CREATE SOMETHING LMS: Learning the Ethos Through Practice

Micah Johnson

WezTerm: The Creative Terminal

The Principle: Terminal as Creative Environment

The terminal is not a command executor. It's a creative environment—a space where you observe, experiment, and verify. The difference is ontological:

Command executor: You type, it responds, you type again
Creative environment: You dwell, observe patterns, shape workflows

WezTerm embodies this shift. Where traditional terminals present themselves as utilities, WezTerm recedes into ready-to-hand (Zuhandenheit) use—the hammer that disappears when hammering.

Why WezTerm?

GPU-Accelerated Rendering

Smooth scrolling through logs, instant search highlighting, fluid animations. The interface never interrupts the thought.

Lua Configuration (Programmable)

Your terminal adapts to your work. Keybindings, colors, and behaviors become expressions of your creative process.

-- wezterm.lua
local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local config = {}

-- Canon color palette
config.colors = {
  foreground = '#ffffff',
  background = '#000000',
  cursor_bg = '#ffffff',
  cursor_border = '#ffffff',
  selection_bg = 'rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1)',
  selection_fg = 'none',

  ansi = {
    '#000000',  -- black
    '#cc4444',  -- red (error)
    '#44aa44',  -- green (success)
    '#aa8844',  -- yellow (warning)
    '#4477aa',  -- blue (info)
    '#aa44aa',  -- magenta
    '#44aaaa',  -- cyan
    '#aaaaaa',  -- white
  },

  brights = {
    '#666666',  -- bright black
    '#ff6666',  -- bright red
    '#66cc66',  -- bright green
    '#ccaa66',  -- bright yellow
    '#6699cc',  -- bright blue
    '#cc66cc',  -- bright magenta
    '#66cccc',  -- bright cyan
    '#ffffff',  -- bright white
  },
}

return config

Multiplexing Built-In

Tabs, panes, workspaces—all native. No tmux layer, no abstraction penalty. The tool recedes.

Cross-Platform Consistency

macOS, Linux, Windows—identical behavior. Your muscle memory transfers.

The Complementarity with Claude Code

Canon Principle: Tools should complement, not compete. Each recedes when the other is ready-to-hand.

Claude Code (You)	WezTerm (User)
Write code	Monitor logs
Deploy to production	Verify deployment
Run migrations	Check database state
Execute tests	Debug failing tests interactively
Plan architecture	Observe runtime behavior
Refactor	Run performance benchmarks

The Partnership Pattern

Claude Code deploys → WezTerm monitors logs

# Claude Code executes
wrangler pages deploy packages/space/.svelte-kit/cloudflare --project-name=create-something-space

# User monitors in WezTerm
wrangler pages deployment tail --project-name=create-something-space

Claude Code writes tests → WezTerm runs them interactively

# Claude Code writes test file
# User runs with watch mode in WezTerm
pnpm --filter=space test --watch

Claude Code suggests → Human verifies in WezTerm

# Claude Code: "I've updated the migration"
# User verifies schema in WezTerm
wrangler d1 execute DB_NAME --command "SELECT sql FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table'"

The Boundary: Claude Code handles the creation cycle. WezTerm handles the observation cycle. Neither invades the other's domain.

Configuration Philosophy

1. Keybindings That Follow Muscle Memory

Vim users expect h/j/k/l. Emacs users expect C-a/C-e. Your terminal should adapt.

config.keys = {
  -- Tab navigation (Cmd+number on macOS)
  { key = '1', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivateTab(0) },
  { key = '2', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivateTab(1) },
  { key = '3', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivateTab(2) },

  -- Pane navigation (Vim-style)
  { key = 'h', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivatePaneDirection 'Left' },
  { key = 'j', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivatePaneDirection 'Down' },
  { key = 'k', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivatePaneDirection 'Up' },
  { key = 'l', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ActivatePaneDirection 'Right' },

  -- Pane splitting
  { key = '|', mods = 'CMD|SHIFT', action = wezterm.action.SplitHorizontal { domain = 'CurrentPaneDomain' } },
  { key = '_', mods = 'CMD|SHIFT', action = wezterm.action.SplitVertical { domain = 'CurrentPaneDomain' } },

  -- Search scrollback
  { key = '/', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.Search 'CurrentSelectionOrEmptyString' },
}

2. Colors Aligned with Canon Tokens

Terminal colors should match your editor, your site, your design system. Semantic consistency across contexts.

