Kaku
A fast, out-of-the-box terminal built for AI coding.
Why
Kaku (ζΈγ, γγ) is the Japanese word for writing: the act of putting thought into form. A deeply customized fork of WezTerm, built for practical defaults on day one while keeping full Lua customization and a fast, lightweight feel.
Part of a trilogy: Kaku (ζΈγ) writes code, Waza (ζ) drills habits, Kami (η΄) ships documents. Think of them as a family: Kaku is the dad, Waza the big sister, Kami the little sister.
Features
- Zero Config: Defaults with JetBrains Mono, macOS font rendering, and low-res font sizing.
- Theme-Aware Experience: Auto-switches between dark and light modes with macOS, with tuned selection colors, font weight, and practical color overrides support.
- Curated Shell Suite: Built-in zsh plugins with optional CLI tools for prompt, diff, and navigation workflows.
- 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.
- Polished Defaults: Copy on select, clickable file paths, history peek from full-screen apps, pane input broadcast, and visual bell on background tab completion.
Quick Start
- Download Kaku DMG & Drag to Applications
- Or install with Homebrew:
brew install tw93/tap/kakuku
- Open Kaku. The app is notarized by Apple, so it opens without security warnings
- On first launch, Kaku will automatically set up your shell environment
Usage Guide
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| New Tab | Cmd + T |
| New Window | Cmd + N |
| Close Tab/Pane | Cmd + W |
| Navigate Tabs | Cmd + Shift + [ / ] or Cmd + 1β9 |
| Navigate Panes | Cmd + Opt + Arrows |
| Split Pane Vertical | Cmd + D |
| Split Pane Horizontal | Cmd + Shift + D |
| Open Settings Panel | Cmd + , |
| AI Panel | Cmd + Shift + A |
| AI Chat | Cmd + L |
| Apply AI Suggestion | Cmd + Shift + E |
| Open Lazygit | Cmd + Shift + G |
| Yazi File Manager | Cmd + Shift + Y or y |
| Clear Screen | Cmd + K |
Full keybinding reference: docs/keybindings.md
Kaku AI
Kaku has a built-in assistant with two modes and a settings page for AI coding tools.
- Error recovery: When a command fails, Kaku automatically suggests a fix. Press
Cmd + Shift + E to apply.
- Natural language to command: Type
# <description> at the prompt and press Enter. Kaku sends the query to the LLM and injects the resulting command back into the prompt, ready to review and run.
- AI Tools Config: Manage settings for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot CLI, Kimi Code, and more.
Assistant Setup
Run kaku ai to configure the assistant fields directly:
| Field | Use |
|---|
| Auth Type | API key or Codex CLI login |
| Simple Model | Lightweight command generation and quick chat model |
| Deep Model | Primary Cmd + L / k chat model |
| Base URL | OpenAI-compatible API root, such as https://api.openai.com/v1 |
| API Key | Provider API key when Auth Type is API key |
Full AI assistant docs: docs/features.md
Performance
| Metric | Upstream | Kaku | Methodology |
|---|
| Executable Size | ~67 MB | ~40 MB | Aggressive symbol stripping & feature pruning |
| Resources Volume | ~100 MB | ~80 MB | Asset optimization & lazy-loaded assets |
| Launch Latency | Standard | Instant | Just-in-time initialization |
| Shell Bootstrap | ~200ms | ~100ms | Optimized environment provisioning |
FAQ
Is there a Windows or Linux version? Not currently. Kaku is macOS-only for now.
Can I use transparent windows? Yes, set config.window_background_opacity in ~/.config/kaku/kaku.lua.
The kaku command is missing. Run /Applications/Kaku.app/Contents/MacOS/kaku init --update-only && exec zsh -l, then kaku doctor.
Full FAQ: docs/faq.md
Docs
- Keybindings - full shortcut reference
- Features - AI assistant, lazygit, yazi, remote files, shell suite
- Configuration - themes, fonts, custom keybindings, Lua API
- CLI Reference -
kaku ai, kaku config, kaku doctor, and more
- FAQ - common questions and troubleshooting
Background
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. So I built Kaku to be that environment: fast, polished, and ready to work.
Contributors
Big thanks to all contributors who helped build Kaku. Go follow them! β€οΈ
Support
- The most direct way to support me is getting Mole for Mac, my paid Mac cleanup app.
- If Kaku helped you, give it a star, share it, or open an issue or PR.
- I have two cats, TangYuan and Coke. If you think Kaku delights your life, you can feed them canned food π₯©.
These lovely people already did π±
License
MIT License, feel free to enjoy and participate in open source.
