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Layout & Workspace

NyaTerm is built around a composable workspace rather than a single terminal tab. You can open multiple sessions, split panes inside a tab, and keep common tools docked around the sides of the app.

Workspace areas​

A typical workspace is made up of these areas:

  • Center area — tabs and terminal panes
  • Left activity bar / panels — file explorer, network, Security/Auth, Sync & Backup
  • Right activity bar / panels — saved connections, active sessions, command history, resource monitor
  • Bottom helper area — quick commands, serial send, recording, lock actions

These areas are not isolated pages. They cooperate around the currently active session.

Tabs​

Each tab can hold a session, and each tab can also be split into multiple panes.

Common tab actions include:

  • Creating a new session
  • Closing the current tab
  • Switching between tabs
  • Renaming a tab
  • Setting a tab color
  • Duplicating the current session
  • Reconnecting a session
  • Viewing session details

This makes NyaTerm a good fit for separating:

  • Different environments
  • Different projects
  • Different task phases

Split panes​

Right-click a tab to split the current session into:

  • Horizontal Split
  • Vertical Split

The panes still belong to the same tab, but each pane can hold its own independent session content. This is useful for:

  • Watching logs in one pane and running commands in another
  • Comparing two hosts side by side
  • Keeping a local terminal next to a remote SSH session
  • Watching serial output while running SSH troubleshooting commands

Sessions and workspace structure​

There are two concepts that are easy to mix up:

  1. Logical tabs / pane tree — how a tab is split internally
  2. Runtime window layout — where tabs are currently attached in the live workspace

For day-to-day usage, the simple mental model is:

  • Tabs organize tasks
  • Splits let you observe things side by side
  • The active pane decides where input goes

Left and right panels​

Left side​

The left side is mainly for capability entry points:

  • File explorer
  • Network
  • Security/Auth
  • Sync & Backup

The Sync & Backup panel is a runtime entry point for cross-device config sync and backup recovery. It surfaces current status, recent sync / backup activity, and direct conflict-handling actions when a conflict is detected.

Right side​

The right side is mainly for live state and navigation:

  • Saved connections
  • Active sessions
  • Command history
  • Resource monitor

If your workflow is "pick a connection, then inspect live state," this split feels natural.

Bottom helper area​

The bottom area is used for features that do not need to permanently occupy a sidebar, such as:

  • Quick Commands — reusable commands with variable prompts
  • Serial Send — useful when repeatedly sending fixed text to a serial device
  • Recording — start or stop session recording
  • Lock — quickly lock the app

This is one of the differences between NyaTerm and a basic multi-tab terminal: it organizes the actions around sessions, not just the terminal surface itself.

Child windows​

Some flows open dedicated child windows instead of replacing the main workspace, such as:

  • Settings
  • New session / connection creation
  • Quick command editing
  • Auto-upload prompts

This helps because it:

  • Avoids interrupting the main workspace
  • Gives complex configuration its own focused space
  • Makes screenshots and demos easier to structure

Local + remote​

  • Tab 1: SSH session to the target host
  • Tab 2: Local Terminal for builds or Git commands
  • Right panel: Command History

Dual-pane troubleshooting​

  • Left pane: live logs
  • Right pane: diagnostic commands
  • Resource Monitor open to watch CPU / memory changes

File + terminal workflow​

  • SSH terminal enters the target directory
  • File explorer syncs to the same path
  • Open a remote file, edit it locally, then upload it back
Screenshot suggestion
  • Suggested image path: /img/docs/layout/quick-start-split-workspace.png
  • Show a split workspace with one SSH session and one Local Terminal
  • Another good image path: /img/docs/readme/main-workspace.png
  • Include the activity bars, center terminal area, and bottom helper area together