I’ve been messing around with Visual Studio Code, and I accidentally changed my default terminal. Now, every time I open a new terminal window, it defaults to PowerShell (or some other terminal) instead of good old Bash. I’m kind of freaking out here because I rely on Bash for all my projects, and the other terminal environments just don’t feel right to me.
I tried finding options in the settings to change it back, but I either missed it or it’s buried deep in some obscure menu (why do they do that?). I’m not super tech-savvy, so I don’t want to dive into the command line too much just to switch back. Isn’t there a straightforward way to revert the default terminal to Bash?
I remember there was a time when I could just open VS Code and boom! My Bash terminal was there, ready to take commands. It’s kind of crazy how a simple change can disrupt your flow, you know? I’ve looked up a few forums and YouTube videos, but they all seem to gloss over the exact steps. Like, come on, I just want a clear answer!
If anyone could give me a detailed description of how to get Bash back as the default terminal, I’d really appreciate it. Do I need to install anything, or is it already included with VS Code? Are there any settings I need to toggle to make it happen? Also, if there’s a way to keep it set as the default even after closing and reopening VS Code, that would be a lifesaver!
Thanks in advance for any help. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s run into this issue; I just want to get back to writing code without worrying about this terminal mix-up. Looking forward to your tips and tricks!
To set Bash as your default terminal in Visual Studio Code, you can follow a couple of straightforward steps. First, open your VS Code and go to the settings by either clicking on the gear icon in the lower-left corner and selecting ‘Settings’ or by using the shortcut Ctrl + ,. In the Settings search bar, type terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows (or terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux if you’re on Linux). There, you should see a dropdown menu where you can select your default terminal profile. If Bash is installed on your system, it should appear in that list. Select Bash as the default terminal, and it will set it to open in future terminal sessions.
If you don’t see Bash in the dropdown menu, make sure it’s installed on your machine. For Windows users, if you haven’t already, you can install Git for Windows, which includes Bash. After installing, you might need to restart your VS Code. Also, if you’d like to make sure that Bash remains the default terminal even after you close and reopen VS Code, simply verify that the setting you modified is saved. You can check this by reopening the settings (as per the first step) and reaffirming that your selection for terminal.integrated.defaultProfile is still set to Bash. Now, every time you open a new terminal session, it should start with Bash, allowing you to work in your familiar environment.
Changing Default Terminal to Bash in VS Code
So, it sounds like you really want to get that Bash terminal back in Visual Studio Code! No worries, it’s actually pretty straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Open Settings
1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Click on the gear icon ⚙️ (bottom left corner) to open the settings menu.
3. From there, select Settings. You could also just press
Ctrl + ,
(Control key plus comma) for a shortcut.Step 2: Search for Terminal Settings
1. In the settings search bar, type terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.
2. You should see an option that says
Terminal › Integrated: Default Profile
.3. Click on the dropdown next to it.
Step 3: Select Bash
1. In the dropdown, you will see different terminal options (like PowerShell, Command Prompt, etc.).
2. Select Bash (if it is listed). If you don’t see Bash, you might need to make sure you have it installed on your system first.
Step 4: Restart VS Code (if necessary)
1. Close any open terminal windows.
2. Restart Visual Studio Code to make sure the changes take effect.
Troubleshooting
If you don’t see Bash as an option, you may need to install it. If you’re on Windows, you can install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and set up Bash that way. After installation, restart Visual Studio Code and repeat the steps above.
Keeping Bash as Default
Once you’ve set Bash as the default terminal, it should stay that way every time you open VS Code. If it doesn’t, just double-check the settings again to make sure it’s still selected.
And that’s pretty much it! You’ll be back to typing your commands in Bash before you know it. Hopefully, this helps you get back into your groove with coding! Good luck!