About Windows Terminal
Overview
Windows Terminal is Microsoft's open-source terminal application for command-line users, distributed in the same repository as the Windows console host (conhost.exe). The repository holds the actual source from which the conhost.exe in Windows is built, along with Windows Terminal Preview, shared console components, the ColorTool utility, and sample projects that consume the Windows Console APIs.
The application adds tabs, rich text, globalization, configurability, and theming and styling to the Windows command line. Windows Terminal requires Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later, and users install it from the Microsoft Store, from GitHub release assets, or through winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop.
Key Benefits
- Tabs, rich text, and configurability cover the features the Windows command-line community requested most often.
- Theming and styling settings let users change colors and appearance instead of accepting one fixed look.
- A Pseudoconsole (ConPTY) API connects the terminal to command-line applications running on Windows.
- A DirectWrite text layout and rendering engine, a UTF-16/UTF-8 text buffer, and a VT parser and emitter stay reusable for other terminal implementations on Windows.
- Windows Terminal Canary ships nightly builds from the main branch so users can try features before they reach Preview.
- Five install channels — Microsoft Store, GitHub releases, winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop — fit different environments and update preferences.
How It Works
Users install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store for automatic upgrades, or download the .msixbundle from the repository's Releases page and open it, falling back to the Add-AppxPackage PowerShell command if the installer fails. Package managers run the same app with a winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop install command. Manually installed copies do not update themselves, so users reinstall each new release to pick up fixes. Developers who want unreleased code install Windows Terminal Canary as an App Installer package or a portable ZIP.
Use Cases
- Command-line users keep several shells in one window through tabs instead of juggling separate console windows.
- System administrators deploy and upgrade the terminal through winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop to keep machines on a known release.
- Terminal authors reuse the DirectWrite rendering engine, text buffer, and VT parser and emitter in their own Windows applications.
- Early adopters run Windows Terminal Canary to test nightly features before they reach Windows Terminal Preview.
- Contributors clone the repo, build OpenConsole.slnx in Visual Studio, and deploy the CascadiaPackage project to work on the terminal itself.
Why Choose This Product
The repository carries the source Microsoft builds conhost.exe from and publishes it under the MIT license, so developers can read and reuse the console's rendering, text buffer, and VT parsing components. The team also maintains separate stable, Preview, and Canary channels, which lets users choose between reliability and early access to features. The scope stays Windows-only and needs Windows 10 build 19041 or later.
Windows Terminal Pros & Cons
- MIT-licensed source for both Windows Terminal and conhost.exe
- Tabs, theming, and 24-bit color built in
- Install via Microsoft Store, GitHub, winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop
- Separate Canary and Preview channels for early features
- Shared DirectWrite rendering and VT parsing components
- Windows only
- Requires Windows 10 build 19041 or later
- Manual installs do not auto-update
- Canary builds are the least stable offering
Key Features
Tabbed Command Line
Windows Terminal organizes multiple command-line sessions in tabs inside a single window.
Themes & Styling
Users change colors and appearance through the terminal's theming and styling settings.
ConPTY Support
A Pseudoconsole API lets the terminal host and communicate with command-line applications.
VT Sequence Handling
A VT parser and emitter handle ANSI and Virtual Terminal sequences with 24-bit color.
DirectWrite Rendering
A DirectWrite-based text layout and rendering engine draws terminal output.
UTF-16/UTF-8 Buffer
The shared text buffer stores text in both UTF-16 and UTF-8.
Canary Nightly Builds
Windows Terminal Canary ships nightly builds of the main branch as an App Installer package or portable ZIP.
Package Manager Installs
winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop commands install and upgrade the terminal.
ColorTool & Samples
The repository includes ColorTool and sample projects that show how to consume the Windows Console APIs.
Conhost Source Code
The repository contains the source from which the conhost.exe in Windows is built.
Frequently asked questions about Windows Terminal
What version of Windows does Windows Terminal require?
Windows Terminal runs on Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later. The Canary App Installer distribution additionally only works on Windows 11 due to platform limitations, while the Canary portable ZIP works on Windows 10 build 19041 and later and on Windows 11.
How do I install Windows Terminal?
Microsoft recommends the Microsoft Store, which keeps you on the latest version with automatic upgrades. Alternatives include downloading the Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_<versionNumber>.msixbundle from this repository's Releases page, or installing through winget, Chocolatey (unofficial), or Scoop (unofficial).
Does a manual install update automatically?
No. If you install Terminal manually from the Releases page, it will not auto-update when new builds are released, so you need to regularly install the latest Terminal release to get fixes and improvements. Store installs do upgrade automatically.
What is Windows Terminal Canary?
Canary is a nightly build of Windows Terminal taken from the latest code on the main branch, letting you try features before they reach Windows Terminal Preview. It is the least stable offering, so you may hit bugs the team has not found yet. It ships as an App Installer package or a portable ZIP with no automatic updates.
How is Windows Terminal different from the Windows console host?
The Windows Console host, conhost.exe, is Windows' original command-line experience and also hosts the Console API server, input engine, and rendering engine. Its goal of backward compatibility blocked features like tabs, unicode text, and emoji, which led the team to build the new Windows Terminal with tabs, rich text, and theming.
Why does the Terminal I built look like the old console?
You are launching the wrong solution in Visual Studio. Build and deploy the CascadiaPackage project. OpenConsole.exe is only a locally built conhost.exe that Terminal uses to connect to and communicate with command-line applications through ConPTY.