serterm

README

SerTerm

A simple serial terminal for the command line.

Install

macOS / Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eliachiarucci/serterm/main/install.sh | sh

Windows

Download the zip for your architecture from the latest release, extract serterm.exe, and put it on your PATH.

Packages

.deb, .rpm, and .apk packages are attached to each release.

Or build from source (see Build below).

Usage

serterm

Running serterm with no arguments starts the interactive device picker. There are also a few subcommands:

Command	Action
serterm list	list connected serial devices (device, tab, description)
serterm open <device> [flags]	connect and stream logs to stdout until interrupted (ctrl+c)
serterm update	update serterm to the latest release (runs the install script)
serterm help	show usage

open flags:

Flag	Action
-b, --baud N	baud rate (default 115200)
-s, --send TEXT	send TEXT to the device after opening, \n appended (the response shows up in the stream)
-ca, --close-after N	exit after N seconds (max 60)
-c, --close	close right after sending, without reading a response (use with --send to just fire a message)

serterm open /dev/cu.usbmodem1101 -b 9600 -ca 5   # capture 5 seconds of logs
serterm open /dev/cu.usbmodem1101 -s "status" -ca 3   # send a command, capture the reply
serterm open /dev/cu.usbmodem1101 -s "reboot" -c   # just send a message and close

serterm --version prints the version.

Device picker

Key	Action
↑/↓	select device
←/→	change baud rate (default 115200)
enter	connect
r	refresh device list
q	quit

Terminal

Key	Action
enter	send the input line (a \n is appended)
ctrl+s	save the output stream to a log file
ctrl+l	clear the output stream
ctrl+d	back to the device picker
pgup/pgdn	scroll the output
ctrl+c	quit

The output also scrolls with the mouse wheel (via the emulator's alternate scroll mode). serterm never captures the mouse, so your terminal's native text selection and copy shortcuts work as usual.

Sent messages are echoed in the stream prefixed with →. If the device is unplugged, a notice appears and ctrl+d returns to the picker.

Build

go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o serterm .

Produces a single self-contained binary, no runtime dependencies.

Test

go test ./...

Code layout

• main.go — root model; switches between the two screens
• cli.go — list, open, update, and help subcommands
• ports.go — device discovery (hides macOS /dev/tty.* duplicates, USB first)
• picker.go — device selection screen
• terminal.go — streaming view, input line, serial reader goroutine
• styles.go — shared lipgloss styles

License

MIT

Documentation

Overview

SerTerm is a small serial terminal for the command line.

It shows a list of serial devices to pick from, then streams the device's output while a reserved bottom line accepts messages to send. Ctrl+D returns to the device list, Ctrl+C quits.