Meet your new terminal.

Before you start

Kitsu’s Windows packages are for Windows 10 version 1809 or newer, including Windows 11, on x86_64. Kitsu uses native Win32 windows and ConPTY for its shell sessions.

The package includes its runtime. You don’t need a separate Python installation to run it. PowerShell 7 and WSL are optional tools you can install separately if you want to use them.

The installer — recommended

1. Download the Windows installer from the buttons above or GitHub Releases. Its filename ends in -windows-x86_64-setup.exe.
2. Run it and follow the setup instructions. Choose the PATH task if you want to launch Kitsu from cmd or PowerShell.
3. If you use WSL, choose the WSL integration task to install the bundled Linux kitten helper into your distributions.
4. Open Kitsu from the Start menu, or open a new PowerShell/cmd window and run:

kitsu --version
kitsu pwsh.exe

pwsh.exe launches PowerShell 7, if installed. For a classic Command Prompt session, run kitsu cmd.exe. For the Windows PowerShell that comes with Windows, run kitsu powershell.exe.

Windows SmartScreen can show a reputation warning for a new release. Check that your download came from the Kitsu repository, and review the publisher and signature details shown by Windows before deciding whether to run it.

The portable ZIP

Download the asset ending in -windows-x86_64.zip, extract the entire archive into a folder, and run bin\kitsu.exe from that folder. Keep the bundled bin, lib, and other package directories together.

To check the version from PowerShell while in the extracted directory:

.\bin\kitsu.com --version

The kitsu.com console shim waits for command-line invocations and preserves their output. kitsu.exe opens the GUI without creating another console window. The portable ZIP does not install Start menu entries or add itself to PATH.

WSL helpers are distributed through the installer. They are not published as standalone release downloads.

Check that everything is settled in

Run a quick, read-only check from cmd or PowerShell:

kitsu +health-check --mode=quick

This checks the packaged runtime and resources without opening a terminal window. See troubleshooting if it reports a problem.

Keeping up to date

For an installation managed by the installer, run:

kitsu +update

The updater is for installer-managed installations. For a portable setup, download a fresh ZIP and extract it into a new folder. Your normal configuration lives outside the application folder.

You can always find release notes and older versions on GitHub Releases.

Coming from Kitty for Windows?

The installer keeps the same application ID and install directory, so Kitsu upgrades existing installations in place. Existing selected installer tasks are retained. The kitty.exe and kitty.com compatibility aliases remain available for scripts and shell integration.

Your configuration remains at %APPDATA%\kitty\kitty.conf, or the location selected through KITTY_CONFIG_DIRECTORY. Existing configurations and WSL setups do not need to be renamed.

Next: Set up your shells and configuration →