description: kitty configuration, host variants, custom kittens and the Python tab bar.
---
GPU terminal emulator and the primary terminal on every role.
| | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | `dot_config/kitty/` |
| Target | `~/.config/kitty/` |
| Install | `kitty` in `.chezmoidata/packages.yaml` (pacman on Arch, cask on macOS, plus `font-victor-mono-nerd-font` cask) |
<FileTree>
- dot_config/kitty/
- kitty.conf
- tmux.conf
- herdr.conf
- goliath.conf
- ssh.conf
- symlink_current-theme.conf
- tab_bar.py
- pass_keys.py
- navigate_kitty.py
- select_tab.py
- switchtab.py
- window_titler.py
- themes/
- cyberdream.conf
- koda-dark.conf
- koda-light.conf
- noctalia.conf
</FileTree>
`__pycache__/` next to `tab_bar.py` is excluded in `.chezmoiignore.tmpl`.
## Theme and colors
Every config ends with:
```conf ~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf
include ~/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme/kitty.conf
```
Colors come from the active Omarchy theme; it is included last so it wins. `symlink_current-theme.conf` creates `~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf` as a symlink to `themes/noctalia.conf`. Only the legacy `dot_config/herdr/kitty.conf` includes `current-theme.conf`; the main config does not. `themes/` holds `cyberdream`, `koda-dark`, `koda-light` and `noctalia` color files.
## kitty.conf
| Option | Value |
| --- | --- |
| `font_family` | `VictorMono Nerd Font`, then overridden in the `BEGIN_KITTY_FONTS` block to `family="VictorMono Nerd Font Mono"`; bold/italic `auto` |
| Tab bar | `powerline`, `angled`, aligned left, top edge, `tab_title_template "{custom}"` |
:::note
Transparency uses kitty's own alpha, so text stays opaque. This alpha is also what lets the compositor blur the window: Hyprland enables blur globally and opts out every window except terminal classes.
:::
The socket also exports `KITTY_LISTEN_ON` into each pane. nvim reads it to know kitty owns the panes and hands `ctrl+h/j/k/l` back to kitty at an edge.
The tmux and herdr hosts are separate kitty processes because `launch` cannot take `--config`.
## Host configs
### tmux.conf — kitty as a tmux host
Launched by `super+t`. kitty stays a dumb terminal; tmux owns panes, windows and sessions. `listen_on unix:@kitty-tmux`, `tab_bar_style hidden`, `shell kitty-tmux` (a launcher script), and `clear_all_shortcuts yes`, so only the bindings below exist. Prefix byte `\x02` is `ctrl+b`; see [tmux](/terminal/tmux) for what each prefix key does.
Launched by `super+a`. Class `kitty-herdr`, `tab_bar_style hidden` (herdr draws its own sidebar and tab strip), `shell herdr` (launches or attaches the persistent session; closing the window detaches). Base appearance matches `kitty.conf`, without a `listen_on`. Keys mirror the [Ghostty](/terminal/ghostty) config so both drive herdr identically; an uppercase letter after `\x02` is the shift variant. See [herdr](/terminal/herdr).
Opens straight into the tmux session `main` on host `goliath` via `mosh goliath -- tmux new-session -A -s main`. `font_size 9.0`, `listen_on unix:@kitty-goliath`, `env MOSH_TITLE_NOPREFIX=1` (drops mosh's `[mosh] ` title prefix), `tab_bar_style hidden`.
:::warning
mosh bootstraps ssh with `-S none`, so non-interactive key auth to goliath must work. It needs mosh on both ends and UDP 60000–61000 open. mosh sets `TERM=xterm-256color`, so kitty-only capabilities such as undercurl are unavailable inside.
:::
| Key | Sends |
| --- | --- |
| `super+w` | `prefix x` |
| `super+t` | `prefix %` |
| `super+n` | `prefix "` |
| `super+enter`, `alt+n` | `prefix t` |
| `alt+h` / `alt+l` | `prefix H` / `prefix L` |
| `alt+q w e r t y u i o` | `prefix 1`–`9` (`alt+t` is bound twice; the later `prefix 5` wins) |
Kitten `ssh` config: for `hostname goliath`, `share_connections yes`.
## Kittens and Python
| File | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `tab_bar.py` | Provides `draw_title` for `{custom}` in the tab template. Title is `<index> <icon> <label>`: the label is the git repo root name of the tab's cwd (walks up for `.git`), or the file nvim is editing (parsed from nvim's title). Icon comes from the foreground process cmdline (editors, AI agents like claude/omp/opencode/codex, git tools, docker, herdr, tmux, yazi, btop, atuin, ssh, chezmoi, …) with a folder fallback. Labels are elided at 28 chars. No subprocesses or timers. |
| `pass_keys.py` | Bound to `ctrl+h/j/k/l`. If the window's foreground process matches `vim`, `nvim`, `fzf`, `tv`, `tmux` or `herdr`, the key is forwarded; otherwise kitty moves to the neighboring window. |
| `navigate_kitty.py` | No-UI kitten that calls `neighboring_window` with a direction argument; the counterpart nvim can invoke. Not mapped in `kitty.conf`. |
| `select_tab.py` | Full-screen fuzzy tab picker using `kitty @ ls` data; shows cwds zsh-style. Keys: Up/Down/PgUp/PgDn scroll, Enter selects, typing filters, `ctrl+c`/Esc quits. Not mapped in `kitty.conf`. |
| `switchtab.py` | Focuses the tab whose `vt` user var matches the argument, or launches one with that var and reorders tabs by `vt`. Not mapped. |
| `window_titler.py` | Watcher that appends `[<vt> <pty>]` to window titles. Not referenced in `kitty.conf`. |
Related: the [tmux](/terminal/tmux) `is_vim` check and herdr's `vim-herdr-navigation` plugin complete the `ctrl+h/j/k/l` chain. Niri window rules match the `kitty`, `kitty-tmux` and `kitty-herdr` app-ids ([Niri](/desktop/niri)).
