Windows Command Line Blog
Microsoft's Windows Command Line team blog covers the console, terminal features, WSL, and the history of the Windows command line.
What HN says
HN commenters recommend its technical series on console history and note its work on VT escapes, 24-bit color, ColorTool, and a warning about editing Linux files from Windows.
Stats for nerds
101HN people shared it
81linked in comments
3.5Kstory points
May 2019last shared
Top posts on HN
- 1Do not change Linux files using Windows apps and tools12 people · 549 points · first shared 2016 · 262 comments on HN
- 2Bash on Ubuntu on Windows3 people · 420 points · first shared 2016 · 422 comments on HN
- 3What’s New in Bash/WSL and Windows Console3 people · 332 points · first shared 2017 · 238 comments on HN
- 4Introducing extended line endings support in Notepad1 person · 327 points · first shared 2018 · 193 comments on HN
- 5Introducing the Windows Pseudo Console (ConPty)5 people · 297 points · first shared 2018 · 190 comments on HN
- 6Inside the Windows Console3 people · 286 points · first shared 2018 · 252 comments on HN
- 7New Distros Coming to Bash/WSL via Windows Store1 person · 276 points · first shared 2017 · 245 comments on HN
- 8Ubuntu now available from the Windows store3 people · 234 points · first shared 2017 · 211 comments on HN
- 9Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta1 person · 203 points · first shared 2017 · 217 comments on HN
- 10Rumors of Cmd’s death have been greatly exaggerated1 person · 168 points · first shared 2017 · 194 comments on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
- userbinatorSep 2017
The parent is storing files on the "Windows" part of the filesystem and accessing them from WSL, while my post (and https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2016/11/17/do-not-change-linux-files-using-windows-apps-and-tools/ which it indirectly links to) refers to storing files on the "Linux" part of the filesystem and accessing them from Windows (apparently some files must be in the Linux part, like certain configuration files etc.)
Incidentally, the response from a MSFT employee about why this isn't a problem with Samba is "Because this isn’t a supported mechanism for accessing files via a networked file access protocol; it’s what happens when a hacker modifies files stored in a hidden system folder.", which is pretty much a non-answer and almost a "you're doing it wrong" accusation in an attempt to hide from the fact that they seriously screwed this up.
- daenneyApr 2017
> Things that require a GUI require you to have a separate X server running. WSL, as far as I know, does not support running X11.
They mention X/GUI support in the "What's new in Bash/WSL" article[1].
> Note: Some of you may also have been following along with some intrepid explorations into running X/GUI apps and desktops on WSL. While we don’t explicitly support X/GUI apps/desktops on WSL, we don’t do anything to block/prevent them from running. So if you manage to get your favorite editor, desktop, browser, etc. running, GREAT but know that we are still focusing all our efforts on delivering a really solid command-line experience, running all the command-line developer tools you need.
[1]: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/04/11/windows-10-creators-update-whats-new-in-bashwsl-windows-console/
- bitcrazedApr 2017
Hi - PM for Windows Console & Bash on Windows here.
YES ... one day ;)
We're keen to figure out a decent tab story for the console, and the feature ask is on our backlog, but we're currently fully booked completing some important internal re-factoring, after which we'll be able to return to working on important asks like this.
FWIW, we're currently giving the Windows Console its biggest overhaul in > 30 years!! We're re-factoring and modernizing many of the Console's core internals.
We'll be writing-up the why's and wherefores of what we're up to in a couple of months.
Stay tuned on our blog (https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/richturn_ms) for news, udpates, and info.
- smittywerbenJan 2019
It's the real curl[0]. I actually like the aliases and they've even added ctrl-shift paste in the options. Maybe they should be the default.
The windows filesystem still makes no sense but that's an NT issue (dropbox cant sync con.sh???). SSH has a surprisingly native feel but graphical apps (vim, screen) still have rendering problems, and the ssh-agent daemon isn't set up right by default.
Until they make Windows LTSC unusable, it's not _too_ horrible right now. But for a serious programming project there's still no question for me (but fix your damnable sound drivers Ubuntu).
[0] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/01/18/tar-and-curl-come-to-windows/
- raesene9Nov 2018
I find WSL can really help in this regard. It's being actively developed by Microsoft and they're making the interop between WSL and windows better over time (a good example of this is https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/11/05/whats-new-for-wsl-in-the-windows-10-october-2018-update/ on what's new in October)
So what I tend to do is use linux install paths and do my scripting work in WSL, with my more GUI/Corp apps in windows.
All they need to do now is get raw network sockets working and finish off Linux Docker engine support in WSL and I'll be sorted!
- mpolszOct 2018
> I would be curious to know more about how you are doing this. Maybe Microsoft fixed this since I last used WSL, but if they didn't then you may be sitting on a ticking time bomb, see: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2016/11/17/do-n...
From linked post:
Note: Your "Linux files" are any of the files and folders under %localappdata%\lxss - which is where the Linux filesystem - distro and your own files - are stored on your driveIt does say later on that storing files on windows filesystem and accessing it via /mnt/c is ok