Cursor Styles
Chau7 gives you full control over cursor shape, blink rate, and color in every terminal profile.
What is Cursor Styles in Chau7?
Cursor Styles is a customization feature in the Chau7 terminal emulator for macOS. Chau7 Cursor Styles lets you choose between block, beam, and underline cursor shapes, configure the blink rate from 0.3 to 2.0 seconds (default 0.6s), set a custom cursor color as a hex value, and save different cursor settings per profile.
Chau7 also responds to ANSI cursor shape escape sequences. Applications like Vim, Neovim, and Zsh vi-mode can request cursor shape changes at runtime, and Chau7 switches between shapes automatically.
Block vs beam cursor: which should you use in Chau7?
Chau7 supports three cursor shapes: block, beam, and underline. Block cursors highlight the full character cell and are the traditional default for terminal emulators. Beam cursors display a thin vertical line at the insertion point, matching the cursor style used in most GUI text editors.
Many developers prefer the block cursor for normal-mode navigation and the beam cursor for insert-mode typing. Chau7 supports this pattern natively through ANSI escape sequences, so Vim and Neovim can switch between block and beam cursors without additional configuration.
Underline cursors sit beneath the character and are useful when you want minimal visual interruption. All three Chau7 cursor shapes can be combined with the blink toggle.
How to change terminal cursor style on macOS with Chau7
Open Chau7 preferences and navigate to the cursor section. Select block, beam, or underline from the cursor shape picker. The change takes effect immediately in all open tabs using that profile.
Chau7 stores cursor settings per profile. Each profile keeps its own cursor shape, blink rate, and custom color independently. You can set one profile to use a steady block cursor for local shells and another to use a blinking beam cursor for SSH sessions, giving you instant visual context when switching tabs. Set a custom cursor color as a hex value, or leave empty to use the theme default.
Does the Chau7 cursor change shape for Vim insert mode?
Yes. Chau7 responds to ANSI cursor shape escape sequences. When Vim or Neovim enters insert mode, the application sends an escape sequence requesting a beam cursor. Chau7 processes that sequence and switches the cursor shape immediately.
When Vim returns to normal mode, it sends a second escape sequence requesting a block cursor. Chau7 switches back. This automatic cursor shape switching also works with Zsh vi-mode and any other application that uses cursor shape escape sequences.
Can you disable cursor blinking entirely in Chau7?
Yes. Chau7 provides a blink toggle in preferences. Turn off cursor blink for a completely steady, non-blinking cursor.
When enabled, the cursor blink rate is configurable from 0.3 to 2.0 seconds via the cursorBlinkRate setting, with a default of 0.6 seconds. The blink setting is stored per profile, so you can have a blinking cursor in one Chau7 profile and a steady cursor in another.
Cursor color in Chau7
Cursor color in Chau7 can be set as a custom hex value via the cursorColor setting, or left empty to use the active theme's cursor color field. When a custom color is set, it takes precedence over the theme default.
Each theme preset defines its own cursor color, providing a visual anchor point that matches the overall color scheme. Switching themes automatically updates the cursor color unless a custom color is set. This gives you the choice between theme-coordinated or fully independent cursor colors.
Why cursor customization matters
The cursor is the single most-watched element on screen during terminal work. Getting its shape, blink rate, and color right reduces eye strain and improves orientation. Chau7 gives you control over shape, configurable blink rate, and custom color, with per-profile storage so every shell environment can look exactly the way you want.
Questions this answers
- What is Cursor Styles in Chau7 terminal
- Block vs beam cursor terminal preference
- How to change terminal cursor style macOS
- Does the cursor change shape for Vim insert mode
- Can I disable cursor blinking entirely
- How cursor color works in Chau7
Frequently asked questions
What is Cursor Styles in Chau7 terminal?
Cursor Styles is a customization feature in Chau7 that lets you choose between block, beam, and underline cursor shapes, configure the blink rate from 0.3 to 2.0 seconds (default 0.6s), set a custom cursor color as a hex value, and save different cursor settings per profile.
Does the cursor change shape for Vim insert mode?
Yes. Chau7 responds to standard ANSI cursor shape escape sequences, so Vim, Neovim, and Zsh vi-mode can switch between block and beam cursors automatically.
Can I disable cursor blinking entirely?
Yes. Toggle cursor blink off in Chau7 preferences for a steady, non-blinking cursor. When enabled, the blink rate is configurable from 0.3 to 2.0 seconds with a default of 0.6 seconds.
Can different profiles use different cursor styles?
Yes. Each Chau7 profile stores its own cursor shape, blink rate, and custom color independently. Set a custom cursor color as a hex value, or leave empty to use the theme default.