Customizing the appearance of Windows Terminal for impressive results in PowerShell and WSL: 3 simple methods revealed
### Customising Windows Terminal for PowerShell and WSL
Windows Terminal offers a multitude of customisation options, enabling users to tailor its appearance and functionality to their preferences for PowerShell and WSL. This guide covers key methods, including adopting the Starship prompt, leveraging Fastfetch, and applying built-in Windows Terminal features.
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## Starship Prompt
Starship is a cross-platform, cross-shell prompt that seamlessly integrates with PowerShell, Bash, and all major WSL shells. It offers a modern, customisable look with rich features and extension capabilities.
### Installation
- **PowerShell**: Install Starship via Chocolatey, Scoop, or the Windows Package Manager (winget). - **WSL**: Use the distribution’s package manager, or install from Starship’s website with a one-liner: ```sh curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sh ``` After installation, add the following to your shell’s profile (e.g., `.bashrc` for Bash): ```sh eval "$(starship init bash)" ``` - **Nerd Font Required**: Install a Nerd Font for full icon support.
### Customisation
Edit the `starship.toml` configuration file (usually in `~/.config/starship.toml`) to change prompts, colours, modules, and more. Starship documentation offers extensive options.
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## Fastfetch
Fastfetch is a fast, customisable system information tool for the terminal, similar to Neofetch. It displays system details in a visually appealing way.
### Installation
- **PowerShell**: Install Fastfetch via Chocolatey or scoop. - **WSL**: Use your distro’s package manager. - **Manual Download**: Compile from source or download a prebuilt binary.
### Usage
Simply run `fastfetch` in your terminal for an instant system overview. Customise the output by editing the configuration file, typically in `~/.config/fastfetch/`.
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## Windows Terminal Customisations
### Profiles
- **Background Colour & Opacity**: Change the `background` and `opacity` values in your profile settings to create a dark or transparent terminal. Example for a WSL profile: ```json "profiles": { "colorScheme": "Ubuntu", "opacity": 90, "background": "#000000" } ``` You can also enable effects like `experimental.retroTerminalEffect` for a classic look. - **Fonts**: Specify a Nerd Font for full compatibility with Starship and modern icons. - **Profiles List**: Create different profiles for PowerShell, cmd, WSL distros, and more, each with their own appearance and behavior.
### Themes & Appearance
- **Themes**: Windows 11 allows you to select built-in themes or download new ones from the Microsoft Store, changing the overall colour palette and desktop background. - **Personalisation**: Access `Settings > Personalisation > Themes` to change and install new themes quickly.
### Advanced Features
- **Background Images**: Assign background images to any profile for further personalisation. - **Profiles.json**: Fine-tune your setup by editing the `profiles.json` file directly for advanced options not available in the GUI.
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## Summary Table
| Feature | How to Enable | Where to Customise | Notes | |------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | Starship Prompt | Install via winget/scoop/pkgs | `starship.toml` | Needs Nerd Font | | Fastfetch | Install via package manager | Custom config file | Fast system info display | | Terminal Theme | Settings > Personalisation | Themes section or MS Store | Quick UI colour changes | | Profile Settings | Edit in Windows Terminal GUI | Edit `profiles.json` directly | Background, opacity, fonts, effects | | Background Image | Add in profile settings | Profile properties or JSON | For each profile separately |
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## Putting It All Together
- **Install Starship** and Fastfetch for your shell of choice. - **Set up a Nerd Font** in Windows Terminal for icons and symbols. - **Customise profiles** with colours, opacity, effects, and even background images for a unique look. - **Use Fastfetch** to show system info at a glance. - **Experiment with themes** for system-wide colour changes via Windows 11 settings. - **Edit `profiles.json`** for advanced, manual tweaks beyond the GUI options.
These steps let you create a highly personalised, productive, and visually appealing terminal environment for both PowerShell and WSL on Windows.
- Install Starship for PowerShell, Bash, or WSL using Chocolatey, Scoop, or the Windows Package Manager (winget), and for WSL distros, use the distribution’s package manager or download from Starship’s website. Make sure to install a Nerd Font for full icon support.
- Edit the configuration file to change prompts, colours, modules, and more, as offered in Starship's documentation.
- Simultaneously, install Fastfetch for your shell via Chocolatey, scoop, or the package manager of your distro, or manually download a prebuilt binary.
- Customize the Fastfetch output by editing the configuration file in .
- In Windows Terminal, change the background colour, opacity, and use a Nerd Font for full compatibility with Starship and modern icons. Customize profiles for PowerShell, cmd, WSL distros, and more with their own appearance and behavior.
- Experiment with themes for system-wide colour changes via Windows 11 settings and edit the file for advanced, manual tweaks beyond the GUI options. This will help create a unique, productive, and visually appealing terminal environment on Windows, integrating software, technology, and personal lifestyles efficiently.
