Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

xterm VS ST - Simple Terminal

Compare xterm VS ST - Simple Terminal and see what are their differences

xterm logo xterm

You can download and use MobaXterm Home Edition for free.

ST - Simple Terminal logo ST - Simple Terminal

st is a simple terminal implementation for X.
  • xterm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-17
  • ST - Simple Terminal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-28

xterm features and specs

  • Mature and Stable
    xterm is one of the oldest terminal emulators available, ensuring a stable and reliable performance with a long history of bug fixes and improvements.
  • Highly Configurable
    It offers extensive customization options through resource settings, allowing users to tailor the terminal to their specific needs, from colors to behavior.
  • Wide Compatibility
    xterm is compatible with virtually any Unix-like system, making it a versatile choice across different environments.
  • Rich Termcap/Terminfo Support
    It supports a wide range of terminal capabilities defined in termcap and terminfo, which helps ensure compatibility with various software applications.

Possible disadvantages of xterm

  • Complex Configuration
    The extensive customization options can be overwhelming for new users, requiring the editing of resource files and an understanding of numerous parameters.
  • Limited Modern Features
    Compared to some newer terminal emulators, xterm lacks certain modern features such as sophisticated user interfaces or integration with other tools.
  • Basic Appearance
    The default appearance of xterm is fairly plain and may not satisfy users looking for more aesthetically pleasing graphical interfaces.
  • Performance with Large Text Buffers
    xterm can be less performant than some modern terminals when handling very large text buffers or complex rendering tasks.

ST - Simple Terminal features and specs

  • Lightweight
    ST is designed to be extremely lightweight, making it fast and responsive even on older machines.
  • Minimal Dependencies
    ST aims to minimize dependencies, which simplifies installation and reduces potential for conflicts with other software.
  • Customizability
    ST's source code is intended to be modified by users to fit their needs, allowing deep personalization and optimization.
  • Simplicity
    ST follows the Suckless philosophy of simplicity, providing essential features without unnecessary bloat.
  • Open Source
    ST is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the development of the software.

Possible disadvantages of ST - Simple Terminal

  • Limited Features
    Due to its minimalist design, ST lacks some advanced features found in other terminals, which might be essential for certain users.
  • Manual Configuration
    ST requires users to modify its source code for configuration, which can be a barrier for those unfamiliar with programming.
  • Lack of Pre-built Binaries
    ST typically needs to be compiled from source, which can be inconvenient compared to using package managers with pre-built binaries.
  • Basic Look and Feel
    The focus on minimalism means ST does not provide out-of-the-box eye candy or extensive customization of appearance through simple configuration files.
  • Community Size
    ST has a smaller community compared to more popular terminals, potentially making it harder to find support or plugins for additional functionality.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to xterm and ST - Simple Terminal)
SSH
45 45%
55% 55
Server Management
100 100%
0% 0
Development
40 40%
60% 60
Tool
47 47%
53% 53

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare xterm and ST - Simple Terminal

xterm Reviews

The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
XTERM is the default emulator for the X window system. XTERM is a good choice for minimal Linux installations. Its minimalist approach makes it a good choice among many Linux users.
Top 14 Terminal Emulators for Linux (With Extra Features or Amazing Looks)
XTERM is one of the most popular terminal emulators out there. Even though it might seem to be a bloated option when compared to st, it’s still a decent option that you can try for X Window System.
Source: itsfoss.com

ST - Simple Terminal Reviews

The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
The st or Simple Terminal emulator gives you precisely what you ask for. ” A simple terminal emulator to interact with your Linux distro.”
Top 14 Terminal Emulators for Linux (With Extra Features or Amazing Looks)
Simple Terminal or popularly known as st is an alternative for users who dislike bloated terminal emulators like xterm or rxvt.
Source: itsfoss.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ST - Simple Terminal should be more popular than xterm. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

xterm mentions (5)

  • Best Way to Open URLs in Your Terminal via Tmux
    I have been using tmux for a while now. It was really worth it, especially after I started using neovim. One thing was really missing though compared to my previous setup and that was opening URLs. I always used my mouse to do that, but now I couldn't even do that because I am using the good old xterm as a terminal which doesn't have a built in feature like that. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • CVE-2022-45063: Xterm
    -- For a better overview, see http://invisible-island.net/xterm/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • A good python library to replace libtcod for terminal play?
    Iterm2, gnome terminal, xterm, Konsole, macos Terminal, powershell, command, etc.. these all provide a common API which we normally use curses to interface with. But all of them basically reach into something lower level (opengl, vulkan, directx, etc.) to render the text, which ultimately is still pixels on a screen. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Convert terminal output to Images
    Xterm has had the ability to make HTML or SVG dumps of the screen since 2016 (patch 323). Source: almost 4 years ago
  • What terminal emulator do you use?
    Xterm — Simple terminal emulator for the X Window System. It provides DEC VT102 and Tektronix 4014 compatible terminals for programs that cannot use the window system directly https://invisible-island.net/xterm/. Source: about 4 years ago

ST - Simple Terminal mentions (47)

  • Typing with Pleasure
    Whenever I switch to another dev's machine, usually running either jetbrains or vscode, I'm always astounded at how annoyed I find myself while typing on it due to the high latency on keystrokes. I'm blessed with ~subframe delay using [st](https://st.suckless.org/) and neovim, and now I don't know if I could ever go back to a "true" IDE for professional work. Just for kicks I've started work on my own text editor... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Preview images, videos, fonts, PDFs ... in Vifm.
    The terminal I am currently using is st but I have also tested this "Vifm" enhancement in kitty and alacritty. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Ask HN: Which is the simplest terminal emulator able to run Vim?
    Perhaps st: https://st.suckless.org. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Autodafe: "freeing your freeing your project from the clammy grip of autotools."
    > you need to "edit your makefile". That isn't going to work for distributions Is it not? [st] requires exactly that. And distros seem to have no issues shipping it. [st] https://st.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Write Your Own Terminal
    Check out st[1] for a minimal terminal implementation. They also have user-submitted patches that you can apply to add desired functionality. [1] https://st.suckless.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing xterm and ST - Simple Terminal, you can also consider the following products

Konsole - Konsole is a free terminal emulator which is part of KDE Software Compilation.

Kitty terminal - Super fast, GPU and OpenGL based terminal emulator with tiling support

GNOME Terminal - GNOME Terminal is a terminal emulator for GNOME desktop.

WindTerm - WindTerm is a terminal emulator application that is used in cross-platforms such as SSH, Sftp, Shell, Telnet, and serial terminal and allows you to use the mouse to conduct any operation on its interface.

Foot - Foot is a terminal emulator app for Wayland that offers you many simple and easy-to-use functions or features and allows you to conduct the operation through your keyboard as well as the mouse.

Xfce-Terminal - Terminal is a modern terminal emulator for the Unix/Linux desktop - primarily for the Xfce desktop...