update 1.2.0 release notes

mitchellh · mitchellh · commit 9a02f7bcc735 · 2025-08-30T20:56:27.000-07:00
diff --git a/docs/install/release-notes/1-2-0.mdx b/docs/install/release-notes/1-2-0.mdx
@@ -4,4 +4,369 @@ description: |-
   Release notes for Ghostty 1.2.0, presently unreleased.
 ---
 
-Coming soon.
+<Note>
+  This page is still a **work-in-progress.** 1.2.0 is still unreleased and this
+  page is missing a lot of content. We're slowly filling in the blanks as we
+  near the release.
+</Note>
+
+Ghostty 1.2.0 features **6 months of work** with changes from
+**142 contributors** over **2,520 commits**. This release contains major
+improvements to every part of Ghostty, including hundreds of bug fixes.
+
+## Highlights
+
+Potential list:
+
+- terminal background image GH-3645
+- quick terminal on linux GH-4624
+- quick terminal size GH-2384
+- linux bell features GH-5326
+- linux localization
+- command palette GH-7153 GH-7156
+- w3c key input GH-7320
+- macOS undo/redo GH-7535
+- ssh shell integration GH-7608
+- big renderer rework GH-7620
+- macOS App Intents GH-7634
+- Custom cursor shaders GH-7648
+
+## Breaking Changes
+
+- GTK: libadwaita is now required. We've
+  [warned that this was coming](/docs/install/release-notes/1-1-0#gtk:-forcing-a-dependency-on-libadwaita)
+  since the 1.1.0 release notes and our motivations are well explained in
+  the prior link. Please read that carefully before reacting! We put out a
+  call for feedback from the community and discussed this decision at length.
+  We shipped features addressing those concerns such as our SSD support, first
+  class CSS styling, and more.
+- GTK: The minimum required OpenGL version is now 4.3. This was required
+  to improve performance, fix some rendering bugs more easily, and make our
+  OpenGL backend more maintainable. OpenGL 4.3 was released in 2012, so this is
+  still over a decade old. GH-7620
+
+### Deprecations
+
+The list below contains deprecations that will be removed in the future,
+but remain compatible today:
+
+- `selection-invert-fg-bg` should be replaced with
+  `selection-foreground=cell-background` and
+  `selection-background=cell-foreground`. GH-5219
+- `cursor-invert-fg-bg` should be replaced with
+  `cursor-color=cell-foreground` and
+  `cursor-text=cell-background`. GH-5219
+
+## Full Changelog
+
+[Full list of closed issues on GitHub](https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/milestone/5?closed=1).
+
+In each section, we try to sort improvements before bug fixes.
+
+- Commands through `-e` no longer are run wrapped with `/bin/sh`
+  and instead are executed directly. GH-7032
+- Add a new command palette feature to macOS and GTK that allows
+  executing most keybind actions even if they aren't bound. GH-7153 GH-7156
+- Directional `goto_split` on both macOS and GTK navigates to the nearest
+  split in that direction from the top-left corner of the current split.
+  We call this "spatial navigation" and it results in more intuitive split
+  navigation. GH-574
+- New opt-in shell integration features `ssh-terminfo` and `ssh-env`
+  improve the experience of using Ghostty over SSH. GH-7608
+- Cursor information is now available to custom shaders, enabling custom
+  shaders to do things such as draw cool animations for cursor movement.
+  GH-7648
+- Add a new keybind `prompt_surface_title` that can be used to change
+  the title of a terminal manually. GH-2509 GH-5769
+- Add a new keybind `scroll_to_selection` which scrolls the viewport
+  to the top-left of the current selection, if it exists. GH-7265
+- config: `command` value can be prefixed with `shell:` or `direct:`
+  to execute a command via the shell (default) or directly via
+  `exec`. GH-7032
+- config: copy on right click with `right-click-action = copy`. GH-4404
+- config: `background-image` can be used to set a background image for
+  the terminal. This currently applies to each terminal, not to windows.
