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Overview

Visual Studio Code includes a fully-featured integrated terminal that allows you to run command-line tools and tasks without leaving the editor. The terminal supports multiple shells, split panes, and deep integration with VS Code features.

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Getting Started

1

Open Terminal

Press Ctrl+` (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+` (macOS), or select Terminal > New Terminal from the menu
2

Create Additional Terminals

Click the + icon in the terminal panel or press Ctrl+Shift+ (Windows/Linux) /Cmd+Shift+ (macOS)
3

Switch Between Terminals

Use the dropdown menu in the terminal panel or navigate with keyboard shortcuts

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Terminal Architecture

The terminal is built on xterm.js and integrates deeply with VS Code: 
// From VS Code source: src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalActions.ts
import { KeyCode, KeyMod, KeyChord } from '../../../../base/common/keyCodes.js';
import { TerminalLocation, TerminalSettingId } from '../../../../platform/terminal/common/terminal.js';

export interface ITerminalInstance {
  readonly instanceId: number;
  readonly resource: URI;
  readonly title: string;
  readonly shellType: string;
  
  focus(): void;
  sendText(text: string, addNewLine: boolean): void;
  dispose(): void;
}

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Terminal Locations

Terminals can be opened in different locations: 
export enum TerminalLocation {
  Panel = 1,      // Terminal panel at bottom
  Editor = 2,     // Terminal as editor
  TerminalView = 3 // Dedicated terminal view
}

Terminal Placement Options

  • Panel: Default location at the bottom of the window
  • Editor Area: Open terminal as a regular editor tab
  • Side Panel: Dedicated terminal view in the sidebar

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Terminal Management

ActionWindows/LinuxmacOS
Toggle TerminalCtrl+`Cmd+`
Create New TerminalCtrl+Shift+`Cmd+Shift+`
Kill TerminalCtrl+Shift+KCmd+Shift+K
Focus TerminalCtrl+`Cmd+`
Focus Next TerminalCtrl+PageDownCmd+PageDown
Focus Previous TerminalCtrl+PageUpCmd+PageUp
Scroll UpCtrl+Alt+PageUpCmd+Option+PageUp
Scroll DownCtrl+Alt+PageDownCmd+Option+PageDown

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Split Terminals

export async function getCwdForSplit(
  instance: ITerminalInstance,
  folders: IWorkspaceFolder[] | undefined,
  commandService: ICommandService,
  configService: ITerminalConfigurationService
): Promise<string | URI | undefined> {
  switch (configService.config.splitCwd) {
    case 'workspaceRoot':
      return folders?.[0]?.uri;
    case 'initial':
      return instance.getInitialCwd();
    case 'inherited':
      return instance.getSpeculativeCwd();
  }
}
1

Split Terminal

Click the split icon or press Ctrl+Shift+5 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+5 (macOS)
2

Navigate Splits

Use Alt+Arrow Keys to move focus between split terminals
3

Resize Splits

Drag the divider between split terminals to resize

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Terminal Profiles

Create custom terminal profiles for different shells and configurations: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.profiles.windows": {
    "PowerShell": {
      "source": "PowerShell",
      "icon": "terminal-powershell"
    },
    "Git Bash": {
      "path": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe",
      "icon": "terminal-bash"
    },
    "Command Prompt": {
      "path": "${env:windir}\\System32\\cmd.exe",
      "icon": "terminal-cmd"
    }
  },
  "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows": "PowerShell"
}

{
  "terminal.integrated.profiles.linux": {
    "bash": {
      "path": "bash",
      "icon": "terminal-bash"
    },
    "zsh": {
      "path": "zsh",
      "icon": "terminal-bash"
    },
    "fish": {
      "path": "fish"
    }
  },
  "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash"
}

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Configuration

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Appearance

Customize terminal appearance: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.fontSize": 14,
  "terminal.integrated.fontFamily": "'Fira Code', Consolas, monospace",
  "terminal.integrated.fontWeight": "normal",
  "terminal.integrated.lineHeight": 1.2,
  "terminal.integrated.letterSpacing": 0,
  "terminal.integrated.cursorBlinking": true,
  "terminal.integrated.cursorStyle": "block",
  "terminal.integrated.cursorWidth": 1
}

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Behavior

{
  "terminal.integrated.scrollback": 1000,
  "terminal.integrated.confirmOnExit": "hasChildProcesses",
  "terminal.integrated.confirmOnKill": "editor",
  "terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection": false,
  "terminal.integrated.rightClickBehavior": "default",
  "terminal.integrated.allowChords": true,
  "terminal.integrated.allowMenubarMnemonics": true
}

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Shell Integration

Enable enhanced shell integration features: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled": true,
  "terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.decorationsEnabled": "both",
  "terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.history": 100
}
Shell integration provides features like command detection, navigation, and suggested commands. It requires shell-specific configuration.

