terminado

Terminado is a Spanish adjective meaning finished, completed, or terminated. In technical contexts, the term is also used as the name of open-source software components that provide browser-based terminal functionality.

In computing, Terminado refers to a small server-side component that bridges a server-side pseudo-terminal (PTY) with a client-side web-based terminal. The project offers a Python-based backend that creates and manages a PTY, launches a shell or other interactive process, and relays input and output between the PTY and a browser terminal over a WebSocket connection. The design enables interactive command-line sessions to be accessed from a web browser.

Architecture and usage: A typical Terminado deployment includes a Python process that spawns a PTY and handles a WebSocket endpoint. A browser frontend, using a terminal emulator such as term.js or xterm.js, renders the terminal and sends user input back to the server, which writes it to the PTY and forwards resulting output to the client. This arrangement is commonly used to embed terminal access within larger web applications, particularly in multi-user environments.

Applications and role: Terminado is used as a component in web-based environments that require authenticated, per-user terminal access. It is associated with projects in the Python ecosystem and has been integrated into systems like JupyterHub to provide in-browser terminals for users.

Security considerations: Exposing a shell via a web interface requires careful isolation, access controls, and process permissions to prevent unauthorized access and ensure safe operation within a shared environment.

See also: Pseudo-terminal (PTY), WebSocket, Terminal emulator, JupyterHub, xterm.js.