What's new with Windows Console on Windows 10 May 2022 Update

Starting with the May 2022 Update (version 1903), Windows 10 is introducing a number of new changes to the Windows Console experience, which expands to Command Prompt, PowerShell, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

In the seventh major release of the Bone, the command line console is getting some welcome additions, including visual tweaks to the user interface, and you tin can at present access more settings to customize the canvas and cursor. In addition, if yous apply Linux on Windows ten, the experience introduces new commands and the ability to access Linux files using Command Prompt and File Explorer.

In this Windows 10 guide, we highlight the new improvements available with the Windows Console experience starting with the May 2022 Update.

More on the May Update

Windows ten May 2022 Update

Windows Console changes with the May 2022 Update

These are the most exciting changes coming to Control Prompt, PowerShell, and Windows Subsystem for Linux consoles with the showtime semi-annual update in 2022 for Windows 10.

New Final tab for the Windows Panel

When accessing the Windows Console settings (correct-clicking the title bar and selecting the Properties option), you'll detect a new "Terminal" tab that introduces new settings.

In the "Terminal Colors" section, checking the Apply Separate Foreground selection allows you to change the color of text, and the Use Separate Background will enable you to alter the groundwork color using RGB codes.

The "Cursor Shape" section includes five new shapes to customize the blinking cursor for the console.

Use Legacy Style is the default option, and it enables the traditional thick underscore cursor.
Underscore is like to the legacy style, simply information technology's a thinner cursor.
Vertical Bar, as the name implies, enables a vertical cursor similar to the cursor available in text editors.
Empty Box is a thick vertical cursor with an empty middle.
Solid Box is a solid thick rectangle in a vertical orientation.

The Last tab also includes the "Cursor Colors" department that allows you lot to invert the cursor colour, which is the default selection, and information technology inverses the color based on the background color.

Inverse Color (left), User Color (right)

Or you can select the User Colour pick to specify a custom color for the cursor using an RGB code.

Finally, the Terminal Scrolling section besides has a "Disable Scroll-Forward" pick that limits forrad scrolling simply to the end of the last output. (If this selection is disabled [default], yous can scroll upwards and downward anywhere inside the buffer.)

Dark theme tweaks

In this new version, when using the dark arrangement mode, you'll notice the scrollbars for Command Prompt, PowerShell, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux console will now utilise the dark color scheme as well for a more consistent experience.

Zoom in (and out)

As office of the functionality updates, when using any of the Windows Console experiences, you can now use Ctrl + Mouse Wheel to zoom in and out text.

Windows Subsystem for Linux

The May 2022 Update likewise delivers some improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) console, including new access to the Linux files within the Windows 10 experience, new commands, and other changes.

Accessing Linux files from Windows 10

Starting with version 1903, you tin access the Linux files from Windows 10 using File Explorer or Command Prompt.

Although this may not seem meaning, information technology'southward an of import change considering in the past, trying to alter these files will result in problems, simply now y'all tin can natively access the files by typing \\wsl$ followed by the distro name (for example, \\wsl$\Ubuntu) in the accost bar of File Explorer or Command Prompt or PowerShell.

If you desire to see a listing of all the distros installed on your computer, employ the \\wsl$ path.

Once in the distro folder, you can scan the files and folders commonly. If you're in File Explorer, you tin access the context menu. You lot tin can add together, remove, move, and copy files and folders, and yous can fifty-fifty open and edit files with any text or lawmaking editor without damaging the distro.

WSL commands

Finally, this feature update also improves the Linux command line experience with consolidations of existing and addition of new commands. As a result, when using the wsl.exe, y'all tin now run all the commands required to control and configure the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Besides, you'll find several new commands to use a different user to run commands and to import, export, and finish distros. For case, you can use the --user or -u command to run commands equally a dissimilar user.

Using the new --export allows you lot to export the distro to a tar file. The --import command to import a tar file as a new distro. Likewise, there'southward the --terminate or -t command to stop a distro.

As role of the consolidation efforts, the May 2022 Update brings already bachelor commands with "wslconfig.exe" to "wsl.exe," including:

--upgrade: Upgrades the distro to the WsIFs file system format.
–-setdefault (-s): Configures the distro equally the new default.
–-unregister: Remove registration for the distro.
–-listing (-50): Creates a listing of the distros installed on your device. Besides, the --all lists all the distros, including those being added or removed, and the --running switch lets you run across only the distros currently in use.

More than Windows 10 resource

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows ten, visit the following resources:

Windows 10 on Windows Cardinal – All you lot demand to know
Windows 10 assistance, tips, and tricks
Windows x forums on Windows Cardinal

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