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Advanced Features

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Terminal Tabs

Organize terminals with tabs: 
export const CONTEXT_TERMINAL_ACTIVE = new RawContextKey<boolean>(
  'taskTerminalActive', 
  false, 
  'Whether the active terminal is a task terminal'
);
Rename terminals by right-clicking on the tab and selecting “Rename” for better organization.

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Working Directory

Control the initial working directory: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
  "terminal.integrated.splitCwd": "workspaceRoot"
}
Options for splitCwd:
  • workspaceRoot: Use the workspace root
  • initial: Use the initial CWD of the parent terminal
  • inherited: Use the current CWD of the parent terminal

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Environment Variables

Set custom environment variables: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
    "MY_VAR": "value",
    "PATH": "${env:PATH};C:\\custom\\path"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.env.linux": {
    "MY_VAR": "value",
    "PATH": "${env:PATH}:/custom/path"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.env.osx": {
    "MY_VAR": "value",
    "PATH": "${env:PATH}:/custom/path"
  }
}
Automatic link detection and handling: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.enableFileLinks": true,
  "terminal.integrated.localEchoEnabled": "auto",
  "terminal.integrated.localEchoLatencyThreshold": 30
}

Automatic Link Detection

  • File paths: Click to open files
  • URLs: Click to open in browser
  • Line numbers: Navigate to specific lines (e.g., file.js:10)
  • Column positions: Precise navigation (e.g., file.js:10:5)

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Task Integration

Terminals integrate with VS Code tasks: 
export const TASK_RUNNING_STATE = new RawContextKey<boolean>(
  'taskRunning', 
  false, 
  'Whether a task is currently running'
);

export const TASK_TERMINAL_ACTIVE = new RawContextKey<boolean>(
  'taskTerminalActive', 
  false, 
  'Whether the active terminal is a task terminal'
);
Terminals created by tasks are marked with special indicators and can be automatically closed when tasks complete.

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Buffer and Rendering

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GPU Acceleration

Enable GPU acceleration for better performance: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.gpuAcceleration": "auto"
}
Options:
  • auto: Automatically detect and use GPU acceleration
  • on: Always use GPU acceleration
  • off: Disable GPU acceleration
  • canvas: Use canvas renderer

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Persistence

Control terminal session persistence: 
{
  "terminal.integrated.enablePersistentSessions": true,
  "terminal.integrated.persistentSessionReviveProcess": "onExit"
}
Persistent sessions store terminal buffers to disk. Disable this feature if working with sensitive data.

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Context Keys

Terminal behavior is controlled by context keys: 
export const sharedWhenClause = {
  terminalAvailable: ContextKeyExpr.or(
    TerminalContextKeys.processSupported, 
    TerminalContextKeys.terminalHasBeenCreated
  ),
  terminalAvailable_and_opened: ContextKeyExpr.and(
    terminalAvailable, 
    TerminalContextKeys.isOpen
  ),
  focusInAny_and_normalBuffer: ContextKeyExpr.and(
    TerminalContextKeys.focusInAny, 
    TerminalContextKeys.altBufferActive.negate()
  )
};

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Command Line Arguments

Pass arguments when creating terminals: 
export interface ICreateTerminalOptions {
  cwd?: string | URI;
  env?: { [key: string]: string | null };
  name?: string;
  shellPath?: string;
  shellArgs?: string | string[];
  icon?: ThemeIcon | URI | { light: URI; dark: URI };
  color?: ThemeColor;
  location?: TerminalLocation | { viewColumn: number };
}

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

  1. Shell not found
    • Verify shell path in settings
    • Check that shell executable exists
    • Use absolute paths in terminal profiles
  2. Wrong working directory
    • Check terminal.integrated.cwd setting
    • Verify workspace folder is correct
    • Use ${workspaceFolder} variable
  3. Character encoding issues 
    {
  "terminal.integrated.encoding": "utf8"
}
  4. Performance issues
    • Reduce scrollback: "terminal.integrated.scrollback": 1000
    • Disable GPU acceleration: "terminal.integrated.gpuAcceleration": "off"
    • Limit number of terminals
Enable terminal logging for debugging: "terminal.integrated.logLevel": "debug"

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Best Practices

Terminal Workflow Tips

  1. Use terminal profiles for different workflows
  2. Name terminals for easy identification
  3. Split terminals instead of creating new ones
  4. Use shell integration for better navigation
  5. Configure keyboard shortcuts for common commands

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Security

Be cautious when pasting commands from untrusted sources. VS Code warns about multi-line pastes by default.
{
  "terminal.integrated.enableMultiLinePasteWarning": true,
  "terminal.integrated.commandsToSkipShell": []
}

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