# Terminal controls

Run analysis scripts and project commands in named terminal sessions.

The terminal gives your writing project a command line. Use it to run an analysis script, inspect generated files, or reproduce a command described in your methods.

![Open the terminal from the project toolbar. Session tabs, New terminal (+), and Terminal settings sit directly above the output.](https://cdn.oleafly.com/images/screenshots/desktop/docs/llama-terminal-dark-window-v2.png#view=0,767,1920,267)

## Open Terminal

Choose **Terminal** from the workspace dock. The terminal opens for the active project. Hiding the terminal lets you return to the editor while the session remains available.

## New terminal

Use **New terminal** to open another session. Keep a long-running analysis in one tab and use another for inspecting output.

## Switch sessions

Select a terminal tab to see its shell and output. A running command belongs to that session, not whichever editor file is selected.

## Rename a tab

Open the tab menu and choose the rename action. Use a name such as `analysis` or `figures` so the purpose is visible when several sessions are open.

## Choose a tab color

Use the tab's color menu to distinguish sessions. Choose **Default** to remove a custom color.

## Close the current tab

Use the close action in the tab menu or its close control. Closing the tab ends that terminal session. Hide the terminal panel when you intend to return to an ongoing command.

## Close other tabs

Choose **Close other tabs** to keep the selected session and close the rest. Check for commands you still need before using it.

## Close tabs to the left

Use this action to close the sessions before the selected tab.

## Close tabs to the right

Use this action to close the sessions after the selected tab.

## Close all tabs

Use **Close all tabs** to end all terminal sessions in that panel.

## Terminal settings

![Settings → Appearance → Terminal. Use this tab for fonts, cursor, color palette, and automatic shell startup.](https://cdn.oleafly.com/images/screenshots/desktop/docs/settings-terminal-dark-window-v2.png#view=519,89,883,902)

Open **Terminal settings** to adjust the terminal's font, size, normal and bold weights, cursor shape, cursor blink, startup behavior, and colors. The [Appearance guide](/docs/settings/appearance/) describes these controls individually.

## Start with a project

Enable the terminal startup option in Appearance settings if you want it ready when a project opens. Otherwise, open it from the dock when you need a shell.

## Inspect the LLaMA project

Open the LLaMA project and its terminal. This command counts the top-level LaTeX source files and checks that `acl2023.tex` exists. It reads the project without changing it:

```sh
python3 -c 'from pathlib import Path; files = sorted(Path(".").glob("*.tex")); print("LaTeX source files:", len(files)); print("Main file:", Path("acl2023.tex").is_file())'
```

The count depends on your copy of the project. `Main file: True` confirms the entry file is present. On systems where Python is installed as `python`, use that command instead.

For an analysis script, keep the script and its input data together in the project, run it from this terminal, and insert its output into the paper only after checking the results.

[Build a paper around data analysis →](/docs/workflows/data-analysis/)