Tera: Terminal Radio

A terminal-based internet radio player powered by Radio Browser.

Features

🔍 Search - Find stations by name, tag, language, country, or state
🎲 I Feel Lucky - Random station discovery by keyword
💾 Favorites - Organize stations into custom lists with duplicate detection
⚡ Quick Play - Direct playback from main menu (shortcuts 10-99+)
🔊 Playback Control - Play/pause with persistent status, adjust volume, and mute during playback
🚫 Block List - Block unwanted stations from appearing in searches and auto-play
☁️ Gist Sync - Backup and restore favorites via GitHub Gists
🗳️ Voting - Support your favorite stations on Radio Browser
🎨 Themes - Choose from predefined themes or customize via YAML config
🔄 Update Checker - Get notified when a new version is available
⌨️ Keyboard-driven - Full navigation without a mouse
❓ Context Help - Press ? anytime to see available keyboard shortcuts

Requirements

mpv - Media player for audio playback

Installation

Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

# update and upgrade
brew update &amp;&amp; brew upgrade
brew install shinokada/tera/tera
# Upgrade existing installation
brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera

Golang

go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo dpkg -i tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Install mpv dependency if needed

Fedora/RHEL

sudo rpm -i tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.rpm

Windows Scoop

scoop bucket add shinokada https://github.com/shinokada/scoop-bucket
scoop install tera

Windows Winget

winget install Shinokada.Tera
# Upgrade existing installation
winget upgrade Shinokada.Tera

Manual Download

Download the latest binary for your platform from the releases page:

Platform	Architecture	File
macOS	Intel	`tera_1.x.x_darwin_amd64.tar.gz`
macOS	Apple Silicon	`tera_1.x.x_darwin_arm64.tar.gz`
Linux	x86_64	`tera_1.x.x_linux_amd64.tar.gz`
Linux	ARM64	`tera_1.x.x_linux_arm64.tar.gz`
Windows	x86_64	`tera_1.x.x_windows_amd64.zip`
Windows	ARM64	`tera_1.x.x_windows_arm64.zip`

macOS/Linux

# Download and extract (example for macOS Apple Silicon)
tar -xzf tera_1.x.x_darwin_arm64.tar.gz

# Move to a directory in your PATH
sudo mv tera /usr/local/bin/

Windows

Download the .zip file for your architecture
Extract the archive
Add the extracted directory to your PATH or move tera.exe to a directory already in your PATH

Migration from v1 to v2

If you are upgrading from TERA v1 to v2, you need to move your configuration files to the new platform-specific directory.

Locate your old configuration directory: ~/.config/tera
Move all files and folders (including favorites, tokens, and .yaml files) to the new location:

Operating System	New Config Directory
Linux	`~/.config/tera/` (No change)
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/tera/`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\tera\`

Quick Start

# Start TERA
tera

# Main Menu Options:
# 1) Play from Favorites - Browse your saved lists
# 2) Search Stations     - Find new stations
# 3) Manage Lists        - Create/edit/delete favorite lists
# 4) Block List          - Manage blocked stations
# 5) I Feel Lucky        - Random station by keyword
# 6) Gist Management     - Backup/restore via GitHub
# 7) Settings            - Configure TERA

# Quick Play (from main menu):
# Type 10-99+ to instantly play stations from "My-favorites"

# Need help? Press ? anytime to see keyboard shortcuts!

Main Features

Play from Favorites

Browse and play stations from your organized lists. Navigate with ↑↓ or jk, press Enter to play.

Search Stations

Six search methods to find stations:

By Tag - Genre/style (jazz, rock, classical)
By Name - Station name (BBC, NPR, KEXP)
By Language - Broadcasting language
By Country - Country code (US, UK, JP)
By State - Region/state name
Advanced - Search both name and tags

See Search Guide below for details.

Manage Lists

Create, rename, and delete your favorite lists. Stations can be:

Saved to multiple lists
Moved between lists
Deleted from lists

Duplicate Detection: TERA automatically prevents adding the same station twice to any list.

Block List

Block unwanted stations to prevent them from appearing in search results and shuffle mode.

How to Block:

While playing any station, press b to block it instantly
Press u within 5 seconds to undo (in case of accidental block)
Works in Search, I Feel Lucky, and Play from Favorites

Block List Management: From main menu, select "4. Block List" to:

View all blocked stations with details (country, language, codec)
Press u to unblock a selected station
Press c to clear entire block list (with confirmation)

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Screen	Key	Action
Playing	`b`	Block current station
Playing	`u`	Undo block (5 sec window)
Block List	`u`	Unblock selected station
Block List	`c`	Clear all blocks

Storage Location:

Linux: ~/.config/tera/blocklist.json
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/tera/blocklist.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\tera\blocklist.json

I Feel Lucky

Enter a keyword (genre, mood, style) and TERA finds a random matching station. Perfect for music discovery!

