Install the [Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store][store-install-link]. This allows you to always be on the latest version when we release new builds with automatic upgrades.
For users who are unable to install Terminal from the Microsoft Store, Terminal builds can be manually downloaded from this repository's [Releases page](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/releases).
> * Be sure to install the [Desktop Bridge VC++ v14 Redistributable Package](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53175) otherwise Terminal may not install and/or run and may crash at startup
> * Terminal will not auto-update when new builds are released so you will need to regularly install the latest Terminal release to receive all the latest fixes and improvements!
[Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org) users can download and install the latest Terminal release by installing the `microsoft-windows-terminal` package:
If you have any issues when installing/upgrading the package please go to the [Windows Terminal package page](https://chocolatey.org/packages/microsoft-windows-terminal) and follow the [Chocolatey triage process](https://chocolatey.org/docs/package-triage-process)
Windows Terminal is a new, modern, feature-rich, productive terminal application for command-line users. It includes many of the features most frequently requested by the Windows command-line community including support for tabs, rich text, globalization, configurability, theming & styling, and more.
The Terminal will also need to meet our goals and measures to ensure it remains fast and efficient, and doesn't consume vast amounts of memory or power.
The Windows Console host, `conhost.exe`, is Windows' original command-line user experience. It also hosts Windows' command-line infrastructure and the Windows Console API server, input engine, rendering engine, user preferences, etc. The console host code in this repository is the actual source from which the `conhost.exe` in Windows itself is built.
Since taking ownership of the Windows command-line in 2014, the team added several new features to the Console, including background transparency, line-based selection, support for [ANSI / Virtual Terminal sequences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code), [24-bit color](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/24-bit-color-in-the-windows-console/), a [Pseudoconsole ("ConPTY")](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-command-line-introducing-the-windows-pseudo-console-conpty/), and more.
However, because Windows Console's primary goal is to maintain backward compatibility, we have been unable to add many of the features the community (and the team) have been wanting for the last several years including tabs, unicode text, and emoji.
> You can read more about the evolution of the command-line in general, and the Windows command-line specifically in [this accompanying series of blog posts](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-command-line-backgrounder/) on the Command-Line team's blog.
While overhauling Windows Console, we modernized its codebase considerably, cleanly separating logical entities into modules and classes, introduced some key extensibility points, replaced several old, home-grown collections and containers with safer, more efficient [STL containers](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/standard-library/stl-containers?view=vs-2019), and made the code simpler and safer by using Microsoft's [Windows Implementation Libraries - WIL](https://github.com/Microsoft/wil).
This overhaul resulted in several of Console's key components being available for re-use in any terminal implementation on Windows. These components include a new DirectWrite-based text layout and rendering engine, a text buffer capable of storing both UTF-16 and UTF-8, a VT parser/emitter, and more.
When we started planning the new Windows Terminal application, we explored and evaluated several approaches and technology stacks. We ultimately decided that our goals would be best met by continuing our investment in our C++ codebase, which would allow us to reuse several of the aforementioned modernized components in both the existing Console and the new Terminal. Further, we realized that this would allow us to build much of the Terminal's core itself as a reusable UI control that others can incorporate into their own applications.
The result of this work is contained within this repo and delivered as the Windows Terminal application you can download from the Microsoft Store, or [directly from this repo's releases](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/releases).
* [Command-Line Backgrounder Blog Series](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-command-line-backgrounder/)
* Windows Terminal Launch: [Terminal "Sizzle Video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gw0rXPMMPE&list=PLEHMQNlPj-Jzh9DkNpqipDGCZZuOwrQwR&index=2&t=0s)
* Windows Terminal Launch: [Build 2019 Session](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMudkRcwjCw)
* Run As Radio: [Show 645 - Windows Terminal with Richard Turner](http://www.runasradio.com/Shows/Show/645)
* Azure Devops Podcast: [Episode 54 - Kayla Cinnamon and Rich Turner on DevOps on the Windows Terminal](http://azuredevopspodcast.clear-measure.com/kayla-cinnamon-and-rich-turner-on-devops-on-the-windows-terminal-team-episode-54)
* Microsoft Ignite 2019 Session: [The Modern Windows Command Line: Windows Terminal - BRK3321](https://myignite.techcommunity.microsoft.com/sessions/81329?source=sessions)
> ⚠ Note: `OpenConsole.exe` is just a locally-built `conhost.exe`, the classic Windows Console that hosts Windows' command-line infrastructure. OpenConsole is used by Windows Terminal to connect to and communicate with command-line applications (via [ConPty](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-command-line-introducing-the-windows-pseudo-console-conpty/)).
***BEFORE you start work on a feature/fix***, please read & follow our [Contributor's Guide](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) to help avoid any wasted or duplicate effort.
* You must be running Windows 1903 (build >= 10.0.18362.0) or later to run Windows Terminal
* You must [enable Developer Mode in the Windows Settings app](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/get-started/enable-your-device-for-development) to locally install and run Windows Terminal
* You must have the [Windows 10 1903 SDK](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk) installed
* You must have at least [VS 2019](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/) installed
* You must install the following Workloads via the VS Installer. Note: Opening the solution in VS 2019 will [prompt you to install missing components automatically](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/setup/configure-visual-studio-across-your-organization-with-vsconfig/):
This repository uses [git submodules](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Submodules) for some of its dependencies. To make sure submodules are restored or updated, be sure to run the following prior to building:
OpenConsole.sln may be built from within Visual Studio or from the command-line using a set of convenience scripts & tools in the **/tools** directory:
To debug the Windows Terminal in VS, right click on `CascadiaPackage` (in the Solution Explorer) and go to properties. In the Debug menu, change "Application process" and "Background task process" to "Native Only".
> 👉 You will _not_ be able to launch the Terminal directly by running the WindowsTerminal.exe. For more details on why, see [#926](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/926), [#4043](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/4043)
> 👉 If you find something missing from these docs, feel free to contribute to any of our documentation files anywhere in the repository (or write some new ones!)
This project has adopted the [Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct][conduct-code].
For more information see the [Code of Conduct FAQ][conduct-FAQ] or contact [opencode@microsoft.com][conduct-email] with any additional questions or comments.
