Kaku is a deeply customized fork of WezTerm, designed for an out-of-the-box experience.

• Zero Config: Defaults with JetBrains Mono, opencode theme, macOS font rendering, and low-res font sizing.
• Built-in Shell Suite: Pre-loaded Starship, z, Delta, syntax highlighting, autocompletions, and zsh history.
• Fast & Lightweight: 40% smaller binary, instant startup, lazy loading, stripped-down GPU-accelerated core.
• WezTerm-Compatible Config: Use WezTerm's Lua config directly with full API compatibility and no migration.

1. Download Kaku DMG & Drag to Applications
2. Or install with Homebrew: brew install tw93/tap/kakuku
3. Open Kaku. The app is notarized by Apple, so it opens without security warnings
4. On first launch, Kaku will automatically set up your shell environment

Kaku comes with intuitive macOS-native shortcuts:

Kaku comes with a carefully curated suite of CLI tools, pre-configured for immediate productivity:

• Starship: A fast, customizable prompt showing git status, package versions, and execution time.
• z: A smarter cd command that learns your most used directories for instant navigation.
• Delta: A syntax-highlighting pager for git, diff, and grep output.
• zsh-completions: Extended command and subcommand completion definitions.
• Syntax Highlighting: Real-time command validation and coloring.
• Autosuggestions: Intelligent, history-based completions similar to Fish shell.

Kaku uses ~/.config/kaku/kaku.lua for configuration, fully compatible with WezTerm's Lua API, with built-in defaults at Kaku.app/Contents/Resources/kaku.lua as fallback.

Run kaku in your terminal to see all available commands such as kaku update, kaku reset, and kaku config.

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. Kaku builds on that foundation with practical defaults for day one use, while keeping full Lua-based customization and a fast, lightweight feel.

So I built Kaku to be that environment: fast, polished, and ready to work.

Achieved through aggressive stripping of unused features, lazy loading of color schemes, and shell optimizations.

1. Why is the Homebrew cask named kakuku instead of kaku?

   The name kaku conflicts with another package in Homebrew's official repository (an unmaintained music player). kakuku is a cute variation that's easy to remember.

2. Is there a Windows or Linux version?

   Not at the moment. Kaku is currently macOS-only while we focus on polishing the macOS experience. Windows and Linux versions may come later once the macOS version is mature.

3. Can I customize the split line between panes?

   Yes. You can set split_thickness in ~/.config/kaku/kaku.lua to adjust the line width in pixels, default is 2.0. The split line color is controlled by the split field in your color scheme.

   config.split_thickness = 1

4. Can Kaku use transparent windows on macOS?

   Yes. You can set window_background_opacity and optionally macos_window_background_blur in ~/.config/kaku/kaku.lua. Transparent mode now keeps top/right/bottom padding regions visually consistent to avoid transparent gaps.

Big thanks to all contributors who helped build Kaku. Go follow them! ❤️

• If Kaku helped you, star the repo or share it with friends.
• Got ideas or found bugs? Open an issue/PR or check CONTRIBUTING.md for details.
• Like Kaku? Buy Tw93 a Coke to support the project! 🥤 Supporters below.

MIT License, feel free to enjoy and participate in open source.