Contour is a modern terminal emulator written in C++ that prioritizes performance and contemporary features for power users.
The tool addresses the need for a fast, feature-rich terminal emulator by implementing GPU-accelerated rendering and comprehensive Unicode support including emoji with zero-width joiners and grapheme cluster awareness. It runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows, offering both traditional terminal functionality and modern conveniences like persistent sessions that survive window closure, allowing reattachment locally or over the network with tmux interoperability.
Contour suits developers and power users who want advanced text rendering capabilities, extensive customization, and features beyond basic terminal operation. The project distinguishes itself through support for Sixel inline images and ReGIS vector graphics, vi-like input modes for selection and navigation, synchronized rendering, text reflow, clickable hyperlinks via OSC 8, and a read-only mode to prevent accidental input. Users seeking a terminal with ligature support, high-DPI awareness, blurred transparent backgrounds, and runtime configuration reload without restart will find these capabilities valuable. The tool also provides vertical line markers for quick history navigation and customizable key bindings and color schemes through profiles.
Development activity shows consistent engagement with automated testing infrastructure and active community interaction through Discord and streaming channels. The project maintains a modern C++ standard and demonstrates responsiveness to feature requests and bug reports through its issue tracking system.