Terminal Color	Canon Token	Use
`foreground`	`--color-fg-primary`	Primary text
`background`	`--color-bg-pure`	Terminal background
`ansi[1]` (red)	`--color-error`	Error messages
`ansi[2]` (green)	`--color-success`	Success messages
`ansi[3]` (yellow)	`--color-warning`	Warnings
`ansi[4]` (blue)	`--color-info`	Info messages
`selection_bg`	`--color-active`	Selected text

3. Minimal Chrome, Maximum Content

Remove title bars, decorations, distractions. Only the content remains.

-- Minimal window chrome
config.window_decorations = "RESIZE"
config.enable_tab_bar = true
config.hide_tab_bar_if_only_one_tab = true
config.use_fancy_tab_bar = false
config.tab_bar_at_bottom = true

-- Subtle tab styling
config.window_frame = {
  font = wezterm.font { family = 'JetBrains Mono', weight = 'Bold' },
  font_size = 11.0,
  active_titlebar_bg = '#0a0a0a',
  inactive_titlebar_bg = '#000000',
}

-- Padding for breathing room
config.window_padding = {
  left = '0.5cell',
  right = '0.5cell',
  top = '0.25cell',
  bottom = '0.25cell',
}

Workspace Patterns

Tab Organization for Different Contexts

Each tab represents a mode of attention:

Tab 1: Primary Development
  ├─ Pane 1: Main work (git status, file ops)
  └─ Pane 2: Test runner (watch mode)

Tab 2: Monitoring
  ├─ Pane 1: Application logs
  └─ Pane 2: Database queries

Tab 3: Email (Neomutt)
  └─ Pane 1: Full-screen mail client

Tab 4: Tasks (Beads)
  └─ Pane 1: bd list, bd ready, bd show

Principle: Each tab is a context, not a command. You switch between modes of work, not between commands.

Pane Layouts for Monitoring

Split panes for simultaneous observation:

┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│                 │                 │
│   Main Work     │   Test Output   │
│   (commands)    │   (watch mode)  │
│                 │                 │
├─────────────────┴─────────────────┤
│                                   │
│   Application Logs                │
│   (wrangler tail)                 │
│                                   │
└───────────────────────────────────┘

Pattern: Top panes for action, bottom pane for observation.

Quick Navigation Shortcuts

-- Workspace switching (like i3/Sway)
config.keys = {
  { key = '1', mods = 'ALT', action = wezterm.action.SwitchToWorkspace { name = 'dev' } },
  { key = '2', mods = 'ALT', action = wezterm.action.SwitchToWorkspace { name = 'monitor' } },
  { key = '3', mods = 'ALT', action = wezterm.action.SwitchToWorkspace { name = 'mail' } },
  { key = '4', mods = 'ALT', action = wezterm.action.SwitchToWorkspace { name = 'tasks' } },

  -- Show workspace launcher
  { key = 'w', mods = 'CMD', action = wezterm.action.ShowLauncherArgs { flags = 'WORKSPACES' } },
}

Integration Patterns

1. Claude Code Deploys → WezTerm Monitors Logs

Workflow:

Claude Code: wrangler pages deploy ...
User switches to WezTerm monitoring tab
User runs: wrangler pages deployment tail
User observes logs in real-time
User reports errors back to Claude Code

Why: Deployment is automated. Verification is observed. The boundary is clean.