+  GH-3645
+- config: `env` can be used to specify environment variables to set
+  in the terminal environment. GH-5257
+- config: `quick-terminal-size` can be used to customize the
+  size of the quick terminal. GH-2384
+- config: `font-shaping-break` configures when a ligature should be
+  broken (split). GH-4515
+- config: new values `cell-foreground` and `cell-background` can be used
+  with `selection-foreground`, `selection-background`, and `cursor-color`
+  to set their color values to the dynamic cell colors. GH-5219
+- config: new `bold-color` option to specify a custom color for bold to
+  make it easier to read. GH-7168
+- config: new `selection-clear-on-typing` option to clear selection
+  when typing. GH-7394
+- cli: pressing `enter` in `+list-themes` now shows help text on
+  how to configure the theme. GH-4731
+- cli: `+list-themes` now has a flag to filter light and dark themes. GH-7235
+- custom shaders can now be reloaded at runtime. GH-7620
+- custom shaders blend properly with the background color. GH-7620
+- holding the mouse above or below the window while clicking now
+  scrolls the viewport without having to jiggle the mouse. GH-4422
+- shell-integration: now uses a single `GHOSTTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION_FEATURES`
+  env var to specify enabled features instead of multiple env vars. GH-6871
+- shell-integration/elvish: use the `kitty-shell-cwd://` scheme for OSC 7
+  reporting so we don't have to encode it. GH-7033
+- fix crash that could happen with certain `font-family` flags provided
+  specifically to the CLI. GH-7481
+- Resolve issue when pressing `backspace` with preedit text (such as
+  when using an IME). GH-5728
+- config: `keybind=` (blank) restores default keybindings, behaving
+  like other `<key>=` blank values. GH-5936
+- config: `palette` configuration now supporst whitespace between
+  the palette number and color. GH-5921
+- config: All configurations that take a list of colors (e.g.
+  `macos-icon-ghost-color`) support spaces after commas. GH-5918
+- the `copy_url_to_clipboard` keybind action works properly with OSC 8
+  hyperlinks. GH-7499
+- font: U+25E4 and U+25E2 (geometric shapes) are now rasterized
+  with the built-in sprite font. GH-3344
+- font: corner pieces of Geometric Shapes are now rasterized with
+  the built-in sprite font. GH-7562
+- input: mouse scrollwheel mapping to mouse events was modified to
+  better match other terminal emulators. GH-6052
+- input: `ctrl+<ASCII>` works across a wider variety of keyboard layouts.
+  GH-7309
+- input: mouse dragging while clicking cancels any mouse link actions. GH-7080
+- fix some rounding errors for Octant rendering which caused Octants to not
+  line up in some scenarios. GH-7479
+- fix some mouse selection logic which sometimes caused Ghostty to incorrectly
+  select an extra line or character. GH-7444
+- fix file path regular expression to require at least one slash. GH-7355
+- fix a crash when reflowing a grapheme with a spacer head in a specific
+  location. GH-7537
+- Images rendered using the Kitty image protocol now use correct gamma
+  blending. GH-7368
+- shell-integration/bash: no longer depends on a valid `GHOSTTY_RESOURCES_DIR`
+  env var. GH-7611
+- vt: `XTGETTCAP` works properly for lowercase hex characters. GH-7229
+- vt: Kitty image protocol supports delete by range operations. GH-5957
+- vt: Fix aspect ratio issues with some images using the Kitty image
+  protocol. GH-6673
+- vt: Kitty image protocol should accept commands with no control data. GH-7023
+- vt: don't force Kitty images to a grid size. GH-7367
+- vt: OSC 4/104 allow multiple color specifications. GH-7402
+- vt: add support for mode 47. GH-7443
+- vt: add support for mode 1048. GH-7473
+- vt: fix a variety of alt screen edge cases for mode 47, 1047, and 1049 to
+  better match xterm behavior. I don't know any real programs that exercised
+  these bugs, but its good hygiene. GH-7471
+- vt: clear hyperlink state when switching between normal and alt screen.
