Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

wezterm VS MSYS2

Compare wezterm VS MSYS2 and see what are their differences

wezterm logo wezterm

GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer made with Rust.

MSYS2 logo MSYS2

A Cygwin-derived software distro for Windows using Arch Linux's Pacman
  • wezterm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02
  • MSYS2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-05

wezterm features and specs

  • Performance
    WezTerm is known for its high performance and low resource usage, making it suitable for heavy terminal workloads.
  • Cross-Platform
    WezTerm supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing for a consistent terminal experience across different environments.
  • Modern Features
    It offers modern features like GPU acceleration, ligature support, and configurable color schemes, providing a better user experience.
  • Extensibility
    WezTerm is highly configurable and extensible through its Lua scripting interface, letting users tailor the terminal to their workflow.
  • Multiplexing
    It has built-in support for terminal multiplexing, which allows users to split windows and manage multiple terminal sessions more efficiently.
  • Active Development
    The project is actively maintained and regularly updated with new features and bug fixes.

Possible disadvantages of wezterm

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The extensive configurability and scripting capabilities can be overwhelming for new users who are not familiar with Lua or advanced terminal configurations.
  • Sparse Documentation
    The documentation, while improving, is still not as comprehensive as some other terminals, which can make initial setup and customization challenging.
  • Young Project
    Being relatively newer compared to some other terminal emulators, it may lack some features that long-established users might expect.
  • Limited Community Support
    Due to its younger status and niche user base, there might be less community support and fewer third-party resources compared to more mature terminal emulators.

MSYS2 features and specs

  • Package Management
    MSYS2 uses the Pacman package manager, which is known for its speed and ease of use. This allows users to easily install, update, and manage software packages and dependencies.
  • Unix-like Environment
    MSYS2 provides a Unix-like environment on Windows, making it easier for developers familiar with Unix/Linux systems to work on Windows without having to adjust to a new command interface.
  • Compatibility
    MSYS2 is compatible with many popular Unix/Linux tools and software, making it a versatile option for developers who need access to these tools on a Windows system.
  • Frequent Updates
    The MSYS2 project is actively maintained, with frequent updates to keep up with new features, security patches, and bug fixes, ensuring a stable and secure environment.

Possible disadvantages of MSYS2

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup of MSYS2 can be complex and intimidating for new users, as it requires multiple packages and configurations to get started.
  • Overhead
    Running a Unix-like environment on top of Windows can introduce some overhead, potentially impacting performance when compared to native Windows applications.
  • Learning Curve
    Users who are not already familiar with Unix/Linux command-line environments may face a steep learning curve when transitioning to MSYS2, due to its reliance on command-line operations.
  • Package Availability
    While MSYS2 has a wide range of packages, not every Linux package is available or may not work as expected due to differences between the environments.

Analysis of wezterm

Overall verdict

  • WezTerm is generally considered a good choice for users who value performance, configurability, and modern terminal features. It stands out for its emphasis on speed and its robust set of functionalities that cater to both casual and advanced users.

Why this product is good

  • WezTerm is a terminal emulator known for its speed and configurability. It supports modern terminal features including GPU acceleration, ligatures, and Unicode support, making it appealing for power users and developers. The terminal's ability to handle multiple panes and tabs efficiently, along with its remote connectivity features, adds to its versatility. WezTerm's active development and responsive community are also significant advantages, ensuring ongoing improvements and support.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a fast and versatile terminal emulator.
  • Users who need support for GPU acceleration and modern text rendering.
  • People who require advanced features like quick pane and tab management.
  • Those who appreciate active development and community support.

Analysis of MSYS2

Overall verdict

  • MSYS2 is a highly recommended tool for developers looking to bring a Unix-like environment to Windows. It is versatile, regularly updated, and provides extensive support for building native Windows applications. The community-driven nature and the vast collection of packages available make it a robust choice for development tasks.

Why this product is good

  • MSYS2 is a software distribution and building platform for Windows that is based on the Arch Linux package distribution model. It provides a collection of Unix utilities, GNU toolchain, and various popular open-source libraries, all in a way that is native to Windows. This makes it a great choice for developers who need a Unix-like development environment or want to build software from source on Windows. MSYS2 uses the Pacman package manager, which simplifies installation and updates of software packages, making maintenance easy.

