Shell

The program section controls which shell Attyx launches and how it starts.

Configuration

[program]
shell = "/bin/zsh"
args = ["-l"]
working-directory = "/Users/you/Projects"

Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
shell	string	$SHELL or /bin/sh	Shell program to run
args	string[]	[]	Extra arguments passed to the shell
working-directory	string	home directory	Initial working directory

Shell detection

If shell is not set, Attyx uses the SHELL environment variable. If that’s also unset, it falls back to /bin/sh.

Login shell

To start a login shell, pass -l in the args:

[program]
args = ["-l"]

Working directory

Set the initial directory for new terminal sessions:

[program]
working-directory = "/Users/you/Projects"

The path is used as-is — Attyx does not expand ~, so use an absolute path. When not set, Attyx inherits the working directory from its parent process, falling back to your home directory.

Running a command instead of a shell

You can run any program, not just a shell:

[program]
shell = "/usr/bin/htop"

The terminal will close when the program exits.

CLI flags

Flag	Description
--shell <path>	Shell program
--cmd <command...>	Override shell command
-d, --working-directory <path>	Initial working directory

Shell integration

Attyx includes shell integration scripts for zsh, bash, fish, nushell, and sh. These enable features like working directory tracking (OSC 7) and PATH reporting for popups. Shell integration is automatic — no configuration needed.

Runtime changes

Program settings require a restart — they are not hot-reloadable. Changing the shell or working directory only affects new terminals.