Hi everyone,

I want to introduce Tide42, a fast, lightweight command-line IDE I built to streamline coding workflows—especially for those of us who work in the terminal and use tools like vim, nvim, or just want to learn Python or C++ without the clutter of full-blown GUI IDEs.

This is the evolution of a personal setup I refined over time. It went from a script I used to boot up sessions quickly to a full-blown terminal IDE with smooth theming, project awareness, and a beginner-friendly touch.

What is Tide42?
Tide42 is a terminal-first IDE that gives you:

A blazing-fast project launcher: tide42

256-color themes (toggle with --color)

Config-safe installs with automatic backups

Self-updating with a single --update flag

Quiet mode for clean scripting (--quiet)

Cross-platform install (Debian, Arch, macOS)

Neovim core, pre-configured for simplicity and speed

Designed for Python, but works great for C/C++, Shell, and more

Tide42 is completely open source, licensed under GPLv3.

Who’s it for?
New Python learners curious about the terminal but overwhelmed by config bloat

Vim/Nvim users who want something pre-wired with sane defaults

CLI power users looking for a fast daily driver that feels clean and efficient

Tinkerers who want to see how a terminal IDE can be built from scratch

Whether you’re writing your first Python script or coding in C at 2 AM, Tide42 is designed to get out of your way and let you code.

Install it (1 command)
bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/logicmagix/tide42/main/install.sh)"
Or head to the repo for more details and usage flags:
GitHub – logicmagix/tide42
Questions/contact @ https://x.com/logicmagix

Tide42 is a nod to terminal elegance, and a little Douglas Adams for flavor. Just like the number 42, it’s meant to be a quiet answer to a loud question: Can terminal tools be beautiful, efficient, and beginner-friendly?

I think they can. Tide42 is my take on that vision.