4 Essential Terminal Tools Every New Developer Should Try

When a recent graduate joined the team, the author realized the newcomer had never used several common command‑line utilities that seasoned developers take for granted, such as Git, Vim, and various terminal emulators. To bridge this gap, the author recommends four tools that can solve specific workflow problems.

Ghostty

Ghostty is a fast, cross‑platform terminal emulator that feels like a native desktop application. It offers modern features such as tabs, split panes, and theme customization, and runs on macOS and Linux. The author prefers a dedicated terminal over an editor‑integrated one because separate terminals encourage habits that work across different editors and environments.

tmux

tmux manages multiple terminal windows and long‑living sessions. When a project requires several terminals—for servers, test runners, or editors—tmux keeps them organized, even across remote servers. The author has used tmux for nearly two decades and values its consistency, though they also plan to try Zellij based on a colleague’s suggestion.

Lazygit

Lazygit provides a terminal UI for Git, displaying git status, git log, and branch information in a clear, navigable view. It helps users quickly grasp repository state when many branches, contributors, or changes are involved. While Lazygit does not replace learning Git fundamentals, it makes the basic status of a repository far more accessible.

LazyDocker

LazyDocker offers a terminal UI for Docker, allowing users to view and manage containers, images, volumes, and services from a single interface. It works alongside the Docker engine without replacing it. The author cites a common issue where Docker Compose fails because another project occupies the Postgres port; LazyDocker makes it easy to identify the conflicting container and stop it promptly.

These four tools are not exhaustive, and developers need not install them all at once. Starting with the tool that addresses the most pressing problem can immediately improve productivity, and the remaining tools can be adopted as needed.