If you spend a lot of time in your terminal, why not make it look clean and beautiful?
This guide will show you how to customize your WSL Ubuntu terminal using Oh My Posh, fonts, and themes.
After this, your terminal will look professional and feel easier to work with.
Step 1: Install Oh My Posh
Run this command in your Ubuntu terminal to install the latest version:
curl -s https://ohmyposh.dev/install.sh | bash -s
This will automatically download and set up Oh My Posh for your system.
Step 2: Install a Nerd Font
Oh My Posh uses Nerd Fonts to display icons and symbols.
Install one using this command:
oh-my-posh font install
Then choose your preferred font (example: FiraCode Nerd Font)
You can also check other fonts here:
👉 https://www.nerdfonts.com/font-downloads
Step 3: Change the Terminal Font and Color Theme
To apply your new font:
- Open Ubuntu terminal settings (Ctrl + ,)
- Go to Profile → Additional Settings → Appearance
- Change Font Face to the font you installed (e.g., FiraCode Nerd Font)
- Optionally, choose your favorite color theme
- Click Save
đź“ť Tip: You can also update your default terminal profile with this new look.
Step 4: Check Your Shell Type
If you’re not sure which shell you’re using, run:
oh-my-posh get shell
It will tell you if you’re using bash, zsh, or another shell.
Step 5: Initialize Oh My Posh in Your Shell
Add this line at the bottom of your ~/.bashrc (or .profile / .bash_profile):
eval "$(oh-my-posh init bash)"
Then reload your shell:
exec bash
Step 6: Choose a Custom Theme
Try this command to load a nice, detailed theme:
eval "$(oh-my-posh init bash --config https://github.com/JanDeDobbeleer/oh-my-posh/blob/main/themes/clean-detailed.omp.json)"
o make this permanent, add it inside your ~/.bashrc:
export PATH=$PATH:/home/galinio/.local/bin eval "$(oh-my-posh init bash --config https://github.com/JanDeDobbeleer/oh-my-posh/blob/main/themes/clean-detailed.omp.json)"
To make sure your settings are applied, restart your WSL Ubuntu by typing this command:
sudo reboot -i
Step 7: Enable Live Reloading
If you make changes and want to see them right away without restarting:
oh-my-posh enable reload
To disable live reload:
oh-my-posh disable reload
Final Look
After completing all steps, your Ubuntu terminal will look like this:
- Show colorful prompt segments
- Display icons (Git branch, time, path, etc.)
- Feel more organized and modern
Conclusion
With Oh My Posh, your terminal becomes not only more beautiful but also more productive.
You can customize your fonts, icons, and themes to fit your own developer style.
Try different themes and make your WSL terminal truly yours. ✨
🙌 Credits
This blog post was inspired by the official Oh My Posh documentation — an open-source project by Jan De Dobbeleer.
Check out the official guide and more themes at 👉 https://ohmyposh.dev