2. Claude Code Writes → WezTerm Runs Tests Interactively

Workflow:

Claude Code writes test file
User runs in WezTerm: pnpm test --watch
Tests fail → User copies error to Claude Code
Claude Code fixes → Tests auto-rerun in WezTerm
Loop until green

Why: Test writing is creation. Test observation is verification. Each tool in its domain.

3. Claude Code Suggests → Human Verifies in WezTerm

Workflow:

Claude Code: "I've added a new migration"
User in WezTerm: wrangler d1 migrations list DB_NAME
User verifies migration status
User: "Apply it"
Claude Code: wrangler d1 migrations apply DB_NAME

Why: Trust, but verify. Claude Code proposes, human confirms, Claude Code executes.

Essential Keybindings

Tab/Pane Management

Keybinding	Action
`Cmd+T`	New tab
`Cmd+W`	Close tab
`Cmd+1-9`	Switch to tab N
`Cmd+Shift+[` / `Cmd+Shift+]`	Previous/Next tab
`Cmd+Shift+\|`	Split horizontal
`Cmd+Shift+_`	Split vertical
`Cmd+H/J/K/L`	Navigate panes (Vim)
`Cmd+Shift+H/J/K/L`	Resize panes
`Cmd+Z`	Toggle pane zoom

Scrollback and Search

Keybinding	Action
`Cmd+K`	Clear scrollback
`Cmd+/`	Search scrollback
`Cmd+F`	Find (interactive search)
`Cmd+UpArrow` / `Cmd+DownArrow`	Scroll by line
`Cmd+PageUp` / `Cmd+PageDown`	Scroll by page

Quick Commands

Keybinding	Action
`Cmd+Shift+P`	Command palette
`Cmd+W` (double-tap)	Show workspace launcher
`Cmd+R`	Reload configuration
`Cmd+Shift+C`	Copy selection
`Cmd+Shift+V`	Paste

The Subtractive Terminal

Weniger, aber besser: Less, but better.

What to Remove

Title bar decorations → Use window manager's native chrome
Fancy tab styling → Simple text, subtle highlight
Status bars → Only show when necessary
Excessive padding → Breathing room, not emptiness
Unused keybindings → Only what you actually use

What to Keep

Semantic colors → Errors are red, success is green
Fast search → Find anything instantly
Multiplexing → Tabs and panes for context
Smooth rendering → Never interrupt the thought
Programmability → Adapt to your workflow

The Configuration as Canon

-- Subtractive terminal configuration
local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local config = {}

-- Typography: JetBrains Mono (clear, functional)
config.font = wezterm.font 'JetBrains Mono'
config.font_size = 13.0
config.line_height = 1.2

-- Colors: Canon palette
config.colors = {
  foreground = '#ffffff',
  background = '#000000',
  cursor_bg = '#ffffff',
  cursor_border = '#ffffff',
  selection_bg = 'rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1)',
  selection_fg = 'none',

  ansi = {
    '#000000', '#cc4444', '#44aa44', '#aa8844',
    '#4477aa', '#aa44aa', '#44aaaa', '#aaaaaa',
  },

  brights = {
    '#666666', '#ff6666', '#66cc66', '#ccaa66',
    '#6699cc', '#cc66cc', '#66cccc', '#ffffff',
  },
}

-- Chrome: Minimal
config.window_decorations = "RESIZE"
config.enable_tab_bar = true
config.hide_tab_bar_if_only_one_tab = true
config.use_fancy_tab_bar = false
config.tab_bar_at_bottom = true

-- Padding: Subtle
config.window_padding = {
  left = '0.5cell',
  right = '0.5cell',
  top = '0.25cell',
  bottom = '0.25cell',
}

-- Performance: GPU-accelerated
config.front_end = "WebGpu"
config.max_fps = 120

-- Scrollback: Generous
config.scrollback_lines = 10000

return config

Case Study: Deployment Workflow

Scenario: Deploy a SvelteKit app to Cloudflare Pages

Before WezTerm Partnership

Claude Code: Writes code
Claude Code: Runs wrangler pages deploy
Claude Code: Attempts to parse logs
User: "Is it live?"
Claude Code: "The command succeeded" (but did it?)