Shuffle Mode: Enable shuffle mode to automatically cycle through multiple stations matching your keyword:

Press t to toggle shuffle on/off
Stations play in random order without repeats
Optional auto-advance timer (configurable)
Navigate backward through recently played stations
Configure shuffle behavior in Settings → Shuffle Settings

See Shuffle Mode for detailed features.

Settings

Access app configuration from the main menu (option 7):

Theme / Colors - Switch between predefined themes or customize colors
Appearance - Customize header display (text, ASCII art, alignment, colors, padding)
Connection Settings - Auto-reconnect and buffering for unstable networks (4G/GPRS)
Shuffle Settings - Configure shuffle mode behavior (auto-advance, history size)
Search History - View and clear your search history
Check for Updates - View current version and check for new releases
About TERA - See version, installation method, and update command

The Settings menu automatically detects how you installed TERA (Homebrew, Go, Scoop, Winget, etc.) and shows the appropriate update command.

Appearance Settings

Customize how the TERA header appears at the top of the application:

Header Modes:

Default - Show "TERA" text (default)
Text - Display custom text
ASCII - Show custom ASCII art (max 15 lines)
None - Hide header completely

Customization Options:

Alignment - Left, center, or right
Width - Header width (10-120 characters)
Color - Auto, hex code (#FF0000), or ANSI code (0-255)
Bold - Enable/disable bold text
Padding - Top and bottom spacing (0-5 lines)

Tips:

Preview changes before saving
Use TAAG or figlet to generate ASCII art
Settings stored in the config directory (see File Locations)

Connection Settings

For users on unstable networks (mobile data, GPRS, 4G), configure automatic reconnection:

Auto-reconnect - Automatically retry when stream drops (default: enabled)
Reconnect delay - Wait time between attempts: 1-30 seconds (default: 5s)
Stream buffer - Cache size to handle brief signal drops: 10-200 MB (default: 50MB)

Settings stored in the config directory (see File Locations).

Quick Play from Main Menu

The main menu shows your "My-favorites" list with shortcuts 10-99+. Type the number to play instantly:

Main Menu &amp; Quick Play

Choose an option:

  1. Play from Favorites
  2. Search Stations
  3. Manage Lists
  4. Block List
  5. I Feel Lucky
  6. Gist Management
  7. Settings

─── Quick Play Favorites ───
  10. Jazz FM • UK • MP3 192kbps
  11. BBC Radio 6 Music • UK • AAC 128kbps
  12. KEXP 90.3 FM • US • AAC 128kbps

Type 10-12 to play instantly!

How it works:

Stations from "My-favorites.json" appear with shortcuts 10+
Type the number (e.g., 11) and press Enter
Station plays immediately
Press Esc to stop playback

Theme Configuration

In-App Theme Selection

The easiest way to change themes is through the Settings menu:

Press 7 from the main menu to open Settings
Select "Theme / Colors"
Choose from predefined themes:
- Default - Cyan and blue tones
- Ocean - Deep blue theme
- Forest - Green nature theme
- Sunset - Warm orange and red
- Purple Haze - Purple and magenta
- Monochrome - Classic black and white
- Dracula - Popular dark theme
- Nord - Arctic, north-bluish

Manual Configuration

You can also customize colors and padding by editing the theme config file:

tera theme path   # Show config file location
tera theme reset  # Reset to defaults

The config file includes an ANSI color reference (0-15 standard colors, 16-255 extended colors). Example:

colors:
  primary: "6"      # Cyan
  highlight: "3"    # Yellow
  error: "9"        # Bright Red
  
padding:
  list_item_left: 2

Update Checker

TERA automatically checks for new versions on startup. When an update is available:

A yellow ⬆ Update indicator appears in the main menu footer
Go to Settings → Check for Updates for details and update instructions

Checking for Updates

Press 7 from the main menu to open Settings
Select "Check for Updates" (option 2)
View:
- Your current version
- Latest available version
- Link to release notes
- Installation method (automatically detected)
- Specific update command for your installation

TERA detects how you installed it and provides the correct update command. For example:

If installed via Homebrew: Shows brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera
If installed via Go: Shows go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest
If installed via Scoop: Shows scoop update tera
If installed via Winget: Shows winget upgrade tera

Update Commands

Installation Method	Update Command
Homebrew	`brew upgrade shinokada/tera/tera`
Go install	`go install github.com/shinokada/tera/cmd/tera@latest`
Scoop	`scoop update tera`
Winget	`winget upgrade tera`
APT/DEB	`sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade tera`
RPM/DNF	`sudo dnf upgrade tera`
Manual	Download from releases page

Shuffle Mode

Shuffle mode is an enhanced version of "I Feel Lucky" that lets you explore multiple stations matching your search keyword without manually searching each time.

