Getting Started
Install Mosaic Terminal, learn basic navigation, and set up your first workspace.
Getting Started
MOSAIC stands for Multi-agent Orchestration Station for AI Coding. It is a workstation that observes, coordinates, and quality-gates multiple AI coding agents working in parallel. The terminal is the foundation layer -- a GPU-accelerated, fully-featured terminal emulator that you can use as your daily driver, with deep orchestration capabilities built on top.
Getting Access
Mosaic is a one-time purchase in two tiers, Standard and Pro. Pick the one that fits at mosaicterminal.dev/pricing — you get your download link once you're set up.
Mosaic ships for Windows (signed installer .exe or portable build) and Linux (AppImage or .deb package). macOS is not available yet. After your first install, future updates are handled automatically by the built-in auto-updater — you will be notified when a new version is available, and it will download and apply in the background.
Windows SmartScreen: builds are code-signed, but SmartScreen may still warn on first launch until the signature builds reputation. Click More info → Run anyway.
Tip: If you are coming from Windows Terminal, Cmder, or another terminal emulator, Mosaic works with all the same shells. Your existing PowerShell, cmd.exe, Git Bash, and WSL configurations will be detected automatically.
First Launch
When you open Mosaic for the first time, three things happen automatically:
- A default workspace is created for you
- A single terminal pane opens with your system's detected default shell
- The terminal is ready to use -- start typing commands immediately
Mosaic detects your shell environment automatically, including PowerShell, cmd.exe, Git Bash, WSL, and custom shells configured through shell profiles.
Basic Navigation
These are the shortcuts you will use every day:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New terminal | Ctrl+Shift+T |
| Split right | Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Split down | Ctrl+Shift+D |
| Close pane | Ctrl+Shift+W |
| Command palette | Ctrl+Shift+P |
| Find in terminal | Ctrl+F |
| Next pane | Alt+Right |
| Previous pane | Alt+Left |
Tip: All 41 keyboard shortcuts are rebindable in Settings > Shortcuts. If any default conflicts with your workflow, change it.
Your First Split
Mosaic uses a flexible tiling layout. To create your first split:
- Press Ctrl+Shift+S to split the current terminal to the right
- Or press Ctrl+Shift+D to split downward
Each split creates a new independent terminal session with its own shell process. You can drag tab headers to rearrange panes, and the layout adapts automatically. Mosaic supports up to 64 panes per workspace (with a warning at 48).
You can also use quick layout presets to instantly switch to common arrangements: single pane, side-by-side, top/bottom, 2x2 grid, or a 3-panel layout. Access these from the command palette or Settings > Layouts.
Your First Workspace
Workspaces let you maintain completely separate terminal environments for different projects. Each workspace has its own layout, contexts, background image, color tint, and working directory.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+N to create a new workspace
- Give it a name and optionally choose an emoji or SVG icon
- Switch between workspaces with Ctrl+Shift+1 through Ctrl+Shift+9
Setting a Default Working Directory
Each workspace can have a default CWD (current working directory). When set, every new terminal opened in that workspace will start in that directory automatically.
To set it:
- Right-click the workspace tab or open workspace settings
- Set the Default CWD to your project root directory
- Every new terminal in that workspace will now open in the right place
Tip: Combine per-workspace CWDs with per-workspace color tints and icons to create a visually distinct environment for each project.
The Command Palette
Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the command palette. It gives you fuzzy search access to every action, theme, and workspace in Mosaic. This is the fastest way to discover features you have not tried yet.
The command palette has two modes:
| Mode | Trigger | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Command mode | Ctrl+Shift+P | Fuzzy search actions, themes, workspaces |
| File mode | Ctrl+P | Fuzzy file search across your workspace root |
Type > while in file mode to switch to command mode. See Command Palette for full details.
Quake Terminal
Mosaic includes a drop-down "quake" terminal that slides in from the top of your screen with a global hotkey, even when Mosaic is not focused. This gives you instant terminal access from any application.
Configure it in Settings > Quake Terminal:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Global hotkey | The key combination that toggles the quake terminal |
| Window height | How far down the screen the quake terminal extends |
| Window width | How wide the quake terminal appears |
| Animation | Slide or fade animation style |
| Always-on-top | Keep the quake terminal above other windows |
| Hide on blur | Automatically hide when you click outside the quake terminal |
System Tray
Mosaic runs a system tray icon that provides quick access without the main window:
- Show -- bring the main window to focus
- Quake toggle -- open or close the quake terminal
- Quit -- exit Mosaic completely
The tray icon stays active even when the main window is minimized, so you always have access to the quake terminal.
Next Steps
Now that you have the basics, explore deeper:
- Terminal -- search, copy mode, zoom, clickable links, inline images, and every terminal feature
- Panes and Tabs -- split, zoom, rearrange, color-code, and manage your layout
- Workspaces -- independent layouts, themes, CWDs, and per-workspace features
- Contexts -- organize panes into independent sub-environments within a workspace
- Command Palette -- fuzzy search, file navigation, and action discovery
- Agent Orchestration -- coordinate multiple AI coding agents in parallel