Recommended for

  • Windows developers who require Unix-like tools and software.
  • Developers and engineers looking to build and compile open-source projects on Windows.
  • Users needing a package manager for Windows to manage software installations efficiently.
  • Anyone who wants a more seamless experience transitioning between development environments on different operating systems.

wezterm videos

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MSYS2 videos

QMK Firmware Tutorial - MSYS2, and Drivers (Part 1)

More videos:

  • Review - Instalando e Atualizando o MSYS2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to wezterm and MSYS2)
SSH
82 82%
18% 18
Terminal Tools
70 70%
30% 30
Server Management
74 74%
26% 26
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare wezterm and MSYS2

wezterm Reviews

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MSYS2 Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
MSYS2 is an advanced technology software with a user-friendly environment that provides libraries and tools for building, installing, and running a specific featured software on native 64bit windows. The software you generate on this platform would have a particular system of command called minty to have complete control over your profiles to run them smoothly. The primary...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, wezterm should be more popular than MSYS2. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

wezterm mentions (47)

  • Make Wezterm Mimic Tmux
    A month ago, I came across WezTerm, a new GPU-accelerated, cross-platform terminal emulator written in Rust (and I’m not a Rust fanboy, for real!). It piqued my interest, so I decided to give it a try. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • In your opinion, what is the text-editor equivalent of Openbox?
    2) Examples of text editors that make use of features of the gui window manager the text editor is run under: gvim, gedit, leafpad[5], overleaf[6] 3) text editor with 'run-time' presentation extension of protocols such as html : vim live server[7] 4) write one's own custom interface to use with bashed[8] ---- [0] : intro to terminal multiplexers (part 1) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0upAE692fY [1] :... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Executable Blog Posts: Second Take
    I used Lua for years to configure my awesomewm desktop environment. Then, I started using it to configure my Wezterm. Since I bumped into an Emacs bug (lsp-mode bug to be fair), I switched quickly to Neovim after 20 years of Emacs, and I am using Lua to configure my Neovim. Last but not least, OpenResty gives my Nginx superpowers with Lua. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • WezTerm: an actually good config key binding recipe
    While WezTerm is a great terminal with sane defaults, it doesn't provide The default key binding to open the configuration file and edit it. That is Understandable, everyone may have their own preference for that. Here we will Figure out the recipe that would work everywhere and abide by modern standards. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Superfile – A fancy, petty terminal file manager
    I very well might be in the minority of Linux users, but I don't particularly care about the answers to most of these questions. I just want it to work. Give me solid defaults[0]. I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to override those defaults. That's an important feature of Linux. My first experience running a cool-looking TUI file manager yesterday (I actually ended up trying yazi first) was that I got a lot of... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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MSYS2 mentions (8)

  • Trying to find the real MinGW
    Hi, I have been learning C++ recently using Visual Studio and Replit and wanted to switch to using a compiler with the windows command prompt. When I search up how to install MinGW there are multiple tutorials of indian people and other people who use totally different links and download pages in each video and I'm not sure which one to trust. Is msys2.org the correct website or is sourceforge or a different... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Getting “QT with MinGW support”?
    Apart from what other people already said, http://msys2.org/ is another easy-to-setup option. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I Hate Windows!
    Also FYI: there’s a project called MSYS2 which derives from Cygwin and seeks to provide a proper set of Unix tools on Windows, including split: https://packages.msys2.org/package/coreutils. Source: over 2 years ago
  • std::cout << "It's a pain";
    Still, it isn't a compiler. You also need to install the Visual Studio build tools, or GCC and/or Clang through MSYS2. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Installing MinGW W64 with FFMPEG on Windows and fixing the weird "file downloaded incorrectly" error.
    Download the latest msys2 installer from http://msys2.org/ and run it. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing wezterm and MSYS2, you can also consider the following products

Konsole - Konsole is a free terminal emulator which is part of KDE Software Compilation.

MinGW - MinGW ("Minimalistic GNU for Windows") is a port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and...

iTerm2 - A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

Termux - Terminal emulator and Linux environment for Android

Kitty terminal - Super fast, GPU and OpenGL based terminal emulator with tiling support

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.