Wow! eBook
Windows Terminal Tips, Tricks, and Productivity Hacks: Optimize your command-line usage and development processes with pro-level techniques
Author(s): Will Fuqua (Author)
- Publisher: Packt Publishing
- Publication Date: 30 April 2021
- Language: English
- Print length: 254 pages
- ISBN-10: 1800207565
- ISBN-13: 9781800207561
Book Description
Become an efficient command-line expert by harnessing the power of the new Microsoft Windows Terminal, and learn time-saving tricks for PowerShell, WSL2, and more
Key Features
- Customize and optimize your Windows Terminal and its shells
- Work effectively on the command line with split panes, hotkeys, and automation
- Use PowerShell and WSL2 efficiently to build, test, and deploy applications
Book Description
Windows Terminal is a new and open-source command-line application for Windows 10, built for the Command Prompt, PowerShell, Windows Subsystem for Linux, and more. It’s fast, modern, and configurable thanks to its GPU-accelerated rendering, excellent UTF-8 support, and JSON-based configurability, and this book can help you learn how to leverage these features.
You’ll start by learning the benefits of Windows Terminal and its open-source development, as well as how to use the built-in tabs, panes, and key bindings to build your own efficient terminal workflows. After you’ve mastered Windows Terminal, this book shows how to use and configure PowerShell Core and the Windows Subsystem for Linux within Windows Terminal. You’ll maximize your productivity using powerful tools such as PSReadLine for PowerShell and ZSH on Linux, and discover useful tips and tricks for common developer tools like Git and SSH. Finally, you’ll see how Windows Terminal can be used in common development and DevOps tasks, such as developing frontend JavaScript applications and backend REST APIs, and managing cloud-based systems like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
By the end of this book, you’ll not only be well-versed with Windows Terminal, but also have learned how to effectively use shells like PowerShell Core and ZSH to become proficient at the command line.
What you will learn
- Install, update, and use Windows Terminal and its preview version
- Customize your Windows Terminal to be both visually appealing and functional
- Enable and effectively use the latest versions of PowerShell Core and Windows Subsystem for Linux
- Install and configure time-saving tools for the command line
- Work efficiently with common developer tools such as Git and SSH
- Build, deploy, and manage apps in the cloud using Windows Terminal
- Use Linux tools from Windows with ease
Who this book is for
This book is for developers, DevOps engineers, and sysadmins who want to become advanced command-line power users. Whether you’re new to the command line or you already use Windows PowerShell every day, this book will have something for you.
Table of Contents
- Getting started with the new Windows Terminal
- Learning the Windows Terminal UI
- Configuring an Ubuntu Linux profile
- Customizing your Windows Terminal settings
- Changing your Windows Terminal appearance
- Setting up keyboard shortcuts
- Hidden Windows Terminal Actions
- Tips for using PowerShell like a Pro
- Tips for using Ubuntu like an Expert
- Using Git and GitHub with Windows Terminal
- Building web applications with React
- Building REST APIs with C# and Windows Terminal
- Connecting to remote systems
- Managing systems in the cloud
- Windows Terminal Actions
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Whether you are building a web app or working in the cloud, the command line has always been an integral tool for software developers and IT admins alike. For many years, the Windows command line experience lagged behind that of Unix-based systems. Even simple things like selecting and copying text required you to jump through hoops.
In the 2010s, Microsoft began to improve the command line experience with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), PowerShell improvements, and a command-line interface. WSL provided a first-party solution to running a Linux environment on your Windows device. PowerShell continued to receive incremental improvements to surpass the usability of CMD. The Windows Package Manager released a command line interface as a first-party solution to install software on your machine. Even with all of these command line tools, Windows lacked a solid terminal to host them in and Microsoft quickly realized how difficult it was to make improvements without breaking certain legacy behavior.
In 2019, Microsoft introduced the Windows Terminal, a new unified experience to host command line tools. To make things better, Windows Terminal was open sourced alongside the in-box console host experience with which Windows command line users were already familiar. It put customizability first with a profile-based settings model and key bindings. Furthermore, a rapid release cycle helped collect and address user feedback swiftly.
This book does a fantastic job teaching you how to set up Windows Terminal and make it your own. You will learn how to create and manage your profiles to get the most out of your terminal and customize your actions and key bindings to be an effective user. Even better, you will learn how to get started using the terminal more often in day-to-day activities. The author teaches you how to use PowerShell and bash and how to customize them for your needs. The book will also teach you how to apply these tools to build apps, manage remote systems, and interact with the cloud.”
—
Carlos Zamora, Software Engineer on Windows Terminal at Microsoft
About the Author
Will Fuqua has been developing software professionally for 12 years using a wide range of technologies. Initially based in the United States as a software consultant, he developed production systems for companies in the healthcare and finance industries, among many others. He then moved abroad and is now the Head of Engineering for an online travel agency, where he leads a high-powered technology team out of Bangkok, Thailand.
