I've recently started using the screen unix program. It lets you multiplex several processes (think shells) in a single window. Even better, you can 'detach' the screen process from your current window and log out of your machine. Upon returning, run screen -r to get your whole screen session back.

Here's my personal ~/.screenrc

# no startup msg
startup_message off

# new windows go to home dir
chdir

# keep some status lines on bottom of screen
caption always "%{= bb}%{+b w}%n %h %=%t %c"
hardstatus alwayslastline "%-Lw%{= BW}%50>%n%f* %t%{-}%+Lw%<"

activity "Activity in %t(%n)"

# Create 3 more screens.  They will exit once the designated
# program quits.
screen -t misc  0
screen -t mutt  1 mutt
screen -t www   2 lynx -book


# move to the main shell
number 0

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