tera

README

Tera: Terminal Radio

A terminal-based internet radio player powered by Radio Browser.

Features

• 🔍 Search - Find stations by name, tag, language, country, or state
• 🎲 I Feel Lucky - Random station discovery by keyword
• 💾 Favorites - Organize stations into custom lists with duplicate detection
• ⚡ Quick Play - Direct playback from main menu (shortcuts 10-99+)
• 🔊 Playback Control - Play/pause with persistent status, adjust volume, and mute during playback
• ☁️ Gist Sync - Backup and restore favorites via GitHub Gists
• 🗳️ Voting - Support your favorite stations on Radio Browser
• 🎨 Themes - Choose from predefined themes or customize via YAML config
• 🔄 Update Checker - Get notified when a new version is available
• ⌨️ Keyboard-driven - Full navigation without a mouse
• ❓ Context Help - Press ? anytime to see available keyboard shortcuts

Requirements

• mpv - Media player for audio playback

Installation

Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

# update and upgrade
brew update && brew upgrade
brew install shinokada/tera/tera
# Upgrade existing installation
brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera

Golang

go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo dpkg -i tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Install mpv dependency if needed

Fedora/RHEL

sudo rpm -i tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.rpm

Windows Scoop

scoop bucket add shinokada https://github.com/shinokada/scoop-bucket
scoop install tera

Windows Winget

winget install Shinokada.Tera
# Upgrade existing installation
winget upgrade Shinokada.Tera

Manual Download

Download the latest binary for your platform from the releases page:

Platform	Architecture	File
macOS	Intel	tera_1.x.x_darwin_amd64.tar.gz
macOS	Apple Silicon	tera_1.x.x_darwin_arm64.tar.gz
Linux	x86_64	tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.tar.gz
Linux	ARM64	tera_1.x.x_linux_arm64.tar.gz
Windows	x86_64	tera_1.x.x_windows_amd64.zip
Windows	ARM64	tera_1.x.x_windows_arm64.zip

macOS/Linux

# Download and extract (example for macOS Apple Silicon)
tar -xzf tera_1.x.x_darwin_arm64.tar.gz

# Move to a directory in your PATH
sudo mv tera /usr/local/bin/

Windows

1. Download the .zip file for your architecture
2. Extract the archive
3. Add the extracted directory to your PATH or move tera.exe to a directory already in your PATH

Quick Start

# Start TERA
tera

# Main Menu Options:
# 1) Play from Favorites - Browse your saved lists
# 2) Search Stations     - Find new stations
# 3) Manage Lists        - Create/edit/delete favorite lists
# 4) I Feel Lucky        - Random station by keyword
# 5) Gist Management     - Backup/restore via GitHub

# Quick Play (from main menu):
# Type 10-99+ to instantly play stations from "My-favorites"

# Need help? Press ? anytime to see keyboard shortcuts!

Main Features

Play from Favorites

Browse and play stations from your organized lists. Navigate with ↑↓ or jk, press Enter to play.

Search Stations

Six search methods to find stations:

• By Tag - Genre/style (jazz, rock, classical)
• By Name - Station name (BBC, NPR, KEXP)
• By Language - Broadcasting language
• By Country - Country code (US, UK, JP)
• By State - Region/state name
• Advanced - Search both name and tags

See Search Guide below for details.

Manage Lists

Create, rename, and delete your favorite lists. Stations can be:

• Saved to multiple lists
• Moved between lists
• Deleted from lists

Duplicate Detection: TERA automatically prevents adding the same station twice to any list.

I Feel Lucky

Enter a keyword (genre, mood, style) and TERA finds a random matching station. Perfect for music discovery!

Shuffle Mode: Enable shuffle mode to automatically cycle through multiple stations matching your keyword:

• Press t to toggle shuffle on/off
• Stations play in random order without repeats
• Optional auto-advance timer (configurable)
• Navigate backward through recently played stations
• Configure shuffle behavior in Settings → Shuffle Settings

See Shuffle Mode for detailed features.

Settings

Access app configuration from the main menu (option 6):

• Theme / Colors - Switch between predefined themes or customize colors
• Connection Settings - Auto-reconnect and buffering for unstable networks (4G/GPRS)
• Shuffle Settings - Configure shuffle mode behavior (auto-advance, history size)
• Search History - View and clear your search history
• Check for Updates - View current version and check for new releases
• About TERA - See version, installation method, and update command

The Settings menu automatically detects how you installed TERA (Homebrew, Go, Scoop, Winget, etc.) and shows the appropriate update command.

Connection Settings

For users on unstable networks (mobile data, GPRS, 4G), configure automatic reconnection:

• Auto-reconnect - Automatically retry when stream drops (default: enabled)
• Reconnect delay - Wait time between attempts: 1-30 seconds (default: 5s)
• Stream buffer - Cache size to handle brief signal drops: 10-200 MB (default: 50MB)

Settings stored in ~/.config/tera/connection_config.yaml.

