Kaku
An AI-friendly Mac terminal with sensible defaults, ready out of the box.
Why
Kaku (書く, かく) means “to write” in Japanese. It is based on WezTerm, with fonts, themes, shell integration, and Mac shortcuts already configured. Lua settings remain available when you want to customize it.
Part of a trilogy: Kaku (書く) writes code, Waza (技) drills habits, Kami (紙) ships documents. Think of them as a family: Kaku is the dad, Waza the big sister, Kami the little sister.
Quick Start
Download the Kaku DMG, open it, and drag Kaku into Applications. Or install with Homebrew:
brew install tw93/tap/kakuku
Open Kaku to set up shell integration. Missing optional tools can be installed through kaku init.
Features
- Ready to use: JetBrains Mono, automatic dark and light themes, copy on select, and familiar Mac shortcuts.
- Tabs and panes: Split your workspace, find a pane with Tab Navigator, and restore windows, panes, and working directories when you reopen Kaku.
- AI-friendly: Use your coding tools alongside an optional assistant for command suggestions and chat. Configure your own AI service with
kaku ai.
- 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 Panel |
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 |
Full keybinding reference: docs/keybindings.md
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. Press
Cmd + Shift + E to paste it at the prompt for review.
- Natural language to command: Type
# <description> at the prompt and press Enter. 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. Use 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 for now.
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.
Full FAQ: docs/faq.md
Docs
- Keybindings - full shortcut reference
- Features - AI assistant, 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. If you think Kaku delights your life, you can feed them canned food 🥩.
These lovely people already did 🐱
License
MIT License, feel free to enjoy and participate in open source. Attribution for
WezTerm and the bundled fonts is in NOTICE.md.
Kaku 是一款基于 WezTerm 构建的 macOS 终端，预先配置好了字体、主题、Shell 集成和 Mac 快捷键，还可以选择启用 AI 助手，用于命令建议和聊天。