The latest articles on DEV Community by yun li (@yun_li_19983587641c631c31). https://dev.to/yun_li_19983587641c631c31 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3814538%2F5edf97a0-69fc-4b23-bd02-4fe98fd54965.png https://dev.to/yun_li_19983587641c631c31 en yun li Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:44:13 +0000 https://dev.to/yun_li_19983587641c631c31/-a-new-era-desktop-terminal-application-novarterm-3dp5 https://dev.to/yun_li_19983587641c631c31/-a-new-era-desktop-terminal-application-novarterm-3dp5 <p>A remarkable desktop tool has recently stood out: <strong>NovarTerm</strong> <a href="https://novarterm.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://novarterm.com</a></p> <p>It is not just “a terminal with an AI plugin.”<br> It combines AI, SSH, file browsing, and transfer tracking into one unified desktop workspace. For developers and DevOps teams, this means fewer context switches and a smoother command-to-resolution workflow.</p> <h2> Why call it a “new-era” terminal app? </h2> <p>Traditional terminal workflows are usually fragmented:</p> <ul> <li>Run commands in one window</li> <li>Ask AI in another app</li> <li>Return to terminal to test fixes</li> <li>Switch to another tool for SSH sessions</li> <li>Open yet another tool for file upload/download</li> </ul> <p>NovarTerm brings these steps back into one workspace.</p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Flng1keny9ahxogt46hfd.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Flng1keny9ahxogt46hfd.png" alt=" " width="800" height="483"></a></p> <h2> Core Capabilities </h2> <h3> AI </h3> <ul> <li> <code>Command + K</code> quickly opens/closes the AI Command Bar</li> <li>Shell right-click supports <code>Explain with AI</code> </li> <li>Smart error detection provides quick actions like <code>Explain Error</code> and <code>Debug With AI</code> </li> <li>Unified AI action modes: <code>Explain</code>, <code>Run</code>, and <code>Insert</code> </li> <li>Built-in baseline AI models, plus support for user-added custom models</li> <li>Fast custom-model switching in AI Command Bar</li> <li>Inline command assistance when input starts with <code>&gt;</code> </li> </ul> <h3> Workspace </h3> <ul> <li>Multi-pane support (horizontal/vertical split)</li> <li>Workspace layout restore after app restart (tabs and panes)</li> <li>New pane actions can inherit contextual working directory</li> </ul> <h3> SSH </h3> <ul> <li>Multiple server profiles can be saved in Settings</li> <li>Right-click terminal actions can connect in current pane, new pane, or new tab</li> <li>Clear connection-state feedback for retry/switch</li> </ul> <h3> File Pane </h3> <ul> <li>Quick open local or remote file browser panel via terminal right-click</li> <li>Fast server/source switching inside file pane</li> <li>Remote upload for both files and directories</li> <li>Remote file download from file pane</li> <li>Quick create file, create directory, delete file, and extract ZIP archive</li> </ul> <h3> Drag-and-Drop + Transfer Center </h3> <ul> <li>Local terminal supports quick path parsing/insertion for dropped files/directories</li> <li>Remote file pane supports drag-and-drop upload for files/directories</li> <li>Unified transfer center for upload/download progress and history</li> <li>Quick open local file location for transferred items</li> </ul> <h3> Trigger Automation + i18n </h3> <ul> <li>Multiple trigger rule sets are supported</li> <li>Keyword matching can automatically input and send configured content</li> <li>Core flows are available in both English and Chinese (coverage is still expanding)</li> </ul> <h2> Who is this best for? </h2> <ul> <li>Developers who work primarily in terminal</li> <li>DevOps/platform engineers who frequently use SSH + file transfer</li> <li>Teams that want AI to be integrated into command-line workflows, not separated from them</li> </ul> <h2> Final Take </h2> <p>If terminal is your primary battlefield, NovarTerm’s integrated model<br> (AI + terminal + remote sessions + file operations + transfer tracking)<br> represents a practical direction for next-generation desktop terminal tools.</p> ai cli productivity tooling