January 2025 Summaries

We have been working on building Warp on Windows, which was significantly more challenging than for Linux or the Web. To support new shells that Windows developers use, we built a Shell Selector menu and added tab icons to remind users what shell they are in. However, supporting all of these shells required significant effort, including writing custom integrations for each shell. We also had to make ConPTY work with Warp's shell integration, which proved to be complex due to differences between Unix-based operating systems and Windows. Specifically, we found that ConPTY did not forward all possible escape sequences, sent them out of order, and cached the state of the terminal grid. To address these issues, we forked ConPTY's code and added support for custom OSC codes and forced ConPTY to flush them immediately after receipt. We also devised a method to periodically clear ConPTY's cached grid state to prevent spacing issues. Overall, building Warp on Windows was a huge technical undertaking, but we're proud of what we've built and excited to release it into the world!

Warp, a terminal emulator, has released several new features and improvements in 2024, including Warp for Linux, which shares ~98% of the codebase with its macOS app. The company also eliminated the need to log in to access core features, allowing users to try before they commit. Notable updates include Agent Mode, a way to interface with AI directly from the command line, and Active AI features that suggest fixes and next actions based on terminal errors and history. Collaboration tools like Session Sharing, Warp Drive on the web, and Notebooks have also been introduced, making it easier for developers and teams to work together without hassle. Performance improvements include a 136% boost in PTY throughput and optimized memory usage when pasting large blocks of text into the terminal. Looking ahead, Windows support is planned for 2025, along with overhauls of SSH and tmux experiences and major memory optimizations.