Last Updated: February 25, 2016
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7.39K
· nitram509

Windows boot2docker - pimp your terminal console with ConEmu

This protip describes how to configure the boot2docker terminal console on Windows, to use with the cool and fancy ConEmu.

Docker is an open platform for distributed applications and makes the life easier for developers and sysadmins.
Docker runs fine on Linux systems, but lacks native support for Windows yet.
Microsoft announced native Docker client support last year, but at the moment you're stuck with using boot2docker.

Boot2docker bundles a msysgit terminal console, which only offers basic console features. All the well known comfort features, like zooming, smart copy&paste, window re-sizing, etc. are missing. To me, this lead to many frustrating moments.

ConEmu is an alternative console emulator which brings all these smart features, like smooth window resizing, font anti-aliasing, tabs, smart copy&paste, etc...

Picture The replaced boot2docker console emulator, using ConEmu on Windows 8

If you want to replace your boring boot2docker terminal console with an improved ConEmu one, simply follow this guide ...

Guide: How to configure ConEmu for boot2docker

Install ConEmu

Grab the latest version from https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu/releases

Configure ConEmu

In menu Settings->Startup->Tasks
add a predefined task

Picture

Name Boot2Docker

Task parameter
/dir "c:\Program Files\Boot2Docker for Windows"

Commands
"-new_console:C:c:\Program Files\Boot2Docker for Windows\boot2docker.ico" -new_console:n -new_console:t:Boot2Docker "-new_console:d:C:\Program Files\Boot2Docker for Windows" "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Git\bin\sh.exe" --login -i "c:\Program Files\Boot2Docker for Windows\start.sh"

Please, check the path names and modify them according to your system.

Add desktop shortcut

Now you can create a new shortcut on your desktop
Picture

Target
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\ConEmu\ConEmu64.exe" /cmd {boot2docker}

Change icon
%ProgramFiles%\Boot2Docker for Windows\boot2docker.ico

Happy dockering!

5 Responses
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Works like a charm!

I didn't need the "txt" prefixes on your paths, did you add them on any purpose?

over 1 year ago ·

Ooops, these 'txt' prefixes I accidentally left in - as it seems, coderwall doesn't support Github markdown flavor for code syntax highlighting ;-)
I'm going to remove them now.

over 1 year ago ·

Really nice!!! Exactly what I needed!
The adapted parameters for Docker Toolbox:

Task parameters:
/dir "C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox"

Commands:
"-newconsole:C:C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox\docker-quickstart-terminal.ico" -newconsole:n -newconsole:t:Docker "-newconsole:d:C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox" "%ProgramFiles%\Git\bin\bash.exe" --login -i "C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox\start.sh"

over 1 year ago ·

Nice!!
I did exactly the same of @arvymetal
Update your post with that modification ^^

over 1 year ago ·

For future peoples: Notice that the command -new_console is breaking in the text above because this page is changing the underscore to an html emphasis tag. The correct code should include underscore between -new and console.

"-new_console:C:c:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox\docker-quickstart-terminal.ico" -new_console:n -new_console:t:Docker "-new_console:d:C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox" "%ProgramFiles%\Git\bin\bash.exe" --login -i "C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox\start.sh"
over 1 year ago ·