Fix colors for Ubuntu on WSL

FixColorsUbuntuWSL.md

Fix the colors for Ubuntu on WSL

Recipe for making the Ubuntu on Windows Subsystem for Linux look like a real Ubuntu terminal, including that eggplant purple background.

Taken from:

James Garijo-Garde, Make Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10 Look Like the Ubuntu Terminal (2017), retrieved August 23, 2018.

1. After launching the Ubuntu bash shell, click on the upper left corner of the terminal... Properties... Colors.

2. Change the RGB values for the 16 color chips across the window as follows:

Slot 1: Red: 48, Green: 10, Blue: 36
Slot 2: Red: 52, Green: 101, Blue: 164
Slot 3: Red: 78, Green: 154, Blue: 6
Slot 4: Red: 6, Green: 152, Blue: 154
Slot 5: Red: 204, Green: 0, Blue: 0
Slot 6: Red: 117, Green: 80, Blue: 123
Slot 7: Red: 196, Green: 160, Blue: 0
Slot 8: Red: 211, Green: 215, Blue: 207
Slot 9: Red: 85, Green: 87, Blue: 83
Slot 10: Red: 114, Green: 159, Blue: 207
Slot 11: Red: 138, Green: 226, Blue: 52
Slot 12: Red: 52, Green: 226, Blue: 226
Slot 13: Red: 239, Green: 41, Blue: 41
Slot 14: Red: 173, Green: 127, Blue: 168
Slot 15: Red: 252, Green: 233, Blue: 79
Slot 16: Red: 238, Green: 238, Blue: 238

Reset the following color options:

"Screen Text" to chip 16 (R=238, G=238, B=238)

"Popup Background" to chip 16

"Screen Background" to chip 1 (R=38, G=10, B=36)

"Popup Text" to chip 1

The cited article also gives instructions for adding the Ubuntu Mono font to Windows for use as the terminal font.

Note: If you change the colors on the "Defaults" tab, those changes will also be inherited by Windows consoles.

Way simpler alternative is to only change as follows:

1. Right click on terminal for Properties... Colors.
2. Click on Screen Text and change chip 2 to 0,128,255 (chip 2 is directory text color).
3. Click on Screen Text and change chip 10 to 192,192,192 (chip 10 is for information text color).
4. Reset Screen Text to chip 8 (which should also be 192,192,192).