How It Works

Navigate to I Feel Lucky from the main menu (option 5)
Press t to toggle shuffle mode on
Enter your keyword (e.g., "jazz", "rock", "meditation")
Press Enter to start shuffle mode

Features

Automatic Station Discovery

TERA finds all stations matching your keyword
Plays them in random order without repeats
No duplicates until all stations have been played

Auto-Advance Timer (Optional)

Automatically skip to the next station after a set interval
Configurable intervals: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes
Pause/resume timer with p key
Disable for manual control

Station History

Keep track of recently played stations
Navigate backward with b key
Configurable history size: 3, 5, 7, or 10 stations
See last few stations in the shuffle history display

Seamless Playback

All standard playback controls work (volume, mute, favorites, voting)
Save any station to your favorites while shuffling
Stop shuffle but keep playing current station with h

Shuffle Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
`t`	Toggle shuffle mode (in input screen)
`n`	Next shuffle station (manual skip)
`[`	Previous station (from history)
`b`	Block current station
`u`	Undo block (5 sec window)
`p`	Pause/resume auto-advance timer
`h`	Stop shuffle, keep playing current
`f`	Save to My-favorites
`s`	Save to another list
`v`	Vote for station
`Esc`	Stop shuffle and return to input

Shuffle Settings

Configure shuffle behavior in Settings → Shuffle Settings:

Auto-advance

Enable/disable automatic station switching
When disabled, you manually control station changes with n/[

Auto-advance Interval

Set how long each station plays before auto-advancing
Options: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes
Default: 5 minutes

Remember History

Enable/disable station history tracking
When disabled, you cannot go back to previous stations

History Size

Number of previous stations to remember
Options: 3, 5, 7, or 10 stations
Default: 5 stations

Example Shuffle Session

🎵 Now Playing (🔀 Shuffle: jazz)

Station: Smooth Jazz 24/7
Country: United States
Codec: AAC • Bitrate: 128 kbps

▶ Playing...

🔀 Shuffle Active • Next in: 4:23
   Station 3 of session
   
─── Shuffle History ───
  ← Jazz FM London
  ← WBGO Jazz 88.3
  → Smooth Jazz 24/7  ← Current

f: Fav • s: List • v: Vote • n: Next • [: Prev • b: Block • p: Pause timer • h: Stop shuffle

Configuration File

Shuffle settings are stored in the config directory as shuffle.yaml:

shuffle:
  auto_advance: true           # Auto-advance enabled
  interval_minutes: 5          # 5 minutes per station
  remember_history: true       # Track history
  max_history: 5               # Remember last 5 stations

You can edit this file directly or use the Settings menu.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global Navigation

Key	Action
`↑↓` / `jk`	Navigate
`Enter`	Select / Play
`Esc`	Back / Stop
`0`	Main Menu
`?`	Help
`Ctrl+C`	Quit

Main Menu

Key	Action
`1-7`	Quick select menu item
`10-99+`	Quick play from My-favorites

Playback Controls

Key	Action
`Space`	Pause / Resume
`*`	Volume up (+5%)
`/`	Volume down (-5%)
`m`	Toggle mute
`b`	Block station
`u`	Undo block (5s)

Playing/Browsing Stations

Key	Action
`f`	Save to My-favorites
`s`	Save to another list
`v`	Vote for station

List Management

Key	Action
`n`	New list (in dialogs)
`d`	Delete item

Search Guide

The Search Stations menu offers multiple ways to find stations:

Search Types

Option	Description	Example Query
Search by Tag	Find stations by genre/style tags	`jazz`, `rock`, `news`, `classical`
Search by Name	Find stations by their name	`BBC`, `NPR`, `KEXP`
Search by Language	Find stations broadcasting in a language	`english`, `spanish`, `japanese`
Search by Country Code	Find stations from a specific country	`US`, `UK`, `FR`, `JP`
Search by State	Find stations from a state/region	`California`, `Texas`, `Bavaria`
Advanced Search	Search both name AND tag fields	`smooth jazz`, `classic rock`

Query Format

Single words work: jazz, rock, news
Multi-word phrases work: classic rock, smooth jazz, talk radio
Partial matching: Searching BBC finds "BBC Radio 1", "BBC World Service", etc.
Case insensitive: Jazz, JAZZ, and jazz all work the same

When to Use Advanced Search

Use Advanced Search when:

You're not sure if your term is a station name or a genre tag
You want broader results across multiple fields
You're exploring and want maximum discovery

Features:

Country: Enter a 2-letter code (e.g., "US") for Country Code search, or a full name (e.g., "Japan") for Country Name search.
Bitrate: Press 1, 2, or 3 to filter by quality. Press the same number again to unselect.
Language: Case-insensitive (e.g., "English" becomes "english").