+  GH-7471
+- vt: `ctrl+esc` now produces the proper Kitty keyboard encoding. GH-7000
+- vt: clear correct row on index (`\n`) operation in certain edge cases.
+  This fixes a misrender that could happen with the vim status line
+  in certain scenarios. GH-7093
+- vt: clicking on an unfocused window no longer encodes a mouse event. GH-2595
+- contrib/vim: fix syntax highlighting of the config in scratch buffers. GH-7119
+
+### macOS
+
+- macOS: Support macOS 26 (Tahoe).
+- macOS: You can now undo and redo closing any type of terminal (window, tab,
+  or split). We keep recently closed terminals in memory for a configurable
+  amount of time (default 10 seconds) so you can recover them if you close
+  them by accident. GH-7535
+- macOS: Read-only accessibility API integration allows screen readers
+  to read Ghostty's structure and contents. This is also useful for AI software
+  to read Ghostty's contents. This requires accessibility permissions, so it is
+  opt-in. GH-7601
+- macOS: Integration with App Intents enables Ghostty to be automated with
+  Apple Shortcuts. GH-7634
+- macOS: Bell implementation. By default, the bell will bounce the dock icon
+  and put a bell emoji in the title. This is cleared when the terminal is
+  focused or on any input. The bell does not make any audio sounds. These
+  can all be disabled with `bell-features`. GH-7099
+- macOS: Scripts executed from Finder or dropped onto the dock now execute
+  via the login shell and sending `<filepath>; exit` via stdin. This is how
+  the built-in Terminal and other terminals work to allow loading your
+  login scripts. GH-7647
+- macOS: Add `bring_all_to_front` keybind action to bring all
+  Ghostty windows to the front. GH-4704
+- macOS: Add `reset_window_size` keybind action to reset the window
+  size to its initial configured size. GH-6038
+- macOS: Add `check_for_update` keybind action. GH-7235
+- macOS: Add "Return to Default Size" menu item. GH-1328
+- macOS: `macos-hidden` configuration will hide Ghostty from the
+  dock and tab menu. GH-4538
+- macOS: Clicking links now uses the `NSWorkspace` API rather than
+  the `open` command. This preserves the source application (Ghostty)
+  which other programs can now use to change their behavior if
+  desired. GH-5256
+- macOS: New config `macos-window-buttons` to hide the traffic light
+  buttons. GH-7504
+- macOS: New option `padded-notch` for the existing `macos-non-native-fullscreen`
+  configuration to put the non-native fullscreen window below the notch
+  but still hide the menu bar. GH-5750
+- macOS: New keybind action and menu item `toggle_window_float_on_top` to
+  have a specific terminal widnow float above all other windows even when
+  unfocused. GH-7237
+- macOS: Equalize splits now works in the quick terminal. GH-7480
+- macOS: The reset zoom button for splits is now visible with titlebar tabs
+  and a single tab. GH-7502
+- macOS: `Cmd+h` (macOS hide window) no longer sends `h` if attempting to
+  hide the last visible window. GH-5929
+- macOS: `maximize` configuration now works on macOS. GH-5928
+- macOS: Improve key input handling speed by about 10x. GH-7121
+- macOS: Differentiate between closing a tab vs a window when pressing the
+  red traffic light. GH-7618
+- macOS: Title text is vertically centered with `macos-titlebar-style=tabs`.
+  GH-5777
+- macOS: focus no longer goes to the first split when toggling
+  non-native fullscreen. GH-6999
+- macOS: `cmd+.` can now be bound. GH-6909
+- macOS: font glyphs constrained to a terminal cell now appear sharper. GH-6914
+- macOS: the `close_window` keybind action now works. GH-7003
+- macOS: quick terminal can appear and disappear more reliably
+  on fullscreen spaces. GH-7070
+- macOS: selection off the left edge of the window no longer
+  scrolls up by one line. GH-7071
+- macOS: New windows created with `macos-titlebar-style=hidden` now cascade
+  their position like other windows. GH-7567
+- macOS: Key input that clears preedit without text shouldn't encode to pty.
