An extension for your (mostly) POSIX-compliant shell based on curses/ncurses putting a TUI as a quasi-windows-like layer over the terminal.
A quasi-windows-like interface for (mostly) POSIX-compliant operating systems written in C/C++.
Imagine that you open a terminal session/shell to your (mostly) POSIX-compliant operating system via SSH. You expand the shell to full screen and start breakthrough on the console. After a short initialization a tidy surface of approx. 211 Columns x 59 Lines (assumed at a resolution of 1920x1080 px) appears.
Moving the cursor to the bottom opens a simple sliding taskbar that shows the PID of processes along with the name of applications. Mouseover displays additional information in a bubble, such as the path of the application. You can open windows that have buttons to minimize, maximize, and close, as well as a title bar and a search box next to it that can be used to search for regular expressions and of course, offers file-globbing and a context-sensitive search suggestion (default: locate). In addition, there are simple clickable fields for options, view settings, etc. Dropdown menus open up and radio buttons work as well as simple switches.
The title bar itself shows the current path. You can select the path and copy it to the clipboard, right-click and hold makes too-long paths start scrolling instead of showing an abbreviated version like "/etc/this/or/.../many/others/". Nice: if you move the cursor up or down while keeping the right button pressed down you can speed up and slow down the scrolling. Useful for long paths. The segment of the path shown stays this way until you move the window or refresh it. With double-clicking into its field OR selecting it with -key and you can edit the shown part. By pressing the Enter key the scope of the window changes to the new path. The window shows the content of the current path - can be scrolled if needed. A sidebar with a tree view can be shown on the left side and if needed an information window can be shown, which shows additional information like path, owner, groups, and permissions (editable). The display of the folder contents can be accessed using the same options as "ls". Alternatively, one types "ls -alF" into a command field that can be opened below the window bar. Here you can also start applications that can be executed on the console, like Midnight Commander, top/htop, or iptraf, and execute them in the window.
Windows can be touched (even with the mouse) and freely move around on the desktop. Corners follow the mouse pointer to the desired position to show the size of the window to be moved. The desktop is simple and appears empty, but should give the possibility to execute functions that are difficult or impossible to reach without a window manager.
If you think - as I do - that you would like to work in such an environment and enjoy the speed and reliability of an SSH session, the convenience of a quasi-windows-like environment, and all that completely remotely if you want, then join, and let's make it a reality.
The idea is to create a modern TUI and access your (mostly) POSIX-compliant environment with ease while benefiting from the experience of developing modern operating systems that focus on graphical user interfaces. You won't just have the best of both worlds, but of all possible worlds. Ultimately, this won't be just a window to your computer or a convenient TUI, but a revelation, an epiphany, and a complete breakthrough to the best features your terminal can offer - locally or remotely.
Want to imagine more read on, else skip to the introduction
Aufgaben wie das Umbennen und/oder Zusammenführen von zuvor aus unterschiedlichen Quellen markierten Dateien sollte zum Kinderspiel werden und intuitiv einfach sein.
Man öffnet drei Fenster. Sources A, B, and Destination C. In window A you select with your mouse several files in folder ~/my_pics/ in windows B you locate all family*.jpg by using the regex-search field and if satisfied with the appearing list you select them by the newly appearing "select all listed" button. From windows A you drag&drop the selection to window C and you are asked if you want to copy, move or bulk rename the files by a context menu. you choose bulk-rename and are asked if you want to add files? you want and drag&drop the selection from windows B also to windows C. asked again if you want to add you answer "no". A list of the files from window A and from several subdirectories in the section from windows B is shown in windows C. You are asked if you want to rename the originals or copies into the path of windows C. you choose originals. A dialog shows up listing options for renaming, filters and of course original names and names after applying your desired new name conventions. all quite similar to the renaming options of total commander. After pressing start you end up with perfect renamed pictures in several folders. you realize a picture was renamed wrongly. just use the search field in a newly opened window, but this time you click the options button at the right side of the input field and set it to "use find" instead of "use locate". Alternatively, you have a global "ipdate-db"-button to reindex.
