Profile System Guide

NeoTerm's profile system allows you to create multiple terminal configurations with different settings, perfect for separating work environments, projects, or use cases.

What is a Profile?

A profile is a saved collection of terminal settings including:

Color Scheme - Specific theme for this profile (optional)
Font - Specific font for this profile (optional)
Shell Path - Which shell to use (bash, zsh, fish, etc.)
Initial Command - Commands to run automatically on startup
Extra Keys - Enable/disable extra keys row
Word-based IME - Input method configuration
Bell Settings - Enable/disable terminal bell
Vibration - Enable/disable vibration on bell
Special Key Bindings - Volume keys behavior

Creating a Profile

Step 1: Open Profile Manager

Open NeoTerm
Menu (⋮) → Settings → Profile Manager
Tap "Create New Profile" or "+"

Step 2: Configure Profile

Profile Name (required):

Give your profile a descriptive name
Examples: "Work", "Personal", "Server Admin", "Python Dev"

Color Scheme (optional):

Select from 115 available schemes
Leave empty to use global color scheme
When set: overrides global for this profile

Font (optional):

Select from 28 available fonts
Leave empty to use global font
When set: overrides global for this profile

Shell Path:

Default: /data/data/io.neoterm/files/usr/bin/bash
Other options: /bin/sh, /usr/bin/zsh, /usr/bin/fish
Custom: Any valid shell path

Initial Command:

Commands to run when session starts
Examples:
- cd ~/projects && ls
- source ~/.profile && clear
- tmux attach || tmux

Extra Keys:

☑ Enable: Show extra keys row (ESC, TAB, CTRL, etc.)
☐ Disable: Hide extra keys row

Word-based IME:

☑ Enable: Better for some keyboards and languages
☐ Disable: Standard input method (default)

Bell & Vibration:

Terminal bell enable/disable
Vibration on bell enable/disable

Step 3: Save Profile

Tap "Save" to create the profile.

Using Profiles

Create New Session with Profile

Method 1: From Tab Switcher

Tap tab switcher button
Tap "+" or Menu → New Session with Profile
Select profile from list
New session opens with profile settings

Method 2: From Menu

Menu (⋮) → New Session with Profile
Select profile
Session opens immediately

Method 3: App Shortcut (Android 7.1+)

Long-press NeoTerm icon on home screen
Select profile shortcut
New session opens with that profile

Session Without Profile

Menu → New Session creates a session without profile, using global settings.

Profile Behavior

Settings Priority

Session WITH Profile:

Profile Settings → Override → Global Settings

If profile has color scheme: uses profile color scheme
If profile has no color scheme: uses global color scheme
If profile has font: uses profile font
If profile has no font: uses global font
Other settings always come from profile

Session WITHOUT Profile:

Global Settings → Applied Directly

Uses current global color scheme
Uses current global font
Changes to global settings apply immediately

Real-World Example

Scenario: You have:

Global color scheme: Nord
Global font: JetBrains Mono 14pt
Profile "Work" with: Gruvbox color, no font set
Profile "Python" with: Dracula color, Fira Code font

Results:

New Session (no profile):
- Color: Nord (global)
- Font: JetBrains Mono 14pt (global)
- Changes with global settings
Work Profile Session:
- Color: Gruvbox (profile)
- Font: JetBrains Mono 14pt (global, profile has no font)
- Color never changes, font changes with global
Python Profile Session:
- Color: Dracula (profile)
- Font: Fira Code (profile)
- Never changes, fully isolated

Managing Profiles

Edit Profile

Menu → Settings → Profile Manager
Tap profile to edit
Modify settings
Save changes
Note: Changes apply to NEW sessions only, not existing sessions

Delete Profile

Menu → Settings → Profile Manager
Long-press profile
Select "Delete"
Confirm deletion
Note: Existing sessions with this profile continue working but are no longer associated with the profile

Duplicate Profile

Menu → Settings → Profile Manager
Long-press profile
Select "Duplicate"
Modify duplicate as needed
Save

Profile Configuration Files

File Location

Profiles are stored as NeoLang files (.nl) in:

~/.config/neoterm/profiles/

File Format Example

profile {
  meta-name: "shell-profile"
  profile-name: "Work"

  login-shell: "/data/data/io.neoterm/files/usr/bin/bash"
  initial-command: "cd ~/work && ls"

  profile-font: "JetBrains-Mono"
  profile-color-scheme: "GruvboxDark"

  enable-bell: true
  enable-vibrate: false
  enable-extra-keys: true
  enable-word-based-ime: false
  enable-special-volume-keys: false
  enable-back-key-to-escape: true
}

Manual Profile Creation

Advanced users can create profiles manually:

Create .nl file in ~/.config/neoterm/profiles/
Use NeoLang syntax (see example above)
Restart NeoTerm or reload profiles
Profile appears in Profile Manager

Backup & Share Profiles

Export Profile:

Copy profile file from ~/.config/neoterm/profiles/
Share .nl file

Import Profile:

Copy .nl file to ~/.config/neoterm/profiles/
Restart NeoTerm
Profile appears in list

Common Profile Configurations

Development Profile

Name: Python Dev
Shell: bash
Initial Command: source ~/venv/bin/activate && cd ~/projects
Color: Dracula
Font: Fira Code
Extra Keys: Enabled

Server Administration

Name: Server Admin
Shell: bash
Initial Command: ssh user@server.com
Color: Nord
Font: Hack
Extra Keys: Enabled
Bell: Disabled (for SSH noise)

Personal Usage

Name: Personal
Shell: zsh
Initial Command: neofetch && cd ~
Color: Catppuccin Mocha
Font: JetBrains Mono
Extra Keys: Disabled

Tmux Session

Name: Tmux
Shell: bash
Initial Command: tmux attach || tmux new
Color: Gruvbox Dark
Font: Source Code Pro
Extra Keys: Enabled

Quick Scripts

Name: Scripts
Shell: bash
Initial Command: cd ~/bin && ls -la
Color: Tokyo Night Dark
Font: Ubuntu Mono
Extra Keys: Enabled

Advanced Features

Shell-specific Profiles

Different shells for different use cases:

Bash Profile:

Standard, compatible, widely supported
Good for: General use, scripts, compatibility

Zsh Profile:

Advanced features, oh-my-zsh support
Good for: Power users, customization

Fish Profile:

Modern syntax, auto-suggestions
Good for: Interactive use, beginners

Startup Commands

Single command:

cd ~/projects

Multiple commands (use &&):

cd ~/work && git fetch && ls

Run script:

bash ~/startup.sh

Conditional execution:

[ -f ~/.profile ] && source ~/.profile

Environment Variables

Set in initial command:

export PATH=$PATH:~/bin && export EDITOR=vim

Or create a sourced script:

source ~/.neoterm-profile

Troubleshooting

Profile Not Applying

Symptom: Session doesn't use profile settings

Solutions:

Check profile has non-empty name
Verify settings are actually set in profile (not left empty)
Create NEW session (changes don't apply to existing sessions)
Check profile file exists in ~/.config/neoterm/profiles/

Color Scheme Stuck

Symptom: Changing global colors doesn't affect session

Cause: Session is using a profile with color scheme set

Solution: Either:

Remove color scheme from profile (use global)
Change color in profile itself
Create new session without profile

Initial Command Fails

Symptom: Session starts but command doesn't run