+  GH-7226
+- macOS: keyboard shortcuts now work properly with the "Dvorak - QWERTY
+  ⌘" macOS keyboard layout. GH-7315
+- macOS: Round up fractional mouse scroll events, making mice with scroll
+  wheels feel more usable. GH-7185
+- macOS: All split directions are now available in the menubar and
+  context menus. GH-5807
+- macOS: Setting the pwd with OSC 7 now works with macOS's "Private Wi-Fi
+  Address" feature. GH-7029
+- macOS: Resize overlay now uses language-neutral `w x h` format
+  and omits units. GH-7142
+- macOS: "Services -> New Ghostty Window/Tab Here" now works with files.
+  GH-7286
+- macOS: Reliably retain focus when using non-native fullscreen. GH-7279
+- macOS: Fix memory leak that would retain memory of the last closed
+  surface (only one at a time). GH-7507
+- macOS: Fix crash that would occur if non-native fullscreen and
+  `fullscreen = true` were both set. GH-7277
+- macOS: If `title` is set, the title is set on the window on load,
+  allowing window managers to see the title sooner. GH-6056
+- macOS: Any keypress with `cmd` pressed is not encoded for legacy
+  key encoding. GH-6057
+- macOS: Invoking `new_tab` in anyway within the quick terminal now
+  shows a helpful error rather than creating a new window. Tabs in the
+  quick terminal will be supported in a future release. GH-5939
+- macOS: Closing non-native fullscreen windows no properly restores
+  the menu bar. GH-7525
+- macOS: Dismiss any notifications on window focus. GH-7531
+- macOS: Dismiss any notifications on window close. GH-7531
+- macOS: Dismiss any notifications of an already-focused window after
+  a few seconds. GH-7531
+- font/coretext: improve font search sorting to be more consistent. GH-7483
+- man pages now mention macOS-specific configuration path. GH-5938
+
+### GTK (Linux, FreeBSD)
+
+- GTK: Support for FreeBSD. This work was all driven by a single community
+  member and we are very grateful for their contributions. GH-7606
+- GTK: The quick terminal now works on Linux under Wayland and the
+  `wlr-layer-shell` protocol. GH-4624
+- GTK: `global:` keybinds now work whenever XDG desktop portal
+  is available (almost all desktop environments). GH-6051
+- GTK: Audio bell support (default off) can be enabled with
+  `bell-features=audio` and setting `bell-audio-path` and
+  `bell-audio-volume`. GH-5326
+- GTK: Install DBus and Systemd activation services for faster startup. GH-7433
+- GTK: OpenGL renderer now supports linear blending for more correct
+  color blending. GH-7620
+- GTK: Dynamically choose between `io_uring` and `epoll` for the
+  async API on Linux. Previously, this was hardcoded to `io_uring`
+  and epoll-only systems had to build from source. GH-5916
+- GTK: New config `async-backend` can be set to `epoll` to force using
+  epoll instead of io_uring on Linux. This can be useful on kernels where
+  iowait reporting is broken. GH-5916
+- GTK: New config `window-show-tab-bar` customizes when the tab bar
+  is visible. GH-5590
+- GTK: New config `quick-terminal-keyboard-interactivity` to specifically
+  customize the keyboard interactivity setting on Wayland. GH-7477
+- GTK: New keybind action `show_gtk_inspector` to show the GTK inspector
+  since terminal keybinds usually clobber the GTK default. GH-7468
+- GTK: The new tab button now has a dropdown menu to create new splits. GH-7127
+- GTK: A new "remember choice" toggle is added to the clipboard confirmation
+  dialog. GH-6783
+- GTK: Escape `(` and `)` when dropping filepaths onto the terminal. GH-6922
+- GTK: `copy-on-select=clipboard` no longer causes toast spam while
+  selecting. The copy only happens when the mouse is released. GH-4800
+- GTK: All split directions are now available in the menubar and
+  context menus. GH-5779
+- GTK: Windows do not request close confirmation for `wait-after-command`.