By the way:
- Links to frequently used scripts or applications can be placed on the desktop or grouped in the taskbar and are available at the push of a button.
- Files can be dragged to shortcuts to editors to be edited
- when typing, breakthrough already suggests command completion and path selection suggestions
- tail the output of your web server logfiles in one window, watch your bitcoin node in another, while in a third one you see your lightning node working
- use git, docker, and other cli-based services on one ssh session, but follow several open terminals on the same desktop at the same time
- Drag&drop, mouse selection, input fields, clickable & editable elements, running shells in windows – optional with tabs within the windows, minimizing windows, use of screens, regex searches, bulk rename, switching elements and input fields with pressing/clicking on and switching tasks/windows with +, there are so many options and useful options out there to implement it seems overwhelming.
On the other hand, we're working on the console/terminal and if any is true then "if there is a shell, there is a way!".
In the end, there is not just a great like nano, midnight commander, or htop, which provides convenience and which you don't want to miss after a short time, but a comprehensive environment, in which it is fun to be not just a user, but administrator and system operator on the console - and suddenly you shall realize that you miss breakthrough when you log in via ssh and read:
foo@bar:~$ breakthrough
breakthrough: command not foundThis whitepaper is intended as a project presentation, to make the idea and the concept appealing to others, a kind of feasibility study, and, of course, also as a request for feedback and criticism. Especially concerning use, adaptation, and acceptance.
Breakthrough is an aspirational project. The first step is to find help because such an ambitious project cannot be carried out by one developer alone.
breakthrough is though about to be developed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0), which offers the possibility to trademark the name, otherwise is fully supported by the open-source community. It would be nice, but not necessary if one day some kind of commercial product could be made out of breakthrough.
All kinds of feedback regarding any aspect of the project is highly appreciated.
Supporters and companions wanted breakthrough can be a great project for learning about systems programming, for teaching and sharing knowledge, or for passing on experience as an advanced developer to aspiring systems programmers.
Should the development of the project breakthrough gain a foothold and the idea for a (mostly) POSIX-compliant TUI finds acceptance in the community, hopefully, independent system programmers or those employed by large enterprises will take notice of breakthrough and take on the development. It would be a great success and achievement to bring programmers and developers of different qualities together and to see them working self-motivated and with enthusiasm on a project.
By default, breakthrough should be basically (mostly) POSIX-compliant, but with various additional modes for more color, better display options / extended character set / more special characters / offer different color variants/color schemes.
So you should use breakthrough with as in the (mostly) POSIX-compliant default version with
foo@bar:~$ breakthrough
Starting - breaking through the walls...or a customized version with something like
foo@bar:~$ breakthrough --color-mode 16 --char-set alternate --utf-8 --color-scheme hacker
Starting - breaking through the walls...Other features and tools the project should utilize in order not to have to reinvent the wheel and to achieve a usable result as soon as possible:
- C/C++
- Curses/libcurses (does avoid the need to invent a completely new windowing system)
- as near to system libraries as possible
- Open-source (to attract ideologically motivated developers)
- UTF-8-Support
- as a teaching project for advanced programmers and educators for your students
Unfortunately, breakthrough is not even a concept at the moment, but rather just an idea for a concept. Please help already at this early stage, fork and revise this whitepaper to make it better and bring in new ideas.
Potential roles one could take are
- developer (an active programmer)
- consultant (giving advice)
- manager (help to get the job done, also reviewing)
- supporter (seeking help, aquire people)
- ambassador (spread the word and the idea in the community)
- patron (helping whereever need is help)
Of course, you can take several roles. :)
Discussion on any topic related to project breakthrough on github is highly appreciated. If you like the idea and approach of breakthrough, feel free to share the idea, this whitepaper, and its repository to anybody you think might be interested or contribute something useful to breakthrough. Thank you!