Ubuntu Terminal

Ubuntu Terminal (project name ubuntu-term) is a terminal for Windows that looks like the one on Ubuntu and understands everyday Linux commands. You install one program and type ls, cp, grep, vi or git clone straight away. It does not need WSL, Git Bash or a Linux installation.

Who it is for

• People who know the Linux command line and want the same habits on a Windows PC.
• Students following a tutorial written for Linux or macOS who only have Windows.
• Developers who want a small Unix-style shell with Git for quick jobs, without setting up WSL.

What it does

• Linux-style commands out of the box. ls, ll, cd, cp, mv, rm, cat, grep, find, sed, awk, pipes and redirects all work.
• An editor in the terminal. vi (also reachable as vim) opens files for editing.
• Git included. git clone, commit, pull and push work without installing Git for Windows.
• Your Windows programs too. Anything on your Windows PATH, such as node, python, ssh or code, runs from the same prompt.
• Tabs, copy and paste, zoom. With the shortcuts you know from the Ubuntu terminal.
• Built-in help. Type helpme for a cheat sheet, or agents to see which coding-agent command-line tools are installed.

The prompt looks like Ubuntu's: you@pc-name:~/Documents$, on the familiar aubergine background.

What it is not

Ubuntu Terminal is a Unix-style shell and toolkit for Windows. It is not a Linux system. These do not work:

Not available	Why
apt, apt-get, dpkg, snap	There is no Ubuntu package manager
Linux programs and AppImages	Windows cannot run Linux binaries
systemctl and Linux services	There is no Linux system underneath
Docker or Podman as on Linux	Not included
Full Vim or Neovim with plugins	The editor is the small BusyBox vi

If you need those, use WSL or a Linux machine.

Platforms

Windows, 64-bit Intel/AMD (x64). The current version is 1.3.0.

Next steps

• Install Ubuntu Terminal
• Beginner guide
• Everyday commands