variable for this launch. For example, set EDITOR from WORK_EDITOR.

Move with Tab/Shift+Tab, select with arrows, and activate or edit with Enter. Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on macOS) saves. Escape goes back; leaving with unsaved edits asks whether to discard them. A saved change affects future launches, not already running shells. Removing a saved override requires confirmation.

Arguments are individual values, not a shell command line. Enter --login as one argument; do not add extra shell quotes around a path containing spaces. Pipelines, aliases, redirection, and expansion belong inside a real shell, not in the executable field. The SSH profile uses the installed system OpenSSH client and a host alias from your SSH configuration; see Remote sessions and WSL.

Choose the right starting directory#

Configuration: follow the application's working-directory setting, including its current-directory inheritance rule when enabled.
Inherit: start from the active terminal's current directory when you launch the profile.
Home: start in your user home directory.
Fixed: enter an existing, absolute local path. A missing local directory prevents the profile from launching instead of silently selecting another folder.

For example, use Inherit when opening a project shell from whichever pane you are working in. Use Fixed for a stable local project root. For a WSL guest directory, set separate WSL arguments --cd and the Linux path; do not mistake a guest path for a Windows local directory. WSL requires a suitable Windows/WSL environment and is not a current website package.

Keep themes and environment safe#

A profile theme is a built-in theme name or the filename of a valid theme in your themes directory, without .toml. The focused profile can color the terminal, header, footer, and menus. A temporary Theme Gallery preview takes priority while the gallery is open; leaving it restores the profile palette. Focusing an ordinary tab restores that window's normal palette. In macOS native-tab mode, the system owns the tab group; Automexia's custom icons and accents appear in its own tab bar.

Environment references store names, not values. If you map EDITOR from WORK_EDITOR, Automexia reads WORK_EDITOR when launching and passes its current value as EDITOR to that session. If the source variable is missing, launch fails rather than guessing a value. Do not put passwords, tokens, private paths, or SSH keys in profile names, arguments, or exported files. Keep secrets in your agent, vault, or system SSH configuration.

Define a profile in `config.toml`#

Use the file when you prefer reviewable configuration or want a profile to travel with your personal config. In config.toml, the outer [profiles] table owns a version and its entries are [[profiles.profiles]]:

toml

[profiles]
version = 1

[[profiles.profiles]]
id = "work"
name = "Work"
program = "bash"
args = ["--login"]
platform = "linux"
theme = "aurora-night"
icon = "W"
color = "#64BEFF"

[profiles.profiles.directory]
mode = "home"

[[profiles.profiles.environment]]
name = "EDITOR"
from = "WORK_EDITOR"

Change the program, platform, and environment variable to ones available on your machine. This example does not create WORK_EDITOR for you. Profile arguments are exact values, and version = 1 is required for this schema. A saved visual-editor record with the same profile ID takes precedence over the matching entry in config.toml; check both places if an edit appears not to take effect. See the configuration reference for the file locations and field rules.

The visual editor keeps its own profiles/profiles-v1.toml under Automexia's configuration root. Its standalone format differs from the nested config.toml form:

toml

version = 1

[[profiles]]
id = "personal"
name = "Personal"
program = "bash"
args = []
platform = "linux"

[profiles.directory]
mode = "home"

Edit that file only while the profile editor is closed, then use Refresh to reload it. If disk content changes while the editor is open, a conflicting save preserves the disk version instead of overwriting it.

Import, export, and recover safely#

Export TOML writes one profile to a new file. Import TOML validates one profile and opens an unsaved review copy; inspect and save it before launching. Importing or exporting does not run a command. Keep exported profiles out of public repositories if their names, paths, arguments, or environment-variable names reveal private work.

Workspace recovery can restore supported shells and layout, but it does not replay a custom profile's launch arguments or reconnect SSH. After restoring, inspect the directory and start a new profile session if you need that exact setup. See Restore a workspace.

If a launch fails, check the executable and exact arguments, operating-system selection, fixed local directory, theme file, and environment references. A missing or protected environment reference, duplicate profile ID, malformed TOML, or unsupported version is rejected instead of partially applied. A profile is a launch recipe, not a guarantee that the program, WSL distribution, SSH alias, or remote host exists.