[merlincorey]

; Open a terminal

M-x ansi-term

; Rename the buffer (escaping shell mode first)

C-c C-j M-x rename-buffer

; Shell responds to keyboard again

C-c C-k

; Split window in half horizontally

C-x 2

-----

I stole this (possibly from Steve Yegge or another source) long ago to somewhat automate the process of renaming terminal buffers:

  (global-set-key (kbd "<f2>") 'visit-ansi-term)

  ;; Terminal awesomeness
  (require 'term)
  (defun visit-ansi-term ()
    "If the current buffer is:
       1) a running ansi-term named *ansi-term*, rename it.
       2) a stopped ansi-term, kill it and create a new one.
       3) a non ansi-term, go to an already running ansi-term
          or start a new one while killing a defunt one"
    (interactive)
    (let ((is-term (string= "term-mode" major-mode))
          (is-running (term-check-proc (buffer-name)))
          (term-cmd "/usr/local/bin/zsh")
          (anon-term (get-buffer "*ansi-term*")))
      (if is-term
          (if is-running
              (if (string= "*ansi-term*" (buffer-name))
                  (call-interactively 'rename-buffer)
                (if anon-term
                    (switch-to-buffer "*ansi-term*")
                  (ansi-term term-cmd)))
            (kill-buffer (buffer-name))
            (ansi-term term-cmd))
        (if anon-term
            (if (term-check-proc "*ansi-term*")
                (switch-to-buffer "*ansi-term*")
              (kill-buffer "*ansi-term*")
              (ansi-term term-cmd))
          (ansi-term term-cmd)))))

[abecedarius]

Hey, I found that code hard to follow, with the if-then-elses nested 4 deep. A refactor, pretty much untested since I don't use ansi-term:

    (defun visit-ansi-term ()
      "If the current buffer is:
         1) a running ansi-term named *ansi-term*, rename it.
         2) a stopped ansi-term, kill it and create a new one.
         3) a non ansi-term, go to an already running ansi-term
            or start a new one while killing a defunct one."
      (interactive)
      (let ((is-term      (string= "term-mode" major-mode))
            (is-ansi-term (string= "*ansi-term*" (buffer-name)))
            (is-running   (term-check-proc (buffer-name)))
            (anon-term    (get-buffer "*ansi-term*")))
        (cond
         ((and is-term is-running is-ansi-term)
          (call-interactively 'rename-buffer))
         ((and anon-term (if is-term
                             (and is-running (not is-ansi-term))
                           (term-check-proc "*ansi-term*")))
          (switch-to-buffer "*ansi-term*"))
         (t
          (cond ((and is-term (not is-running))
                 (kill-buffer (buffer-name)))
                ((and anon-term (not (term-check-proc "*ansi-term*")))
                 (kill-buffer "*ansi-term*")))
          (ansi-term "/usr/local/bin/zsh")))))