How to Master Windows Terminal on Windows 11

The Windows Command Prompt (CMD) was the go-to command-line tool for Windows users until PowerShell came along. However, with the release of Windows Terminal, Microsoft has introduced a more powerful and versatile command-line tool for Windows 10 and 11. While Windows has become more user-friendly over the years, it's still essential to understand how to use Terminal effectively.

Installing and Launching Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal should come preinstalled on your Windows computer. However, if it's not available, you can quickly install it from the Microsoft Store. Just follow the link or search for “Terminal” in the Store. Please note that your computer needs to be running Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher to support Terminal.

Once installed, you can launch Windows Terminal from the Windows Search. Press Windows + S, type “Terminal,” and select “Open.” You'll notice that Command Prompt and PowerShell are also recommended because they can work within the Terminal itself. However, there are differences between CMD, PowerShell, and Terminal.

How to Use Windows Terminal

Now that you know how to open Terminal, let's explore how to use it effectively.

The new Windows Terminal is backward compatible with both PowerShell and Command Prompt, meaning all your favorite commands will work inside Terminal. But it offers much more than that.

Customizing Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal allows for endless customization. You can change tab colors, background colors, use tabbed view or open multiple tabs in the same window, enable dark mode, change animations, and more. You can even customize font size and appearance for better productivity and efficiency.

Editing the Settings.JSON File in Terminal

While you can change settings using the graphical user interface, Terminal also allows users to edit the settings.json file. To do this, press the Shift button when opening Terminal Settings from the arrow icon. Alternatively, press Shift + Ctrl + , to open the Settings.JSON file.

Here, you can modify various settings, such as keyboard shortcuts for copy-paste commands. Just make sure to create a backup of the original file before making any changes.

Windows Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are some useful Terminal keyboard shortcuts that will save you time:

• Ctrl+Shift+1: Open Windows PowerShell
• Ctrl+Shift+2: Open Command Prompt (CMD)
• Ctrl+Shift+3: Open Azure Cloud Shell
• Ctrl+: Open Settings
• Ctrl+Shift+F: Open the search box
• Ctrl+ and Ctrl-: Increase/decrease text size
• Supports universal copy-paste commands
• Ctrl+,: Launches Settings in a new tab

Additionally, you can press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the command search box, where you can quickly search for commands, view their respective keyboard shortcuts, and execute them efficiently. You can even create custom commands or assign different keyboard shortcuts to existing commands.

Unicode and UTF-8 Support

Windows Terminal now supports Unicode and UTF-8 characters, including emojis, emoticons, and characters from other languages like Latin. This feature adds another layer of versatility to Terminal.

Launching Terminal Anywhere

You can launch Terminal from CMD, PowerShell, or the Run Prompt screen using the wt.exe command. Moreover, Terminal can run CMD, PowerShell, and other command-line apps inside it, making it a versatile tool for various tasks.

Setting Terminal as Default

If you want to set Terminal as the default command-line tool on Windows 10 or 11, follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal and press Ctrl+, to open Terminal Settings.
2. Under the Startup tab, select “Windows Terminal” from the drop-down menu next to “Default Terminal application.”

Setting Default Terminal Profile

By default, Windows Terminal opens PowerShell. However, you can change this to open CMD or Azure Cloud Shell instead. Here's how:

1. Press Ctrl+, to open Terminal Settings again.
2. Under the Profiles tab, select PowerShell, CMD, or Azure Cloud Shell next to “Default profile.”

Windows Terminal: A Powerful Tool

With its enhanced UI and features, Windows Terminal is a powerful command-line tool for Windows 10 and 11. It also paves the way for integrating Windows with Linux using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). You can even install Ubuntu on top of Windows without the need for dual booting. Mastering Windows Terminal will undoubtedly make your coding experience more efficient and enjoyable.