How To Use Windows Terminal Preview with Ubuntu on Windows 10

In this tutorial, we’ll be exploring how to use the Windows Terminal Preview with Ubuntu on Windows 10. This feature allows you to run a full-fledged Ubuntu terminal on your Windows system, providing a seamless integration of the two operating systems.

Prerequisites

Before we start, ensure you have both the Ubuntu app and the Windows Terminal Preview installed on your Windows 10 system. If you don’t have them yet, you can download the Ubuntu app from the Microsoft Store and the Windows Terminal Preview from GitHub.

Open Windows Terminal Preview

Launch the Windows Terminal Preview. You’ll notice a drop-down menu in the top-left corner of the window. Click on it and select “Settings”. This will open the settings file in your default text editor.

Edit the Settings File

In the settings file, you’ll notice a section labeled “profiles”. This is where you’ll add the Ubuntu app.

Find the entry for the Ubuntu app and add the following code after the “CMD” entry, making sure to separate the entries with a comma:

{
 "acrylicOpacity" : 0.75,
 "closeOnExit" : true,
 "colorScheme" : "Campbell",
 "commandline" : "ubuntu",
 "cursorColor" : "#FFFFFF",
 "cursorShape" : "bar",
 "fontFace" : "Consolas",
 "fontSize" : 10,
 "guid" : "{GUID}",
 "historySize" : 9001,
 "icon" : "Absolute path of icon",
 "name" : "Ubuntu",
 "padding" : "0, 0, 0, 0",
 "snapOnInput" : true,
 "startingDirectory" : "%USERPROFILE%",
 "useAcrylic" : true
}

Let’s break down what these parameters mean:

• acrylicOpacity: This sets the transparency of the terminal window.
• closeOnExit: This parameter determines whether the terminal window should close when the shell process exits.
• colorScheme: This sets the color scheme of the terminal window.
• commandline: This parameter specifies the shell that the terminal will use. In this case, we’re using the Ubuntu shell.
• cursorColor, cursorShape: These parameters control the appearance of the cursor.
• fontFace, fontSize: These parameters control the font used in the terminal.
• guid: This is the unique identifier for the profile. Replace {GUID} with the actual GUID of the Ubuntu app.
• historySize: This parameter sets the number of lines to store in the scrollback.
• icon: This parameter sets the icon for the terminal tab. Replace “Absolute path of icon” with the actual path of the icon you want to use.
• name: This parameter sets the name that will be displayed in the terminal tab.
• padding: This parameter sets the padding around the text in the terminal.
• snapOnInput: This parameter determines whether the terminal should scroll to the bottom when a new input is received.
• startingDirectory: This parameter sets the directory that the terminal starts in.
• useAcrylic: This parameter determines whether the terminal should use acrylic (transparency) effects.

Save and Close the Settings File

After you’ve added the code and replaced the placeholders with the correct values, save the settings file and close it.

Check the Changes

Open the drop-down menu in the Windows Terminal Preview again. You should see the Ubuntu app listed there. When you select it, it should open with the customized settings you specified in the settings file.

Conclusion

With these steps, you’ve successfully set up the Windows Terminal Preview to use the Ubuntu app on Windows 10. This gives you a powerful terminal with features like tabs and detailed customization options, all while running Ubuntu’s bash shell.

Remember, if you’re experiencing issues with copy/paste shortcuts in the Ubuntu terminal, keep in mind that Ctrl+C is a keyboard interrupt and won’t act as a shortcut to copy. You can try using the mouse or other keyboard shortcuts for copy/paste.

Enjoy your new, powerful, and customized terminal experience!