ConEmu - The Windows Terminal/Console/Prompt we've been waiting for?
I have long sung the praises of Console2, an alternative Windows Command Prompt. In fact, I declared in 2004 that Windows was (and is) missing the boat when it comes to Text Mode. A kick ass terminal is exactly what Windows needs. I'm not talking about PowerShell, which many agree is crazy powerful, but rather the Terminal itself. We want tabs, we want control, we want better full screen, we want themes, we want more.
While I love Console2, I think I'm ready to switch as I've just been turned on a NEW contender in the Windows Console Wars. It's ConEmu and it's insane (in a good way.) It's also actively developed.
I haven't even begun to scratch the surface as ConEmu is one of those applications that is so configurable that you can become lost in the flexibility.
Here's some of ConEmu's fantastic improvements to the Windows terminal experience.
Jump Lists
Of course! So obvious it should have been done before. Now I can have all my favorite commands and configurations in a one click location. Best yet, these are actual commands, not just shells, so I can pin batch files, common commands (deploy, etc) or whatever I like.
Status Bar Details
There's a hundred little details that make ConEmu fun to explore. This details also show ConEmu was created by a developer. ;)
Running as Administrator
Check out the status bar there. You've got the current process id, as well as the status of your CAPS, NUM and SCRL locks. You can quickly change your transparency and smoothly resize your terminal.
Check out the tabs. See how one of my Tabs is running as Administrator? It's the little details, my friends.
You can even "attach" or suck in existing console that are already running into ConEmu.
Configuration
Literally everything is configurable. Each time I find myself wishing for a specific feature, I find it somewhere in the settings. For example, I wanted to change the behavior of the console (colors, fonts, etc) when a specific application was running. Turns out that feature exists and you can set distinct preferences for specific executables.
You can even get applications like putty.exe to startup inside a tab with the -new_console switch or run obscure DOS applications inside the ConEmu using DosBox.
Progress Bars
The feature that really blew me away was Progress Bar integration. If you're familiar with Windows 7 you are likely familiar with the way that progress bars are overlaid over a Windows 7 Taskbar button. ConEmu looks at the current application running and some heuristics and overlays progress. Madness. Do a chkdsk and watch the progress bar. Love this little detail.
FarManager
Not enough awesome? OK, add in the FarManager text-based File Manager (ala Norton Commander) and watch ConEmu light up even more. It also includes FarManager plugins for drag and drop within the text mode app.
I've gone and customized my Windows 7 task list to include Azure PowerShell, Git Bash in Cygwin, Far and Visual Studio's command prompt.
Go and download ConEmu and try it for yourself. There's a few obscure things, and you'll want to spend some time customizing it, updating the jump list manually, checking all the settings as well as changing some of the hotkeys, but in the end you'll have the best Console application Windows has to offer.
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Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
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What I'm really looking for is a good "Quake console" mode, but I haven't found anything like that yet.
desktop: smth like this? http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/wiki/Screenshots#ConEmu_in_Desktop_mode
> What I'm really looking for is a good "Quake console" mode
Can you describe this wish in detail?
Justin wrote:
I didn't realize you were a fan of FarManager.
He has been for ages. FAR is part of the dev tool list since it started (Earliest references I could find on the web is dated 2005, but also could be on the list since 2003... the very start)
Btw Scott, you might want to check the main nav bar... it still links to the dev tool list of 2009 (with (it looks like) a redirect to the updated one of 2011). Might save a redirect when you linked it directly to the updated one :)
That desktop screenshot looks great. I just can't figure out how you did that. :) Also, it appears to stay behind my apps, but I'd prefer it if I could bring it to front when it has focus, then return to desktop when not.
The Quake console was a console window in the game Quake that would slide onscreen from the top if you hit the ~ key, and would then slide back offscreen when you hit ~ again. Many games support this feature now, and I believe the OS X terminal app does, too.
Tabs may be completely hidden. And are hidden in this config.
Bordless - ok, I'll take care of this.
It is turned on by "Desktop mode" checkbox in Features pane.
Is there any way to get it to remember history from previous sessions? I couldn't find it.
It would be even better with tab icons, and more settings in App distinct (basically, every UI preference should be overridable for each app) ;)
It would be even better with tab icons, and more settings in App distinct (basically, every UI preference should be overridable for each app) ;)
Tabs. It's a sore point. They are in Roadmap.
More settings? Why? What exactly? I mean, you can use named configurations (e.g. "ConEmu.exe /config TestApp /cmd TestApp.exe ...") which, I hope, covers almost cases.
Is there any way to get it to remember history from previous sessions? I couldn't find it.
What history did you mean? History of commands, executed in "cmd.exe"? Note, that ConEmu is not shell replacement, it is graphic console. I use Far Manager, and its history is great.
More on StackOverflow
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ConEmu\.Vanilla]
"KeyMacro01.Text"="Paste(0,\"exit\r\n\")"
ConEmu settings dialog does not allows (for now) typing special chars (like Enter) into GuiMacro text box.
One feature that I use all the time in Console2 is renaming of the tabs. Sometimes I don't want to see the directory I'm in, I just want the tab to have a name. So I hit Ctrl-R and typing in a new name for the tab. Would be awesome to have this feature in ConEmu.
It works, but now it pops up a dialog that says "Pasting text involves <Enter> keypress! Continue?"
Any way to disable that?
