I use Ghostty themes as a small context system. Some terminals are for normal development, some are for writing, and some should look visibly dangerous before I type anything with production consequences.

This page is my reference so I do not have to keep the names in my head. When I want Codex to switch themes, I use my ghostty-dynamic-themes package instead of editing Ghostty config or pasting raw OSC escape sequences.

How I ask Codex to switch themes.

For Codex, the copy-paste-safe version is the skill invocation:

$apply-theme "TokyoNight Moon"
$random-theme

If an agent needs the direct script path, the important detail is the --tty flag. Agent shell output is captured, so raw printf escape sequences do not reliably reach the terminal.

bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CharlieGreenman/ghostty-dynamic-themes/main/apply-theme.sh) "TokyoNight Moon" --tty

Theme names are case-sensitive and should match Ghostty exactly. One easy typo in my own notes: the built-in theme is Borland, not Borlund.

The short list.

  • Black Metal — A stark black workspace with restrained contrast. Good when I want the terminal to get quiet and stay out of the way.
  • Borland — The exact Ghostty name is Borland. This is the loud old-IDE blue-and-yellow option, useful when I want a deliberately unmistakable tab.
  • Coffee Theme — A light, warm terminal that reads like paper. Useful when I want high visibility without a cold white interface.
  • Django Smooth — A smooth green terminal with bright readable text. It feels calm and personal while still making the active tab easy to recognize.
  • Gruvbox Light Hard — A stable light theme with earthy contrast. Good for longer writing, shell work, and tasks that should feel less clinical.
  • Hot Dog Stand — A deliberate alarm bell. I use this when the terminal should be impossible to confuse with a normal development context.
  • Medallion — A warm bronze terminal for focused sessions where I want the screen to feel grounded without going fully neutral.
  • Red Alert — A red production-warning style theme. It is useful when the terminal needs to communicate caution before a command is even typed.
  • TokyoNight Moon — A polished dark-blue theme for everyday coding. It has enough color to keep syntax legible without making the terminal feel busy.

Palette reference.

Each card shows the terminal background, foreground, cursor, and the sixteen ANSI palette slots Ghostty applies for that theme.

  • Black Metal: background #000000; foreground #c1c1c1; cursor #c1c1c1.
  • Borland: background #0000a4; foreground #ffff4e; cursor #ffa560.
  • Coffee Theme: background #f5deb3; foreground #000000; cursor #a1a1a1.
  • Django Smooth: background #245032; foreground #f8f8f8; cursor #4c7e5c.
  • Gruvbox Light Hard: background #f9f5d7; foreground #3c3836; cursor #3c3836.
  • Hot Dog Stand: background #ea3323; foreground #ffffff; cursor #ffff54.
  • Medallion: background #1d1908; foreground #cac296; cursor #d3ba30.
  • Red Alert: background #762423; foreground #ffffff; cursor #ffffff.
  • TokyoNight Moon: background #222436; foreground #c8d3f5; cursor #c8d3f5.