Quick Play from Main Menu

The main menu shows your "My-favorites" list with shortcuts 10-99+. Type the number to play instantly:

Main Menu & Quick Play

Choose an option:

  1. Play from Favorites
  2. Search Stations
  3. Manage Lists
  4. I Feel Lucky
  5. Gist Management

─── Quick Play Favorites ───
  10. Jazz FM • UK • MP3 192kbps
  11. BBC Radio 6 Music • UK • AAC 128kbps
  12. KEXP 90.3 FM • US • AAC 128kbps

Type 10-12 to play instantly!

How it works:

• Stations from "My-favorites.json" appear with shortcuts 10+
• Type the number (e.g., 11) and press Enter
• Station plays immediately
• Press Esc to stop playback

Theme Configuration

In-App Theme Selection

The easiest way to change themes is through the Settings menu:

1. Press 6 from the main menu to open Settings
2. Select "Theme / Colors"
3. Choose from predefined themes:
   • Default - Cyan and blue tones
   • Ocean - Deep blue theme
   • Forest - Green nature theme
   • Sunset - Warm orange and red
   • Purple Haze - Purple and magenta
   • Monochrome - Classic black and white
   • Dracula - Popular dark theme
   • Nord - Arctic, north-bluish

Manual Configuration

You can also customize colors and padding by editing ~/.config/tera/theme.yaml:

tera theme path   # Show config file location
tera theme reset  # Reset to defaults

The config file includes an ANSI color reference (0-15 standard colors, 16-255 extended colors). Example:

colors:
  primary: "6"      # Cyan
  highlight: "3"    # Yellow
  error: "9"        # Bright Red
  
padding:
  list_item_left: 2

Update Checker

TERA automatically checks for new versions on startup. When an update is available:

• A yellow ⬆ Update indicator appears in the main menu footer
• Go to Settings → Check for Updates for details and update instructions

Checking for Updates

1. Press 6 from the main menu to open Settings
2. Select "Check for Updates" (option 2)
3. View:
   • Your current version
   • Latest available version
   • Link to release notes
   • Installation method (automatically detected)
   • Specific update command for your installation

TERA detects how you installed it and provides the correct update command. For example:

• If installed via Homebrew: Shows brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera
• If installed via Go: Shows go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest
• If installed via Scoop: Shows scoop update tera
• If installed via Winget: Shows winget upgrade tera

Update Commands

Installation Method	Update Command
Homebrew	brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera
Go install	go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest
Scoop	scoop update tera
Winget	winget upgrade tera
APT/DEB	sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade tera
RPM/DNF	sudo dnf upgrade tera
Manual	Download from releases page

Shuffle Mode

Shuffle mode is an enhanced version of "I Feel Lucky" that lets you explore multiple stations matching your search keyword without manually searching each time.

How It Works

1. Navigate to I Feel Lucky from the main menu (option 4)
2. Press t to toggle shuffle mode on
3. Enter your keyword (e.g., "jazz", "rock", "meditation")
4. Press Enter to start shuffle mode

Features

Automatic Station Discovery

• TERA finds all stations matching your keyword
• Plays them in random order without repeats
• No duplicates until all stations have been played

Auto-Advance Timer (Optional)

• Automatically skip to the next station after a set interval
• Configurable intervals: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes
• Pause/resume timer with p key
• Disable for manual control

Station History

• Keep track of recently played stations
• Navigate backward with b key
• Configurable history size: 3, 5, 7, or 10 stations
• See last few stations in the shuffle history display

Seamless Playback

• All standard playback controls work (volume, mute, favorites, voting)
• Save any station to your favorites while shuffling
• Stop shuffle but keep playing current station with h

Shuffle Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
t	Toggle shuffle mode (in input screen)
n	Next shuffle station (manual skip)
b	Previous station (from history)
p	Pause/resume auto-advance timer
h	Stop shuffle, keep playing current
f	Save to My-favorites
s	Save to another list
v	Vote for station
Esc	Stop shuffle and return to input

Shuffle Settings

Configure shuffle behavior in Settings → Shuffle Settings:

Auto-advance

• Enable/disable automatic station switching
• When disabled, you manually control station changes with n/b

Auto-advance Interval

• Set how long each station plays before auto-advancing
• Options: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes
• Default: 5 minutes

Remember History

• Enable/disable station history tracking
• When disabled, you cannot go back to previous stations

History Size

• Number of previous stations to remember
• Options: 3, 5, 7, or 10 stations
• Default: 5 stations

Example Shuffle Session

🎵 Now Playing (🔀 Shuffle: jazz)

Station: Smooth Jazz 24/7
Country: United States
Codec: AAC • Bitrate: 128 kbps

▶ Playing...