For example, searching jazz in Advanced Search finds:

Stations with "jazz" in their name (e.g., "Jazz FM")
Stations tagged with "jazz" as a genre

Search Results

Results are sorted by votes (most popular first) and limited to 100 stations. Broken/offline stations are automatically filtered out.

In the results:

Navigate with ↑↓ or jk
Press Enter to view station details and play
Press f to add to My-favorites
Press s to add to another list
Press v to vote for the station

Gist Sync

Backup and sync your favorite lists across devices using GitHub Gists.

Quick Setup:

Go to: Main Menu → 6) Gist Management → 6) Token Management
Create a GitHub Personal Access Token (with gist scope only)
Paste token in TERA
Create your first gist backup!

Features:

Create secret or public gists
View your gist history
Recover favorites from any gist URL
Update gist descriptions
Delete old backups

Documentation:

Gist Setup Guide - Token setup and security
Gist Management Guide - Complete feature guide

File Locations

TERA stores its configuration files in the OS-standard config directory:

Operating System	Location
Linux	`~/.config/tera/`
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/tera/`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\tera\`

Configuration Files

tera/
├── theme.yaml              # Color and padding customization
├── appearance_config.yaml  # Header customization (text, ASCII art, etc.)
├── connection_config.yaml  # Auto-reconnect and buffering settings
├── shuffle.yaml            # Shuffle mode settings
├── blocklist.json          # Blocked radio stations
├── voted_stations.json     # Voting history (prevents duplicate votes)
├── gist_metadata.json      # Your gist history
├── tokens/
│   └── github_token        # GitHub Personal Access Token
└── favorites/
    ├── My-favorites.json   # Quick play list (main menu 10+)
    ├── Rock.json           # Your custom lists
    └── Jazz.json

Environment Variable Override: You can set a custom favorites directory:

export TERA_FAVORITE_PATH="/path/to/your/favorites"

Troubleshooting

No sound?

Ensure mpv is installed: mpv --version
Check your system audio settings
Try playing a test stream: mpv https://stream.example.com

Station won't play?

Some streams may be temporarily offline
Try another station
Check if the station works in a web browser

Stop stuck playback

pkill mpv

Multiple stations playing at once

TERA should prevent this, but if it happens:

killall mpv
# or on Linux
pkill -9 mpv

Can't find My-favorites.json

TERA creates it automatically at first launch. Check the favorites directory in your OS-specific config location (see File Locations).

If missing, restart TERA and it will be created.

Development

Requirements

Go 1.21+
mpv

Run from source

git clone https://github.com/shinokada/tera.git
cd tera
go run cmd/tera/main.go

Test

go test ./... -v

Build

go build -o tera cmd/tera/main.go

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

Open an issue to discuss proposed changes
Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Submit a pull request

TERA Shinokada

README

Tera: Terminal Radio

Features

Requirements

Installation

Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

Golang

Debian/Ubuntu

Fedora/RHEL

Windows Scoop

Windows Winget

Manual Download

macOS/Linux

Windows

Migration from v1 to v2

Quick Start

Main Features

Play from Favorites

Search Stations

Manage Lists

Block List

I Feel Lucky

Settings

Appearance Settings

Connection Settings

Quick Play from Main Menu

Theme Configuration

In-App Theme Selection

Manual Configuration

Update Checker

Checking for Updates

Update Commands

Shuffle Mode

How It Works

Features

Shuffle Keyboard Shortcuts

Shuffle Settings

Example Shuffle Session

Configuration File

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global Navigation

Main Menu

Playback Controls

Playing/Browsing Stations

List Management

Search Guide

Search Types

Query Format

When to Use Advanced Search

Search Results

Gist Sync

File Locations

Configuration Files

Troubleshooting

No sound?

Station won't play?

Stop stuck playback

Multiple stations playing at once

Can't find My-favorites.json

Development

Requirements

Run from source

Test

Build

Contributing

License

Links