Let’s be honest: for a long time, developing on Windows felt like a compromise. While our Mac and Linux colleagues were flexing their beautiful Zsh setups and tiling window managers, we were staring at the bleak, blue abyss of PowerShell or the ancient Command Prompt.

But the days of cmd.exe are over. With the arrival of Windows Terminal and WSL2, the gap has closed. In fact, with a bit of “ricing” (the art of customizing your desktop environment), you can build a setup that isn’t just visually stunning—it’s a productivity beast.

Today, we’re going to transform your Windows setup into a developer’s dream using Nerd Fonts, Oh My Posh, and GlazeWM.

Step 1: The Foundation (Nerd Fonts)

Before we touch any configuration files, we need to fix the typography. Standard fonts don’t include the cool glyphs (icons) for Git branches, folders, or execution environments (Node, Python, Go). If you skip this, your terminal will be full of “tofu” (those ugly empty rectangles).

We need a Nerd Font. These are standard developer fonts patched with thousands of icons.

1. Head over to the Nerd Fonts website.
2. Recommendation: JetBrains Mono Nerd Font or Caskaydia Cove (Cascadia Code) are excellent choices for readability.
3. Download, unzip, and install the font files in Windows.
4. Open Windows Terminal Settings -> Defaults -> Appearance and select your new Nerd Font.

Step 2: The Makeover with Oh My Posh

This is where the magic happens. Oh My Posh is a prompt theme engine that works across PowerShell and WSL. It gives you context-aware information (Git status, memory usage, battery level, cloud context) right in your prompt.

Installation

Open Windows Terminal (PowerShell) and run:

powershell

winget install JanDeDobbeleer.OhMyPosh -s winget

Configuration

Once installed, you need to hook it into your shell profile so it loads every time you open a tab.

1. Open your PowerShell profile: powershellnotepad $PROFILE
2. Add the following line to the file: powershelloh-my-posh init pwsh | Invoke-Expression
3. Save and restart your terminal.

You should now see a colored prompt! But we want it to look great. Oh My Posh comes with dozens of themes. You can preview them by running Get-PoshThemes.

To apply a specific theme (like the popular montys), modify your profile command:

powershell

oh-my-posh init pwsh --config "$env:POSH_THEMES_PATH\montys.omp.json" | Invoke-Expression

Note: If you use WSL2 (Ubuntu), the installation steps are similar (using curl or brew), ensuring your Linux environment looks just as consistent as PowerShell.

Step 3: Aesthetic Unity (Color Schemes)

A true “riced” setup relies on color consistency. You don’t want a neon green prompt clashing with a solarized background.

The current gold standards in the developer community are Catppuccin and Dracula. They are easy on the eyes and high contrast.

Applying Catppuccin

1. Visit the Catppuccin for Windows Terminal GitHub page.
2. Copy the JSON content for your preferred flavor (e.g., Mocha or Macchiato).
3. Open Windows Terminal Settings -> Open JSON file.
4. Paste the scheme into the "schemes": [] array.
5. Set "colorScheme": "Catppuccin Mocha" in your profiles.

Now, your background, text, and selection colors will blend perfectly.

Step 4: The “Rice” – Tiling with GlazeWM

If you really want to match the Linux workflow found in i3 or Hyprland, you need a Tiling Window Manager. On Windows, the best contender right now is GlazeWM.

GlazeWM automatically arranges your windows into non-overlapping tiles, allowing you to navigate entirely via keyboard shortcuts.

The “Seamless” Look

To achieve that clean, hacker aesthetic, we need to unify GlazeWM with Windows Terminal.

1. Install GlazeWM via Winget or GitHub.
2. Edit the Config: Open the GlazeWM configuration file (.glazewm/config.yaml).
3. Match the Bar: Change the GlazeWM top bar background color to match your Windows Terminal background color (e.g., the hex code for Catppuccin Mocha’s background #1e1e2e).

This creates a seamless visual experience where your terminal feels like an extension of the OS itself, rather than just a window floating on top of it.

Final Thoughts

By combining WSL2 for the backend power, Windows Terminal for the interface, Oh My Posh for visual data, and GlazeWM for window management, you are no longer fighting the OS.

You have a setup that is:

• Informative: You know your Git status instantly.
• Efficient: You manage windows without a mouse.
• Beautiful: It’s a joy to look at for 8 hours a day.

Windows isn’t just for gaming anymore. With the right tools, it’s a productivity powerhouse.