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 spac
Attention! See Update3 for new iTerm versions (works for 2.1.5)
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 ⌘-,.
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.
If you can't find Preferences, use the shortcut ⌘-i or Right Click in an open iTerm2 terminal window, then select "Edit Session".
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.
TLDR watch a video I created
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)
Make the app stay above any apps that are currently in the workspace and maintain focus (in the same dialog from above)
Pin hotkey window(stays open on loss of keyboard focus)
Floating window
When creating the hotkey terminal a new profile is created (generally named "Hotkey Window"), update profile as desired
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
-,
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
.
Create and assign a hotkey
Preferences
> Keys
> Click Create Dedicated Hotkey Window
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.
Window
> Save Window Arrangement
Make sure this arrangement is the default
Preferences
> Arrangements
> Select the arrangement and click Set Default
In the preference, make iterm starts with the default arrangement. :
Preferences
> General
> Startup
> Select Open Default Window Arrangement
Optionally tweak the hotkey window appearance
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