Interface & Vim Modes

PhanTerm employs a dual-mode interaction model inspired by Vim. This design allows you to switch between the terminal environment and the local interface rapidly without relying on a mouse.

Terminal Mode

When you connect to a server, you default to Terminal Mode. In this mode:

• Your focus is locked to the remote terminal session.
• All keystrokes (including Ctrl+c, Ctrl+d, Ctrl+l, etc.) are transmitted directly to the remote server, just as if you were using your system’s native terminal.
• There is only one global escape shortcut: Press Ctrl+\ to exit back to Normal Mode.

Normal Mode

After pressing Ctrl+\, you enter Normal Mode. All keystrokes are now intercepted by PhanTerm to operate the local user interface (e.g., sidebar, tabs).

Workspace Focus & Navigation

In Normal Mode, use the following shortcuts to navigate between UI panels:

• Tab / Shift+Tab: Cycle focus through visible panels.
• Ctrl+h: Switch focus to the left (e.g., the file tree sidebar).
• Ctrl+l: Switch focus to the right (e.g., back to the main terminal panel).
• Space: Toggle the left file tree sidebar visibility.
• M: Expand or collapse the advanced server monitoring panel below.
• i or Enter: When focused on the terminal panel, press to re-enter Terminal Mode.

Vim-like Shortcuts

When focused on a list (e.g., file tree, connection list), use your Vim muscle memory:

• j / k: Move selection down / up.
• gg: Jump to the top of the list.
• G: Jump to the bottom of the list.
• Ctrl+u / Ctrl+d: Scroll half a page up or down.

Once you master these shortcuts, managing multiple connections and transferring files will feel as fluid as writing code in Vim.