Problem: Claude Code can execute but cannot observe runtime behavior.

With WezTerm Partnership

Tab 1: Development (Claude Code's domain)

# Claude Code writes code, runs build
pnpm --filter=space build

Tab 2: Deployment (Claude Code's domain)

# Claude Code deploys
wrangler pages deploy packages/space/.svelte-kit/cloudflare --project-name=create-something-space

Tab 3: Monitoring (User's domain)

# User monitors logs in real-time
wrangler pages deployment tail --project-name=create-something-space

# User sees actual requests, errors, performance
[2025-12-13 10:30:45] GET / → 200 (125ms)
[2025-12-13 10:30:46] GET /experiments → 200 (89ms)
[2025-12-13 10:30:47] POST /api/newsletter → 500 (error: missing API key)

User to Claude Code: "Newsletter API is failing—missing API key"

Claude Code: Checks environment variables, adds to wrangler.toml, redeploys

User: Verifies fix in logs → "Working now, 200 responses"

Result: Each tool in its domain. Claude Code creates, user observes, both recede.

Reflection Questions

Zuhandenheit vs. Vorhandenheit: When does your terminal become present-at-hand (you notice it) instead of ready-to-hand (transparent use)? What configuration would make it recede?
Complementarity: Where do you currently duplicate effort between Claude Code and your terminal? Which tasks should migrate to which tool?
Context vs. Commands: Are your terminal tabs organized by context (development, monitoring, email) or by commands (git, npm, wrangler)? Which reveals the structure of your work?
Subtractive Configuration: What decorations, plugins, or features have you added to your terminal? Which ones do you actually use? What would happen if you removed the rest?
Observation Cycles: When Claude Code deploys something, how do you verify it worked? Could a dedicated monitoring pane make that verification ready-to-hand?

Next Steps

Install WezTerm: wezfurlong.org/wezterm
Copy the Subtractive configuration above
Create 3 workspaces: dev, monitor, mail
Practice the deployment workflow case study
Observe when the terminal becomes present-at-hand
Remove what doesn't earn its existence

Canon Principle: The terminal should disappear. Only the work remains.

Duration: 25 minutes Next Lesson: Terminal Tools: Neomutt & Beads

Cross-Property References

Canon Reference: The terminal as dwelling place connects to Dwelling in Tools—the environment should recede, leaving only the work.

Canon Reference: "Remove what doesn't earn its existence" is the Rams level of the Subtractive Triad.

Practice: Study the dotfiles package (packages/dotfiles/) for real WezTerm configurations that embody these principles.

WezTerm Workflow

WezTerm: The Creative Terminal

The Principle: Terminal as Creative Environment

Why WezTerm?

GPU-Accelerated Rendering

Lua Configuration (Programmable)

Multiplexing Built-In

Cross-Platform Consistency

The Complementarity with Claude Code

The Partnership Pattern

Configuration Philosophy

1. Keybindings That Follow Muscle Memory

2. Colors Aligned with Canon Tokens

3. Minimal Chrome, Maximum Content

Workspace Patterns

Tab Organization for Different Contexts

Pane Layouts for Monitoring

Quick Navigation Shortcuts

Integration Patterns

1. Claude Code Deploys → WezTerm Monitors Logs

2. Claude Code Writes → WezTerm Runs Tests Interactively

3. Claude Code Suggests → Human Verifies in WezTerm

Essential Keybindings

Tab/Pane Management

Scrollback and Search

Quick Commands

The Subtractive Terminal

What to Remove

What to Keep

The Configuration as Canon

Case Study: Deployment Workflow

Before WezTerm Partnership

With WezTerm Partnership

Reflection Questions

Next Steps

Cross-Property References