I think so, renaming will be in next version.
btw, in current version, you can change template: Tabs -> Console -> "%n"
and get active process name in tab caption.
http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/downloads/detail?name=ConEmuSetup.120609.exe
Die Datei 'C:\Users\aek\Downloads\ConEmuSetup.120609.exe'
enthielt einen Virus oder unerwünschtes Programm 'TR/Dropper.Gen' [trojan].
http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/issues/detail?id=555
If you are not sure - you may use 7z packages from Download page :)
First, the question: How can I create a task (mine's called {Powershell}) that starts up in D:\GitRepos? I see that I can just create a new tab and specify a start directory - but if I do that and use a predefined task, then it drops me to C:\Program Files\ConEmu.
I loved the idea of the quake style console, so I did what you showed in your ConEmu.xml (no border, frame, or tabs) and re-mapped Win-~ to show/hide. Works great! But in doing so, I thought of a couple ideas you might like:
First idea: With the border and frame removed, the text in the console butts right up to the edge of the window. It would be nice to be able to add a few pixels padding in there. Another option would be to define a color of the frame, then we could set a frame width of 4, for example, and use the same background color as the terminal. I'd personally prefer a padding setting as I use a background image in my terminal (a dark subtle gradient).
Second idea: in this border-less, frame-less, tab-less mode there's no way to resize or move the window (without bringing up the settings and turning the frame back on). I'd love to be able to hold down a modifier key and click and drag the window from anywhere to move it. Resizing is less of an issue, but it would be nice to do that as well... maybe a transparent border instead of completely gone?
Thanks for the great app, and for keeping up with it!
-Sean
Did you see it has theming for console colours (and even includes Solarized), and the madman has implemented ansi.sys style processing of escape codes? It's all native code too. The guy's a nutter - I love it.
Startup dir look here, coming. As workaround for a now - you may use "cmd /k cd ..."
First idea: ok, possible
Second idea: it is false. Hover mouse over place, where frame MUST be, wait two seconds, and frame will appears
> I installed ConEmu and I see Far Manager in the settings,
> but I can't figure out how to run the Far application.
You can simple unpack ConEmu and Far into one folder. When ConEmu see Far.exe - it will be started by default.
Note. You must assure, that Far plugins (ConEmu.dll and so on) are located in Far Plugins subfolder. This will be so, if you unpack them into one folder.
If Far is not started by default - see
Settings \ Startup \ Command line
Thanks for the link to the bug list - not sure why I didn't think to search there first. I'll also be sure to post any future ideas there.
Thanks!
-Sean
There was similar complain:
Issue 526.
The workaround is to disable "Inject ConEmuHk" in the Features page.
May be antiviral software?
Can you create an Issue and attach minidumps of hunging processes?
Thanks
Mike
You can specify one or more commands for each Task.
Note, "/dir ..." will be available in next version.
I tried your suggestion without any luck. I uninstalled and re-installed and jump lists seem to be working now.
Thanks
Mike
I will never run Far without ConEmu anymore!
@Scoot Thank you for the post. Without it I'd have never found ConEmu!
-Ben
But I'm really missing the option to automatically append a slash at the end of folder names when tab-completing through a directory structure. It saves me from having to hit both tab and slash when I want to move to a deeper directory.
That is how tab completion works in my bash propmpts on linux boxes and its one of the things that makes the linux bash fast to work in.
1. Is there a way to make the title bar just the application name? I don't want the commands shown in the application bar (especially when I'm using OpenSSH).
2. I did the set up tasks thing. Gave the task a name and then put basically "ssh -l user 128.0.0.1" as the command. When I hit "Update Now", it told me "pcdl->AddUserTasks(poa) failed | LastError=0x80070057 | The parameter is incorrect." What am I doing wrong here? It still seems to work. Though I wish the tab would be named what I named the task.
Tip: you can also install ConEmu with chocolatey:
cinst ConEmu -Version 12.4.17.1
Again, thanks for the tip :)
I keep tabs on bottom, console2 tabs look nicer on bottom.
How can i change the taskbar icon of conemu ?
Thanks for the great software, much appreciated !
CinEmu has commandline switch /icon. You may specify any file for it. Refer to project wiki for more info.
in case you are still checking comments here: Just started using ConEmu and love it so far. To my question/request: Is it possible to hook ConEmu into the new Windows 8 File Explorer? As in, under the File tab/menu there is now a button to start cmd/powershell in the current directory. So is it somehow possible to either make ConEmu start instead of cmd/powershell or put ConEmu itself into that menu? (I assume the first will be easier). Thanks for the great work.
I spent the past hour or two (don't ask...) looking for a way to fix the double window border thing (ConEmu and PuTTY together) because it's especially annoying with the (kick-ass!) Quake mode. I discovered that there is a reason (a pretty good one) that the PuTTY devs haven't included, say, a command line option to do that: they already did.
Don't use PuTTY -- just open up plink.exe inside ConEmu. It's basically just PuTTY without the window.
Figured I'd post the tip here since this is where I found out about ConEmu and I haven't seen it anywhere else.
Absolutely love this program. :)
How did you get the Windows 7 task list to show the "VS Command Prompt"?
David
Before ConEmu this was four tabs but now I can see what's going on all one one tab.
For anyone interested, you can roughly save a session/split-screen configuration at Startup > Tasks by creating a new Task and pressing the "Active tabs" button. Saves some time from having to configure split-screen sessions.
@RaduM, you can register the option to open ConEmu in a folder using the right-click context menu. You just press the Register button in the settings at:
Features > Integration > "ConEmu Here - Explorer context menu integration"
Comments are closed.
I didn't realize you were a fan of FarManager.