CRT is a visually expressive terminal emulator written in Rust that focuses on aesthetic customisation and GPU-accelerated rendering. Instead of treating the terminal purely as a utilitarian interface, the project experiments with styling and visual presentation, allowing the terminal to be themed with effects and animated backgrounds.
The terminal uses GPU rendering to deliver smooth visuals and supports CSS-style theming so users can style their terminal in a similar way to a web page. Themes can be modified and reloaded while the terminal is running, allowing rapid experimentation with layouts, colours, fonts, and effects.
CRT also includes a set of built-in visual themes featuring effects such as retro CRT scanlines, synthwave-style grids, and animated backgrounds. The project is primarily intended as a playful exploration of what a modern terminal interface can look like when visual presentation is prioritised alongside functionality.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- CSS-style theming system for styling terminal appearance.
- Hot-reloading of themes without restarting the terminal.
- Visual Effects – CRT scanlines, matrix rain, particle systems, animated sprites.
- 16 Built-in Themes – Synthwave, Matrix, Nyan Cat, Fallout Pip-Boy, and more.
- GPU Rendering – Smooth 60fps via wgpu/vello.
- Configuration files for customising themes and behaviour.
- Support for creating and installing custom themes.
Website: github.com/colliery-io/crt
Support:
Developer: Colliery Software
License: MIT License or Apache License 2.0
CRT is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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