TERMIUM / DOCUMENTATION

Installation

Termium now has a complete native-bundle installer. The first public release using it has not been published yet; the public download command will appear here when its artifacts are available.

Run it

After installation, run this from any directory:

termium
termium example.com
termium --renderer sixel example.com

Options come before the optional address. --url remains supported. The server and browser start automatically. Use termium --doctor to check the installed runtime, browser sandbox on Linux, input, and screenshot capture without opening the terminal UI.

Install the development version

From a checkout with the contributor toolchain installed, one command builds, packages, validates, and installs it:

npm run install:local

This is a source-build command for contributors. A release recipient needs no Node, npm, Go, protoc, or Chromium: those runtime dependencies are included in the platform archive. Subsequent launches use the installed copy, independent of the checkout or current directory.

The installer puts the command at ~/.local/bin/termium and sets up bash, zsh, and fish. Open a new terminal after running the contributor command if your current shell did not already have ~/.local/bin on PATH. The eventual public one-line command also activates PATH in the original shell and launches the application.

What setup does

• Checks the platform and verifies the archive's SHA-256. Missing or mismatched checksums stop installation.
• Stages a complete client, server, private Node runtime, and Chromium browser. Linux bundles include browser libraries and fonts, with glibc supplied by the host.
• Starts a disposable browser, verifies input and screenshots, and checks Linux sandbox diagnostics before activation. Setup never disables the sandbox or requests sudo.
• Installs a versioned application and atomically switches the stable command to it.
• Preserves existing shell configuration and avoids duplicate setup blocks. It refuses to overwrite an unrelated termium command.

Each normal launch uses a private Unix socket and a separate temporary Chromium profile. Browsing sessions are not persisted between launches yet.

Platforms and limits

WSL2 runs the Linux build. Windows Terminal's graphics support does not imply a native Windows executable.

The installer tests the actual host rather than silently disabling security features when browser startup fails. Distribution policies can restrict sandbox namespaces, notably on Ubuntu. Ubuntu CI explicitly allows Chromium user namespaces through a targeted AppArmor profile on the disposable runner; installation does not change host policy. A green hosted-runner test is not certification of every stock distribution or macOS Gatekeeper configuration. Clean native-machine distribution testing remains part of release acceptance.

Updates and storage

Rerun the installer to update. Close running Termium sessions first; concurrent installers and active sessions are protected by locks. Failed validation leaves the current installation selected. Older versions remain available on disk; automatic pruning and uninstall are not implemented yet.

Application files live under ${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/termium. TERMIUM_HOME can select another application directory; the command remains at ~/.local/bin/termium. TERMIUM_NO_MODIFY_PATH=1 opts out of shell integration for managed environments. All paths are user-owned; no system Node or browser installation is modified.

See getting started for controls and terminal support for renderer choices.