Typography (terminal cell font)
Write this so someone with no background can follow.
Default (curated)
Open Shell’s default terminal / cell font is Consolas.
This is a curated product default, not "whatever monospace the OS picks." Monospace must fit the visual language of non-monospace OSO chrome — dew/host widgets, the context bar, and overlay TUIs — so the shell does not ship an arbitrary mono that fights that chrome.
-
Do not bundle Consolas (or any other proprietary face) in the distribution — reference the system font.
-
Windows usually includes Consolas; that is why it is the shipping default on the primary target platform.
Override
Users (and host chrome) may override the cell font:
-
User setting in Open Shell config (placeholder:
font.monospace) -
Parent terminal / host profile when the host owns the cell face
Curated default is not a locked face. Document overrides next to the setting so agents and humans know Consolas is the ship default, not a hard requirement.
Fallback stack
When Consolas is missing (non-Windows, stripped images, or user-deleted face), resolve in order:
-
Consolas — curated default
-
Cascadia Mono — common on modern Windows / Windows Terminal installs
-
Courier New — widely available classic monospace
-
Platform generic monospace / UI monospace
CSS / web mock equivalent:
font-family: "Consolas", "Cascadia Mono", "Courier New", monospace;Native hosts should mirror the same preference list when enumerating installed faces.