How can I setup a start-up default window configuration?

[Mimi]

I haven't really sorted this out in a real way and I'm struggling to figure it out.

I would like iTerm2 to start in this configuration:

1. Full screen (although that's not required, since it's just a click)

2. Single window, split screen, each with it's own terminal session

I usually thrash around enough to get this setup, but that's after I'm at a single window. Frankly, I don't remember how to get this configuration every time.

I'm hoping it's simple. Or, perhaps I can create a profile I can switch to that will do this?

Apologies if this is a dumb question: I'm full of them.

m

[George Nachman]

The simplest thing is to set that up and use macOS’s window restoration feature, which will restore things as you left them. You’d need to turn off System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Close windows when quitting an application, which is on by default.

If you prefer not to have systemwide window restoration, the next best option is:

1. Build the layout manually, once

1. Open a single window with one session.

2. Split it into the panes you want:

  - ⌘D splits the current pane left/right (vertical divider)

  - ⌘⇧D splits it top/bottom (horizontal divider)

  - Repeat until you have the arrangement you like. Each pane is automatically its own terminal session.

3. If you want it to come back in fullscreen, put the window into fullscreen now (⌘Return for native fullscreen). The arrangement remembers the fullscreen state.

2. Save it as an arrangement

- Menu: Window → Save Window Arrangement (⌘⇧S), and give it a name.

3. Make it the default that loads on startup

- Settings → Arrangements: select your arrangement and click Set Default (the default one gets a star/checkmark). You can also name it "Default" when saving, which marks it automatically.

- Settings → General → Startup: set "Restore window arrangement" to Default, or check "Open default window arrangement" (wording depends on your version). This tells iTerm2 to open that arrangement every time it launches instead of a plain window.

That's it. From then on, launching iTerm2 gives you that fullscreen, split-pane window every time, with no thrashing.

A couple of notes:

- Different profiles per pane are supported too. If you want, say, the left pane to be a "logs" profile and the right to be "editor", set each pane's profile before saving (right-click the pane → Edit Session, or open the pane from a specific profile). The arrangement stores which profile each pane uses.

- On-demand instead of on-startup: if you'd rather not change startup behavior, you can trigger a saved arrangement any time from Window → Restore Window Arrangement, or bind it to a keyboard shortcut / add it as an action. But since you want it every launch, the default-arrangement route above is the clean answer.

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