install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install xtermcontrol

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install xtermcontrol

MacPorts ports tree · x11/xtermcontrol/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install xtermcontrol

Debian stable package indexes · xtermcontrol · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#xtermcontrol

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/xt/xtermcontrol/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Control xterm properties such as colors, title, font and geometry

Project links

Commands and aliases

xtermcontrol

history

Project history and usage

xtermcontrol is a small command-line controller for a running xterm. It wraps xterm control sequences so users can change or query colors, title, font, geometry, and window state without hand-writing escape sequences.

Project history

Jess Thrysoee's changelog records the initial 1.0.0 release in 2002, followed by a 2.0.0 rewrite later that year when the project was renamed from xtermcolors to xtermcontrol. The rename marks the scope change from color tweaking to a general interface for xterm properties and control sequences.

The project evolved in lockstep with xterm behavior. Early changes mention xterm patch levels, Cygwin behavior, removal of Xlib dependencies, configuration parsing fixes, and documentation for xterm resources such as allowWindowOps, allowTitleOps, and allowFontOps.

Adoption history

The upstream page lists packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch/AUR, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and MacPorts. That spread fits the tool's niche: it is not a desktop terminal itself, but it is useful wherever users still automate xterm sessions.

How it is used

Typical usage is interactive or scripted: set foreground/background/cursor colors, change the title, move or resize the window, raise/lower or iconify it, query current settings, source `~/.xtermcontrol`, or send raw xterm control sequences through `--raw`.

Why package nerds care

xtermcontrol is package-nerd useful because it exposes xterm's deep control-sequence surface as a normal Unix command: configure, build, install, put a dotfile in home, and script terminal state.

Timeline

2002-05-18: Initial 1.0.0 release recorded in the upstream changelog.
2002-09-19: 2.0.0 rewrite renames the project from xtermcolors to xtermcontrol.
2004-12-22: 2.7 removes Xlib dependencies.
2009-10-16: Documentation adds guidance for allowWindowOps, allowTitleOps, and allowFontOps.
2013-04-30: 3.0 changes when `~/.xtermcontrol` is read.

Related projects

xterm: the terminal emulator whose properties and control sequences xtermcontrol manipulates.
xtitle: a simpler title/icon-name script in the same xterm-control niche.
tmux and Cygwin: environments reflected in xtermcontrol compatibility work.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.xtermcontrol

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`xtermcontrol`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version3.10

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:xtermcontrol
Version	3.10
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/xtermcontrol
Homepage	https://thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/
Repository	https://github.com/JessThrysoee/xtermcontrol
Upstream docs	https://thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/xtermcontrol-3.10.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	xtermcontrol
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

xtermcontrol 3.8-6

dynamic configuration of xterm properties

https://www.thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/

sudo apt install xtermcontrol

Section: x11
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Xtermcontrol

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: xtermcontrol from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

xtermcontrol

nix profile install nixpkgs#xtermcontrol

normalized package name match
Matched by: Xtermcontrol

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xt/xtermcontrol/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

xtermcontrol 3.8-6

dynamic configuration of xterm properties

https://www.thrysoee.dk/xtermcontrol/

sudo apt install xtermcontrol

Section: universe/x11
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Xtermcontrol

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: xtermcontrol from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

MacPorts95%

xtermcontrol

sudo port install xtermcontrol

normalized package name match
Matched by: Xtermcontrol

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: x11/xtermcontrol/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/xtermcontrol.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install xtermcontrol with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix