# Terminal Setup

Voxcode requires a capable terminal for the TUI to render correctly.

## Requirements

- **UTF-8 locale** — check with `locale`
- **True color (24-bit) support** — Voxcode uses full RGB for syntax highlighting and themes
- **Stable monospace font** — Nerd Fonts recommended for icon glyphs
- **Low input latency** — sub-50 ms keystroke echo for comfortable interaction

## Verification

```bash
# Check terminal colors
echo "$TERM"
tput colors

# Test true color support (should print a smooth gradient)
printf '\e[48;2;255;0;0m \e[0m\n'

# Check Node.js and npm
node -v
npm -v
```

## Recommended Terminals

| Platform | Terminal | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| macOS | iTerm2, Warp, Terminal.app | iTerm2 with "minimum contrast" set low |
| Linux | GNOME Terminal, kitty, Alacritty, WezTerm | kitty has best true color support |
| Windows | Windows Terminal | Required for Voxcode on Windows |

## Troubleshooting

- **Garbled characters**: ensure `LANG=en_US.UTF-8` or similar
- **Missing icons**: install a Nerd Font or patched monospace font
- **Slow rendering**: disable GPU acceleration in terminal settings
- **Keybindings not recognized**: test with `cat -v` to see what escape sequences your terminal sends
- **Colors look wrong**: try a different theme with `vox` → theme selector or set `VOXCODE_THEME` env var

If behavior is inconsistent, test in an alternative terminal emulator before filing a bug.
