Kaku

Why

Kaku (書く, かく) means “to write” in Japanese. It is a macOS terminal based on WezTerm, with fonts, themes, shell integration, and Mac shortcuts already configured, while preserving full Lua customization.

Kaku is for writing code, alongside Waza (技) for engineering habits and Kami (紙) for documents.

Quick Start

Download the Kaku DMG, open it, and drag Kaku into Applications. Or install with Homebrew:

brew install --cask kaku

Open Kaku to set up shell integration, install missing optional tools with kaku init, and check your installed version with kaku --version.

Features

• Ready to use: JetBrains Mono, automatic dark and light themes, copy on select, and familiar Mac shortcuts
• Tabs and panes: Split your workspace, jump between tabs with Tab Navigator, and restore windows, panes, and working directories when you reopen Kaku
• Right-click menu: Paste, search, open AI chat, split or close the clicked pane, and open or close tabs without remembering shortcuts
• Clickable links: Cmd + Click opens URLs and file paths, and URLs automatically wrapped by the terminal keep their full address
• AI-friendly: See which agent is working and on what at the top right, get notified when Claude Code needs you, and use an optional assistant for command suggestions and chat
• Remote access: Run kaku remote to get a link, open it in any browser on another computer, and keep using the Kaku on this Mac
• Shell tools: Built-in zsh completion, syntax highlighting, and directory jumping, with shortcuts for optional Lazygit and Yazi installations
• Lua configuration: Customize fonts, themes, shortcuts, and terminal behavior using WezTerm’s Lua configuration system

Usage Guide

Action	Shortcut
New Tab	Cmd + T
New Window	Cmd + N
Close Tab/Pane	Cmd + W
Navigate Tabs	Cmd + Shift + [ / ] or Cmd + 1-9
Navigate Panes	Cmd + Opt + Arrows
Split Pane Vertical	Cmd + D
Split Pane Horizontal	Cmd + Shift + D
Open Settings Panel	Cmd + ,
AI Settings	Cmd + Shift + A
AI Chat	Cmd + L
Apply AI Suggestion	Cmd + Shift + E
Open Lazygit	Cmd + Shift + G
Yazi File Manager	Cmd + Shift + Y or y
Clear Screen	Cmd + K

Kaku AI

Configure your own AI service with kaku ai to use the built-in assistant. Kaku does not provide or relay the AI service.

• Command suggestions: When a command fails, the configured assistant can suggest a fix, and Cmd + Shift + E pastes it at the prompt for review
• Natural language to command: Type # <description> at the prompt and press Enter, and the assistant places the generated command at the prompt for you to review and run
• Chat: Press Cmd + L to discuss terminal output or work with project files and tools, or run kaku chat from another shell to access the same conversation store
• AI Tools Config: Manage settings for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot CLI, Kimi Code, and more

For authentication, models, API Mode, and tool settings, see the AI assistant docs.

FAQ

• Is there a Windows or Linux version? Not currently, Kaku is macOS-only
• How is Kaku different from iTerm2, Warp, Ghostty, or WezTerm? See kaku.fun/compare
• Can I use transparent windows? Yes, set config.window_background_opacity in ~/.config/kaku/kaku.lua
• The kaku command is missing. Run /Applications/Kaku.app/Contents/MacOS/kaku init --update-only && exec zsh -l, then kaku doctor

Docs

• Keybindings - full shortcut reference
• Features - AI assistant, remote access, lazygit, yazi, remote files, shell suite
• Configuration - themes, fonts, custom keybindings, Lua API
• CLI Reference - kaku ai, kaku config, kaku doctor, and more
• FAQ - common questions and troubleshooting

Background

I heavily rely on the CLI for both work and personal projects. Tools I’ve built, like Mole and Pake, reflect this.

I used Alacritty for years and learned to value speed and simplicity. As my workflow shifted toward AI-assisted coding, I wanted stronger tab and pane ergonomics. I also explored Kitty, Ghostty, Warp, and iTerm2. Each is strong in different areas, but I still wanted a setup that matched my own balance of performance, defaults, and control.

WezTerm is robust and highly hackable, and I am grateful for its engine and ecosystem. So I built Kaku to be that environment: fast, polished, and ready to work.

Contributors

Big thanks to all contributors who helped build Kaku. Go follow them! ❤️

Support

• The most direct way to support me is getting Mole for Mac, my paid Mac cleanup app
• If Kaku helped you, give it a star, share it, or open an issue or PR
• I have two cats, TangYuan and Coke, and if Kaku has been helpful to you, feel free to treat them to canned food 🥩

These lovely people already did 🐱

License

MIT License. Please feel free to use and contribute to the development. Attribution for WezTerm and the bundled fonts is in NOTICE.md.