Why Windows Terminal Is Now the Default Command Line in Windows 11 – A Complete Guide
Windows Terminal, the open‑source C++‑based console app released by Microsoft in 2019, has become the default command‑line host in Windows 11 22H2, unifying PowerShell, CMD and WSL, and offering features like multi‑tab, split panes, command palette, extensive customization, and GPU‑accelerated rendering.
Windows Terminal Overview
Windows Terminal is an open‑source console application written in C++ and hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/microsoft/Terminal. It unifies PowerShell, CMD, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) under a single modern interface.
Default Console in Windows 11 22H2
Microsoft announced that starting with Windows 11 version 22H2 (October 18, 2022), all command‑line applications open by default in Windows Terminal. The feature requires Windows Terminal version 1.15 or newer.
Enabling the Default Behavior
Open Settings → Privacy & security → For developers and toggle the option to use Windows Terminal as the default console.
Alternatively, open Windows Terminal settings (Ctrl+,), go to the Startup section, and enable Use as default console .
Key Features
Multi‑tab and split‑pane support : Click the “+” button to open a new tab; press Alt + “+” to open a new window with the default profile.
Command palette : Accessable via Ctrl+Shift+P to run built‑in commands and extensions.
Extensive customization : Per‑profile settings for executable path, starting directory, icons, background images, color schemes, fonts, and opacity.
GPU‑accelerated text rendering using DirectWrite/DirectX, providing smooth scrolling and high‑DPI support.
Unicode and UTF‑8 support for international characters.
Integration with WSL and Visual Studio , allowing seamless launch of Linux distributions and debugging sessions.
Known Issues and Improvements
Early releases reported keyboard mapping problems on non‑US layouts (e.g., Alt Gr characters not rendered correctly) and exit‑command behavior where the window remained open. The Windows Terminal team addressed these bugs in subsequent updates, leading to the stable 1.0 release and later 1.15+ required for the default‑console feature.
Repository Statistics
As of the latest data, the GitHub repository has over 85 k stars and 7.5 k forks, indicating strong community adoption.
Images
References
https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1582655429481762816
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-terminal-is-now-the-default-in-windows-11/#all-about-windows-terminal
https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/19/windows-terminal-becomes-new-default-command-line-tool-in-windows-11/
Signed-in readers can open the original source through BestHub's protected redirect.
This article has been distilled and summarized from source material, then republished for learning and reference. If you believe it infringes your rights, please contactand we will review it promptly.
Liangxu Linux
Liangxu, a self‑taught IT professional now working as a Linux development engineer at a Fortune 500 multinational, shares extensive Linux knowledge—fundamentals, applications, tools, plus Git, databases, Raspberry Pi, etc. (Reply “Linux” to receive essential resources.)
How this landed with the community
Was this worth your time?
0 Comments
Thoughtful readers leave field notes, pushback, and hard-won operational detail here.