terminal-gif-recordings

Create polished terminal GIF recordings using VHS (Video Hardware Software) by Charmbracelet. Use when asked to create terminal demos, CLI gifs, command-line recordings, or animated terminal screenshots for documentation, READMEs, or marketing.

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VHS Terminal Recordings

Setup

Read your credentials from ~/.gooseworks/credentials.json:

export GOOSEWORKS_API_KEY=$(python3 -c "import json;print(json.load(open('$HOME/.gooseworks/credentials.json'))['api_key'])")
export GOOSEWORKS_API_BASE=$(python3 -c "import json;print(json.load(open('$HOME/.gooseworks/credentials.json')).get('api_base','https://api.gooseworks.ai'))")

If ~/.gooseworks/credentials.json does not exist, tell the user to run: npx gooseworks login

All endpoints use Bearer auth: -H "Authorization: Bearer $GOOSEWORKS_API_KEY"

Create professional terminal GIF/video recordings using VHS.

Quick Start

# Install VHS
brew install vhs

# Run a tape file
vhs demo.tape

Style Settings (Orthogonal Standard)

Use these settings for consistent, polished recordings:

Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20
Set Margin 40
Set MarginFill "gradient-bg.png"  # Optional: gradient background image
Set BorderRadius 10

Theme Options

Catppuccin Frappe - Soft purple/blue tones (recommended)
Catppuccin Mocha - Darker variant
Dracula - Purple/pink tones
Tokyo Night - Blue tones
Nord - Cool blue/gray

Syntax Highlighting Setup

Enable zsh syntax highlighting before recording:

Hide
Type "source /opt/homebrew/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh"
Enter
Show

Install if needed: brew install zsh-syntax-highlighting

Tape File Structure

# Header comment describing the demo
Output demo.gif           # Output filename (.gif, .webm, .mp4)

# Style settings
Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20

# Hidden setup (env vars, cd, clear)
Hide
Type "export API_KEY=xxx"
Enter
Type "clear"
Enter
Show

# Demo commands
Type "echo 'Hello World'"
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 2s

# End with pause
Sleep 1s

Key Commands

Command	Description
`Type "text"`	Type text (with realistic timing)
`Enter`	Press enter key
`Sleep 500ms`	Pause for duration
`Hide` / `Show`	Hide/show terminal during setup
`Ctrl+C`	Send interrupt signal
`Output file.gif`	Set output file

Timing Guidelines

Sleep 500ms - After typing command, before Enter
Sleep 2s - Short command output
Sleep 3-4s - Longer output or API responses
Sleep 1s - End of recording pause

Example: CLI Demo

# Orthogonal CLI Demo
Output cli-demo.gif

Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20
Set BorderRadius 10

# Setup
Hide
Type "source /opt/homebrew/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh"
Enter

Enter
Type "clear"
Enter
Show

# Search
Type "orth search 'web scraping'"
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 2.5s

# Run command
Type "curl -s -X POST $GOOSEWORKS_API_BASE/v1/proxy/orthogonal/run \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GOOSEWORKS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"api":"olostep","path":"/v1/scrapes"}'
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 4s

Sleep 1s

Output Formats

Output demo.gif    # Animated GIF (default, best for docs)
Output demo.webm   # WebM video (smaller, web-friendly)
Output demo.mp4    # MP4 video (universal compatibility)

Tips

Keep it short - 10-20 seconds max for attention
Hide setup - Use Hide/Show for env vars and cd commands
Realistic typing - VHS adds natural typing speed automatically
Clear between sections - Use Type "clear" + Enter if needed
Test first - Run commands manually before recording

Gradient Background (Optional)

Create gradient-bg.png for professional look:

Use 1200x800px image
Subtle gradient (dark purple to dark blue works well)
Set with Set MarginFill "gradient-bg.png"

Repository: gooseworks-ai/goose-skills
Path: skills/design/capabilities/terminal-gif-recordings/SKILL.md
Commit: 8866b2a

Last updated: 1 day ago
First committed: about 2 months ago

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