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How to instantly install Windows Terminal, set the default terminal app, and more on Windows 11
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Published onOctober 6, 2022
published onOctober 6, 2022
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Windows Terminalis a modern host application for running command-line shells side-by-side like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), among others. This guide will show you how to install Windows Terminal, set a default terminal application, set a default terminal profile, and more.
Install Windows Terminal
First, you need to install Windows Terminal. Not much has changed sincewe last pointed outyou caninstall Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store. However, there are a couple of additional ways you can download and install Windows Terminal, including:
- If you don’t have access to the Microsoft Store, you can also download Terminal builds from theGitHub releases page. But keep in mind, these versions will not update automatically.2. You can try bleeding edge preview features available if youinstall Windows Terminal Preview.3.Windows 11 users only: Usewingetto install Windows Terminal by using the following command in Command Prompt or PowerShell:winget install Microsoft.WindowsTerminal
Of course, you can use other package managers likeChocolatelyorScoopif you prefer, but in my personal opinion,wingetis easier to use to download and install apps thaneven the Microsoft Store.
Set the default terminal application (Windows 11 only)
To open any command line application you want with Windows Terminal, set it as your default terminal application by doing the following:
That’s it, you are finished! You could probably set it even faster by using theSettings Ctrl + ,keyboard shortcut within the app, but once it’s set, Windows Terminal is now your default terminal application on Windows 11.
Set the default terminal profile
When you open Windows Terminal for the first time, the default profile is set to “PowerShell.” If you want to change it, here’s what you need to do.
When you are finished making changes, you can closeSettingsin Windows Terminal.
Add a new profile
Windows Terminal creates profiles automatically if you have any WSL distributions or multiple versions of PowerShell installed. Your command lineProfilesare listed in left pane underSettings.
Open a new tab
If you want to open a new tab, you can click the plus + sign next to your current tab to open a new tab.Otherwise, you can use theCtrl + Shift + Tkeyboard shortcut to open a new tab. To open a different command line tool profile, select the arrow button next to the plus sign to select a different profile to open a new tab with.
Open and close a pane
You can even run multiple shells side-by-side-usingWindows Terminal Panes. It might seem daunting at first, but it’s easy once you learn. Here are five keyboard shortcuts that I use daily within Windows Terminal:
So, if you want to display Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, PowerShell and bash side-by-side in Windows Terminal, here’s what you need to do.
You can repeat these steps to add as many profiles as you want. Just remember to holdAltdown while you choose a different profile, otherwise, a new tab will open instead of a pane.
Hold downAlt + arrow keysto move between panes. If you want to change any keyboard shortcuts you use via theActionssection in Windows Terminal Settings.
Invoke the command palette
You can access most of Windows Terminal’s features by invoking the command palette. The default keyboard shortcut for the command palette isCtrl + Shift + P.
Settings JSON file
For those that don’t want to use a graphic user interface (GUI), you can configure your Windows Terminal Settings in code, by editing the Settings JSON file. You can do this by clicking Here’s what you need to do.
Thepath to your Windows Terminal JSON fileis in one of the following directories on your PC.
You can always access the Settings JSON file from Windows Terminal Settings by selectingOpen JSON filefrom the left pane in Terminal Settings.
If you run into any issues or bugs using Terminal, be sure tocheck here for Troubleshooting options firstbefore going toGitHub to file a new issue.
What scares you the most about Windows Terminal? Let us know in the comments.
davew
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