+  GH-7500
+- GTK: Fix an issue where the window would sometimes become blank
+  and not close after the last tab was closd. GH-5837
+- GTK: Resize overlay now uses language-neutral `w x h` format
+  and omits units. GH-6013
+- GTK: Clean up surface cgroup properly on close. GH-6766
+- GTK: Reduce flickering/stretching on resize for OpenGL. GH-7155
+- GTK: Detect `GHOSTTY_RESOURCES_DIR` in more installation environments.
+  GH-6814
+  GTK/X11: Fix blur regions when using > 200% scaling. GH-6978
+- font/freetype: error when loading SVG glyphs, since we don't support them
+  anyways. GH-6824
+- font/freetype: fix data races that could cause crashes in rare scenarios.
+  GH-7238
+- packaging: experimental snap packaging is now tested in CI. The
+  published snap image is maintained by an external maintainer for now.
+  GH-3931
+
+### Changes for Package Maintainers
+
+- We now generate source tarballs with some preprocessed files as is
+  standard with many source tarballs (e.g. convertig parser `.y` to `.c`).
+  For Ghostty, we preprocess Blueprint `ui` to `xml` files, translations,
+  and GTK resource files. This allows Ghostty to built on older platforms
+  without access to newer build tools. **Packagers should use the source
+  tarball, not the Git checkout. The `PACKAGING.md` documentation has been
+  updated with this information.** GH-6800
+
+## Roadmap
+
+Ghostty 1.3 will continue the focus of making Ghostty the
+["best existing terminal emulator"](https://mitchellh.com/writing/ghostty-1-0-reflection)
+by shipping the last remaining major missing features to achieve
+parity with other popular terminal emulators. Namely, we plan on shipping
+scrollback search and scrollbars for 1.3, at a minimum.[^1]
+
+The primary focus of Ghostty 1.3 will be on desktop application features
+(of which scrollback search and scrollbars are a part). The core terminal
+emulation features of Ghostty have already proven to be very feature
+rich and stable. However, we plan on continuing to expand our VT feature
+support, such as adopting new experimental protocols that have been recently
+released into the ecosystem by others.
+
+To answer common requests, **Windows** and **libghostty as a
+standalone library** are not planned for Ghostty 1.3. These remain part
+of the long term roadmap, but we want to focus on our existing platforms
+and desktop applications first.
+
+### Moving to a March/September Release Cycle
+
+Ghostty will move to a 6-month release cycle for major/minor releases,
+with the next minor release (1.3.0) planned for March 2026. A March/September
+release cycle aligns well with many major Linux distibutions and macOS.
+Patch releases (e.g. 1.2.1) will be made as needed on an unscheduled basis.
+
+This is a relatively long release cycle for modern applications, but
+let's the development team focus on large, impactful features with enough
+time to stabilize in tip releases. For packagers, it avoids the churn of
+packaging new releases frequently. And the alignment with major OS releases
+let's us ensure we ship major releases that work well on new OS versions.
+
+For users who are interested in more frequent updates, we recommend using
+the [`tip` release channel](/docs/config/reference#auto-update-channel) on macOS or
+[building from source](/docs/install/release-notes/1-1-0#roadmap) frequently on Linux.
+We have thousands of nightly users (thank you for testing!) and the entire
+maintainer team works hard to keep tip releases stable. For the entire 1.1
+to 1.2 development cycle, I can't remember tip releases ever being broken
+for daily use.
+
+[^1]:
+    "Parity" here is used loosely to describe the most popular, frequently
+    used features of other terminal emulators. There is a long tail of features
+    we'll likely never fully implement (and vice versa for our features).
