iTerm2 slide down over full screen app

Question

I always have my IDE (phpStorm) in full screen mode (Yosemite).

I want my iTerm2 hotkey to slide my terminal window down over the IDE, so it doesn't open up a new space for the terminal window. As once the window slides back up it leaves me on an empty space, rather than going back to phpStorm.

Answer 1

Attention! See Update3 for new iTerm versions (works for 2.1.5)

Original Answer

This command allows iTerm to work over fullscreen apps

defaults write ~/Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/Info LSUIElement true

But it hides iTerm's context menu. To access iTerm's preferences, right-click on the tabs bar and select the proper menu item; or focus on any iTerm's window and press ⌘-,.

Update

If you use the beta version of iTerm, there is no need to run the previous command. You can turn on Preferences > Advanced > Hide iTerm2 from the dock and from the ⌘-Tab app switcher.

Also make sure that the profile you use for the dropdown window (Hotkey window by default) is allowed on all spaces (Preferences > Profiles > "Hotkey window" profile > "Window" tab > Space: "all spaces").

Remember to restart iTerm2.

Update 2

If you can't find Preferences, use the shortcut ⌘-i or Right Click in an open iTerm2 terminal window, then select "Edit Session".

Update 3

In 2.1.5, you should use the "Exclude from Dock and ⌘-Tab Application Switcher" option in Preferences -> Appearance. When iTerm2 is excluded from the dock, you can always get back to the Preferences window using the status bar item, or ⌘-,. Look for an iTerm2 icon on the right side of your menu bar.

Update 4

In v.3.4.15, you should follow the comment from @Sudhi. Profiles -> specific Profile -> Keys -> "A hotkey opens dedicated window with this profile" and configure hotkey.

Answer 2

As state in another stackexchange answer for the same question

TLDR watch a video I created

Step 1 HotKey

Create Dedicated Hotkey Window

Preferences > Keys > Click Create Dedicated Hotkey Window

set hot key by pressing Click to Set (and subsequently your desired key combo)

Step 2 Floating in Focus

Make the app stay above any apps that are currently in the workspace and maintain focus (in the same dialog from above)

• Check Pin hotkey window(stays open on loss of keyboard focus)
• Check Floating window

Step 3 Looks

When creating the hotkey terminal a new profile is created (generally named "Hotkey Window"), update profile as desired

OTHER NOTES

• To enable some changes you will need to restart iTerm

• You will be using a specific hot key to call up the overlay

• You may also want to access preferences as well, command-,

• if using an older version of iTerm here is the previous video

• if using an even older version of iTerm here is the pre-previous video

Answer 3

This is currently not possible, unfortunately. See discussions here and here. Apps like Quicksilver, Alfred, and Dash are able to do it, so it is technically possible - just not implemented by George. It may become a moot point for these use cases when we get El Capitan's Split View

Answer 4

I'd like to propose an variant of Marc's answers. And Friedka's answer is not anymore up to date, some options were removed, some changed, I'm using iTerm Build 3.2.0beta4.

1. Create and assign a hotkey

   Preferences > Keys > Click Create Dedicated Hotkey Window

   1. Follow the instructions to set the hot key.
   2. Check pin hotkey window and floating window

2. Create a window arrangement

   That's where my answer differ, Marc's answer rely on making iTerm to start with hotkey profile per default, which may be cumbersome if you need a simple standard window. Instead this answer proposes to use iterm's window arrangement.

   1. So open a hotkey window
   2. Make sure all window with another profile (usually named Default) are closed. The only remaining active (hidden or not) window should be the Hotkey window.
   3. Save the arrangement, Window > Save Window Arrangement

   4. Make sure this arrangement is the default

      Preferences > Arrangements > Select the arrangement and click Set Default

   5. In the preference, make iterm starts with the default arrangement. :

      Preferences > General > Startup > Select Open Default Window Arrangement

3. Optionally tweak the hotkey window appearance