Ratty – A terminal emulator with inline 3D graphics

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction

  • Many commenters find the project “gloriously bonkers” and fun, celebrating it as creative, nostalgic, and “Hollywood OS”-like.
  • Others are baffled or dismissive, calling it indulgent, gimmicky, or a waste of resources, and questioning practical value.

Inspiration & prior art

  • Strong association with TempleOS: people note its 3D sprites, unified code/graphics console, and see Ratty as a spiritual successor.
  • Comparisons to old Xerox workstations, Lisp machines, Oberon, Plan 9, SGI, and classic 3D file browsers (e.g., the Jurassic Park “Unix” scene, FSN/FSV).
  • Several note that inline graphics in REPL-like environments existed in the 1980s.

Potential use cases

  • Previewing 3D models (STL/STEP, game assets) directly in the terminal, especially over SSH and in multiplexers like tmux.
  • 3D graphs/visualizations, data science workflows, and notebook-like experiences in the terminal.
  • 3D file browsers, VR or shallow-3D dev environments, prankish or aesthetic uses (e.g., spinning rat cursor, 3D htop on a Möbius strip).
  • Some commenters “see use cases but not many,” mainly around inspection and visualization rather than everyday terminal work.

Technical aspects & protocols

  • Discussion of GPU-accelerated terminals and existing graphics protocols: Kitty graphics, sixel, Tek 4014 emulation.
  • Mention of a newly proposed “glyph protocol” and other glyph-based 3D text renderers; some see glyphs as a more targeted, less disruptive evolution.
  • Concerns about vsync / tearing when reading a framebuffer mid-update.
  • Questions about how this behaves over SSH, in tmux, or within browser-based terminals.

Terminals vs GUIs / evolution debate

  • Some argue terminals should evolve beyond “1980s text” toward richer inline graphics, notebook-style outputs, and even Wayland/X11-like capabilities.
  • Others warn this erodes a hard-won, relatively consistent text standard and effectively turns terminals into inferior web browsers or GUIs.
  • Pipes, reliability, accessibility (selectable text, screen readers), and simplicity are cited as reasons to keep terminals text-centric.

Concerns & skepticism

  • Doubts about long-term usefulness; comparisons to Compiz “wobbly windows” and desktop cubes that were flashy but rarely essential.
  • Security worries (new protocols, attack surface, key exfiltration fears).
  • Some see it as a solution in search of a problem; others counter that playful experimentation can uncover new, not-yet-obvious benefits.