Early access starts Tuesday, July 15th 2025!

My terminal nerds,

Pinch me… Terminal Click (TC) is going public within a week! Before we rush to download, let me walk you through what’s new and how this early access thing will work.

Is it really open beta? What even is this “early access”?

I’ve always been upfront about being a full-time indie dev with no investors, and paying the rent is a thing!

Instead of taking VC cash (yuck) or adding AI nonsense (double yuck) I’m officially asking the community to pitch in. For $5/month anyone can get:

  • Monthly builds of Terminal Click
  • An offline binary that’s yours to own
  • The satisfaction of keeping a Handmade project independent

Cancel whenever. I’ll add higher tiers for TC members wanting more perks like priority support.

How do I get in?

On July 15th head to terminal.click/beta and sign up via Stripe/PayPal. You’ll get a Proton Drive link with downloads for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Pro tip: Don’t bookmark the Proton link - it changes frequently to fight piracy. Just use the fresh link from your monthly membership email.

What’s new in TC?

  1. 3D Previews & Infinite Rewind

In my last devlog I ranted about how terminals shouldn’t be slaves to their shells. Now I have a recent video comparing Terminal Click against a traditional terminal. Stick around for the payoff - it’ll click for you haha:

Now that you’ve watched it, what do you think were the flashiest bits? It’s hard to decide but for now I would argue:

  • 3D previews of models
  • Infinite rewind to replay old command output

This is a taste of what happens when you free the native desktop terminal from its shackles. Yes, it causes endless debates on HN. No, I’m not backing down.

  1. GIF Support

Fans asked me recently “If you can show 3D models, why not GIFs?” Sure, that’s a fair point dear fans. Round of applause:

Although I must resist temptation to include Nintendo assets in this release.

  1. Adaptive Status Bar

The bottom of the screen now shows useful context. As one example, we should tell you where in your PATH we found a binary:

I’m still playing with this design; a status bar should be helpful but not annoying. Think of it as a context-aware butler that disappears when it’s not needed.

  1. Mr. 4th Cameo

TC runs on Allen Webster’s platform layer, so I brought him in for a 4-hour architecture review. Two Handmade community vets joined us too; they’re not public figures so I’ll keep their names private (though one of them’s heading to BSC this weekend.)

I really could not go without this diagramming session. Thank you for the new insights and occasional scolding.

Why this beta matters for Handmade Cities

Handmade Cities, my other small business, runs on ticket sales and donations:

However, between the layoff massacre in games and international travel drying up, things are getting dangerous.

Supporting TC means supporting HMC. You would help me:

  • Keep making this terminal without compromises
  • Operate Handmade Cities even on bad years
  • Not starve (always a plus)

So if you’ve enjoyed my work over the years, consider joining the open beta! Let’s build worthwhile things the indie way.

See you Tuesday,
Abner