GPU-accelerated
Powered by GhosttyKit's Metal renderer. Buttery smooth scrolling, true color, ligatures, and GPU text shaping.
macuake
Quake-style drop-down terminal for macOS.
One hotkey. Instant terminal. Option+Space slides it down from the top.
GPU-accelerated by Ghostty. Tabs, split panes, MCP control.
Scroll down to see Option+Space in action
Built for speed.
One hotkey
Option+Space (customizable) toggles the terminal from any app. Slides down from the top. No Dock icon.
Tabs & split panes
Multiple terminal sessions with native split panes. Navigate with keyboard shortcuts or the API.
Ghostty themes
Use any Ghostty config: fonts, colors, opacity, keybindings. Edit once, applies to all panes.
MCP server built-in
Control the terminal from Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP client. 17 tools: execute, read, split, focus, and more.
Socket API
Unix socket at /tmp/macuake.sock for scripting. Same 17 commands. Build your own integrations.
Try the API
Press Option+Space or click the button below — a terminal will slide down from the top of the page, just like in the real app.
Type help for all commands: macuake state, macuake list, macuake split, macuake settings, ls, neofetch, and more.
Install
macOS 14+ (Sonoma). Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel).
# Homebrew
brew install --cask menemy/macuake/macuake
or download manually:
# Download from GitHub Releases
curl -LO https://github.com/menemy/macuake/releases/latest/download/Macuake.dmg
open Macuake.dmg
# Drag to /Applications
Your terminal companion.
Keep your primary terminal for deep work. Use macuake for the quick hits — a fast, native drop-down layer that is there when you need it, and gone when you don't.
Instant context
A single keystroke summons your terminal from anywhere. Run a script, check a log, restart a server — without leaving your current window.
Purpose-built
No overwhelming settings, no tab clutter. Optimized entirely for the drop-down workflow with sensible defaults out of the box.
The perfect sidekick
Designed to live alongside Ghostty, Kitty, or any terminal you love. The lightweight utility knife to your heavy-duty setup.
FAQ
Do I need to replace Ghostty, Kitty, or my current terminal?
No. macuake is designed to complement your existing terminal, not replace it. Use it as a drop-down layer for fast, context-switch-free actions. Keep your main terminal for deep work.
Does it support my Ghostty config?
Yes. macuake reads your standard ~/.config/ghostty/config. Fonts, colors, keybindings, opacity — all apply automatically.
What about multiple monitors?
macuake drops down on the display where your cursor is, or you can pin it to a specific monitor in Settings.
How do I use the MCP server?
Add to Claude Code: claude mcp add macuake http://localhost:19876/mcp. Works with any MCP client. 17 tools for full terminal control.
What’s the performance impact?
Near zero. macuake uses ~20MB idle, GPU rendering via Metal. No Electron, no web views. Pure native Swift + GhosttyKit.
Is it safe? Can anything control my terminal remotely?
The MCP server and Socket API are disabled by default. You explicitly enable them in Settings when you need AI or scripting access. When disabled, nothing can send commands to macuake. No network access, no telemetry, no analytics.
Is it open source?
Yes, MIT license. github.com/menemy/macuake