ConEmu: A Highly Customizable Windows Terminal with Tabs and Split Panes

ConEmu is a feature-rich terminal emulator designed to enhance the Windows console environment. It introduces tabs, split panes, a quake-style dropdown interface, and global hotkeys to the native command-line experience. By acting as a host, it wraps any console application or GUI tool—including PuTTY—within a modern, customizable window. This approach keeps the original, limited console window hidden, leaving only the flexible ConEmu interface visible.

Multi-Window Management
ConEmu allows you to run multiple console sessions side by side. Tabs provide an easy way to group related tasks, while split panes enable you to monitor live logs in one area while simultaneously executing commands in another.

32-bit and 64-bit Compatibility
The software is fully compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows environments. It even maintains support for legacy DOS programs when used in conjunction with DosBox.

Interface Customization

• Advanced Rendering: Choose between Standard, ClearType, or disabled font anti-aliasing.
• Flexible Typography: Configure font styles specifically for different areas, utilizing regular, bold, or italic weights as needed.
• Display Versatility: Supports various window modes, including a quake-style top-screen overlay, maximized view, and full-screen mode.

Far Manager Integration

• Enhances the Far Manager file manager with tabs and thumbnail previews.
• Allows command output to be displayed directly within the editor.
• Features optimized right-click behavior, including long-presses for context menus and full drag-and-drop support.

ConEmu Installation and Setup

Installation Options

1. MSI Installer

Execute the ConEmuSetup.*.exe file and follow the installation wizard. The default installation paths are:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\ConEmu (on 32-bit systems)
• C:\Program Files\ConEmu (on 64-bit systems)

The installer includes an optional plugin for Far Manager; you may skip this if you do not use that specific tool. Upon the first launch, a brief configuration wizard will appear, allowing you to set initial preferences and enable portable mode if desired.

2. Portable Deployment

Extract the contents of ConEmuPack.*.7z to a folder of your choice. Launch the application using ConEmu.exe or ConEmu64.exe. In this mode, all settings are stored in a ConEmu.xml file within the application directory.

Configuring Far Manager

To ensure the Far Manager plugin functions correctly within ConEmu, follow these steps:

• During installation, verify that "Far Manager plugins" is selected. These files are typically installed in plugins\ConEmu.
• If Far Manager is installed in a non-standard location, you must manually point to the plugin path in Far's startup command:

far.exe /w /p"%ConEmuDir%\Plugins\ConEmu;%FarHome%\Plugins"

Using Macro Commands

ConEmu includes several dedicated Far Manager macros located in the ConEmu subdirectory.

For Far 3.0
Copy the .lua files to %FARPROFILE%\macros\scripts. You can then load them using the Macro:Load command.

For Legacy Far 1.75
Double-click the provided .reg files to import the macros directly into the Windows Registry.

Example Usage
The ConEmu.ShiftEnter.* macro allows you to run selected files or commands in a new tab. Use Alt+Enter to open the tab in the foreground or Shift+Enter to open it in the background.

Common Issues

1. MacType Conflicts

MacType's font rendering engine can occasionally cause ConEmu to crash. To resolve this:

• Add ConEmuC.exe and ConEmuC64.exe to MacType's exclusion list.
• Alternatively, configure MacType to use "Load with MacTray" combined with the "Standalone loading mode."

2. Java Path Issues

Java 7.x may fail to initialize correctly if the installation path involves a symbolic link. To fix this:

• Verify that your %PATH% and %JAVA_HOME% environment variables point to the actual physical directory rather than a symlink.
• Upgrading to Java 8 or a more recent version is highly recommended to avoid these issues entirely.

Supported Systems

• 32-bit: Windows XP and later versions.
• 64-bit: Windows Vista and later versions.