How to Change VS Code's Integrated Terminal to Git Bash

When you first started using VS Code you may have dismissed that little notification in the corner that asked if you wanted to switch your integrated terminal.

In my case, running on Windows, the default terminal was set to Command Prompt (cmd.exe) which is just plain inferior to Git Bash which you probably already have installed if you have installed Git (which you should).

So, if you missed that notification that let you change it, how do you change it later?

Easy!

How to Switch the Integrated Terminal in VS Code

Press Ctrl + Shift + P

Search for and select “Terminal: Select Default Shell”

Select “Git Bash”

Done!

Now, your integrated terminal at the bottom of VS Code will be using Git Bash, so you’ll have Unix style commands and nice colorful text.

How to Show and Hide the VS Code Integrated Terminal

Tip: You can toggle your terminal panel by pressing Ctrl + ` (that’s the tick/tilde key).

Nathan Kinkead

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imad

2 years ago

This option no more works, try:
Press Ctrl + Shift + P
Type “Terminal: Select Default Profile"
Select bash

Marcos

This option have been changed nowadays

Author

Reply to Marcos

How has this changed? I still have this setting. I think they added a prompt after you start using VS Code to ask you which terminal you want to use, but if people dismiss that and then realize they want to change it later, this can help.

Serhii Yakymenko

I tried type (not found) “Terminal: Select Default Shell”
I tried to change at setting.json paths, and adding terminals, through

"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows"
"terminal.integrated.profiles.windows"
"terminal.external.windowsExec": "Address\\git-bash.exe"
"terminal.integrated.automationShell.windows"

NOT WORKING
НЕ РАБОТАЕТ

Reply to Serhii Yakymenko

Here’s what I have in my settings.json for this…

    "terminal.external.windowsExec": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\git-bash.exe",
    "terminal.integrated.shell.windows": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe",

How to Change VS Code’s Integrated Terminal to Git Bash

How to Switch the Integrated Terminal in VS Code

How to Show and Hide the VS Code Integrated Terminal

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