---
name: "kitten-@"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kitty"
version: "0.49.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/kitten-@"
---

# kitten-@(1)

Control kitty remotely

## Name

kitten-@ - Control kitty remotely

## Usage

**kitten @ \[global options\] \[sub-command\] \[sub-command options\] \[sub-command args\]**

## Description

Control kitty by sending it commands. Set the allow\_remote\_control option in  *kitty.conf for this to work. When run without any sub-commands this will start an interactive shell to control kitty.*

## Commands

- action

  Run the specified mappable action. See:  *kitten-@-action*(1)

- close-tab

  Close the specified tabs. See:  *kitten-@-close-tab*(1)

- close-window

  Close the specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-close-window*(1)

- create-marker

  Create a marker that highlights specified text. See:  *kitten-@-create-marker*(1)

- detach-tab

  Detach the specified tabs and place them in a different/new OS window. See:  *kitten-@-detach-tab*(1)

- detach-window

  Detach the specified windows and place them in a different/new tab. See:  *kitten-@-detach-window*(1)

- disable-ligatures

  Control ligature rendering. See:  *kitten-@-disable-ligatures*(1)

- env

  Change environment variables seen by future children. See:  *kitten-@-env*(1)

- focus-tab

  Focus the specified tab. See:  *kitten-@-focus-tab*(1)

- focus-window

  Focus the specified window. See:  *kitten-@-focus-window*(1)

- get-colors

  Get terminal colors. See:  *kitten-@-get-colors*(1)

- get-text

  Get text from the specified window. See:  *kitten-@-get-text*(1)

- goto-layout

  Set the window layout. See:  *kitten-@-goto-layout*(1)

- kitten

  Run a kitten. See:  *kitten-@-kitten*(1)

- last-used-layout

  Switch to the last used layout. See:  *kitten-@-last-used-layout*(1)

- launch

  Run an arbitrary process in a new window/tab. See:  *kitten-@-launch*(1)

- load-config

  (Re)load a config file. See:  *kitten-@-load-config*(1)

- ls

  List tabs/windows. See:  *kitten-@-ls*(1)

- new-window

  Open new window. See:  *kitten-@-new-window*(1)

- remove-marker

  Remove the currently set marker, if any.. See:  *kitten-@-remove-marker*(1)

- resize-os-window

  Resize/show/hide/etc. the specified OS Windows. See:  *kitten-@-resize-os-window*(1)

- resize-window

  Resize the specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-resize-window*(1)

- run

  Run a program on the computer in which kitty is running and get the output. See:  *kitten-@-run*(1)

- screenshot

  Take a screenshot of a kitty OS window, tab or window. See:  *kitten-@-screenshot*(1)

- scroll-window

  Scroll the specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-scroll-window*(1)

- select-window

  Visually select a window in the specified tab. See:  *kitten-@-select-window*(1)

- send-key

  Send arbitrary key presses to the specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-send-key*(1)

- send-text

  Send arbitrary text to specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-send-text*(1)

- set-background-image

  Set the background image. See:  *kitten-@-set-background-image*(1)

- set-background-opacity

  Set the background opacity. See:  *kitten-@-set-background-opacity*(1)

- set-colors

  Set terminal colors. See:  *kitten-@-set-colors*(1)

- set-enabled-layouts

  Set the enabled layouts in tabs. See:  *kitten-@-set-enabled-layouts*(1)

- set-font-size

  Set the font size in the active top-level OS window. See:  *kitten-@-set-font-size*(1)

- set-os-window-title

  Set the OS window title. See:  *kitten-@-set-os-window-title*(1)

- set-spacing

  Set window paddings and margins. See:  *kitten-@-set-spacing*(1)

- set-tab-color

  Change the color of the specified tabs in the tab bar. See:  *kitten-@-set-tab-color*(1)

- set-tab-title

  Set the tab title. See:  *kitten-@-set-tab-title*(1)

- set-user-vars

  Set user variables on a window. See:  *kitten-@-set-user-vars*(1)

- set-window-logo

  Set the window logo. See:  *kitten-@-set-window-logo*(1)

- set-window-title

  Set the window title. See:  *kitten-@-set-window-title*(1)

- signal-child

  Send a signal to the foreground process in the specified windows. See:  *kitten-@-signal-child*(1)

Get help for an individual command by running:

**kitten** command -h

## Global options

- **--to**

  An address for the kitty instance to control. Corresponds to the address given to the kitty instance via the  **--listen-on option or the** **listen\_on setting in** *kitty.conf. If not specified, the environment variable* **KITTY\_LISTEN\_ON is checked. If that is also not found, messages are sent to the controlling terminal for this process, i.e. they will only work if this process is run within a kitty window.**

- **--password**

  A password to use when contacting kitty. This will cause kitty to ask the user for permission to perform the specified action, unless the password has been accepted before or is pre-configured in  *kitty.conf. To use a blank password specify* **--use-password as always.**

- **--password-file** *\[=rc-pass\]*

  A file from which to read the password. Trailing whitespace is ignored. Relative paths are resolved from the kitty configuration directory. Use - to read from STDIN. Use fd:num to read from the file descriptor num. Used if no  **--password is supplied. Defaults to checking for the** *rc-pass file in the kitty configuration directory.*

- **--password-env** *\[=KITTY\_RC\_PASSWORD\]*

  The name of an environment variable to read the password from. Used if no  **--password-file is supplied. Defaults to checking the environment variable** **KITTY\_RC\_PASSWORD.**

- **--use-password** *\[=if-available\]*

  If no password is available, kitty will usually just send the remote control command without a password. This option can be used to force it to always or never use the supplied password. If set to always and no password is provided, the blank password is used.

  Choices: if-available, always, never

## Options

- **--help, -h** *\[=no\]*

  Show help for this command