🔀 Shuffle Active • Next in: 4:23
   Station 3 of session
   
─── Shuffle History ───
  ← Jazz FM London
  ← WBGO Jazz 88.3
  → Smooth Jazz 24/7  ← Current

f: Fav • s: List • v: Vote • n: Next • b: Prev • p: Pause timer • h: Stop shuffle

Configuration File

Shuffle settings are stored in ~/.config/tera/shuffle.yaml:

shuffle:
  auto_advance: true           # Auto-advance enabled
  interval_minutes: 5          # 5 minutes per station
  remember_history: true       # Track history
  max_history: 5               # Remember last 5 stations

You can edit this file directly or use the Settings menu.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global Navigation

Key	Action
↑↓ / jk	Navigate
Enter	Select / Play
Esc	Back / Stop
0	Main Menu
?	Help
Ctrl+C	Quit

Main Menu

Key	Action
1-6	Quick select menu item
10-99+	Quick play from My-favorites

Playback Controls

Key	Action
Space	Pause / Resume
*	Volume up (+5%)
/	Volume down (-5%)
m	Toggle mute

Playing/Browsing Stations

Key	Action
f	Save to My-favorites
s	Save to another list
v	Vote for station

List Management

Key	Action
n	New list (in dialogs)
d	Delete item

Search Guide

The Search Stations menu offers multiple ways to find stations:

Search Types

Option	Description	Example Query
Search by Tag	Find stations by genre/style tags	jazz, rock, news, classical
Search by Name	Find stations by their name	BBC, NPR, KEXP
Search by Language	Find stations broadcasting in a language	english, spanish, japanese
Search by Country Code	Find stations from a specific country	US, UK, FR, JP
Search by State	Find stations from a state/region	California, Texas, Bavaria
Advanced Search	Search both name AND tag fields	smooth jazz, classic rock

Query Format

• Single words work: jazz, rock, news
• Multi-word phrases work: classic rock, smooth jazz, talk radio
• Partial matching: Searching BBC finds "BBC Radio 1", "BBC World Service", etc.
• Case insensitive: Jazz, JAZZ, and jazz all work the same

When to Use Advanced Search

Use Advanced Search when:

• You're not sure if your term is a station name or a genre tag
• You want broader results across multiple fields
• You're exploring and want maximum discovery

Features:

• Country: Enter a 2-letter code (e.g., "US") for Country Code search, or a full name (e.g., "Japan") for Country Name search.
• Bitrate: Press 1, 2, or 3 to filter by quality. Press the same number again to unselect.
• Language: Case-insensitive (e.g., "English" becomes "english").

For example, searching jazz in Advanced Search finds:

• Stations with "jazz" in their name (e.g., "Jazz FM")
• Stations tagged with "jazz" as a genre

Search Results

Results are sorted by votes (most popular first) and limited to 100 stations. Broken/offline stations are automatically filtered out.

In the results:

• Navigate with ↑↓ or jk
• Press Enter to view station details and play
• Press f to add to My-favorites
• Press s to add to another list
• Press v to vote for the station

Gist Sync

Backup and sync your favorite lists across devices using GitHub Gists.

Quick Setup:

1. Go to: Main Menu → 5) Gist Management → 6) Token Management
2. Create a GitHub Personal Access Token (with gist scope only)
3. Paste token in TERA
4. Create your first gist backup!

Features:

• Create secret or public gists
• View your gist history
• Recover favorites from any gist URL
• Update gist descriptions
• Delete old backups

Documentation:

• Gist Setup Guide - Token setup and security
• Gist Management Guide - Complete feature guide

File Locations

~/.config/tera/
├── theme.yaml              # Color and padding customization
├── connection_config.yaml  # Auto-reconnect and buffering settings
├── shuffle.yaml            # Shuffle mode settings
├── gist_metadata.json      # Your gist history
├── tokens/
│   └── github_token        # GitHub Personal Access Token
└── favorites/
    ├── My-favorites.json   # Quick play list (main menu 10+)
    ├── Rock.json           # Your custom lists
    └── Jazz.json

Troubleshooting

No sound?

• Ensure mpv is installed: mpv --version
• Check your system audio settings
• Try playing a test stream: mpv https://stream.example.com

Station won't play?

• Some streams may be temporarily offline
• Try another station
• Check if the station works in a web browser

Stop stuck playback

pkill mpv

Multiple stations playing at once

TERA should prevent this, but if it happens:

killall mpv
# or on Linux
pkill -9 mpv

Can't find My-favorites.json

TERA creates it automatically at first launch. Check:

ls -la ~/.config/tera/favorites/

If missing, restart TERA and it will be created.

Development

Requirements

• Go 1.21+
• mpv

Run from source

git clone https://github.com/shinokada/tera.git
cd tera
go run cmd/tera/main.go

Test

go test ./... -v

Build

go build -o tera cmd/tera/main.go

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Open an issue to discuss proposed changes
2. Fork the repository
3. Create a feature branch
4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT © Shinichi Okada

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Issue Tracker
• Radio Browser - Station database