Windows Terminal Control#

A skill that enables AI agents to execute shell commands on Windows machines through PowerShell or Windows Terminal. Perfect for automating development workflows without context switching.

Core Capabilities#

• Run Commands: Execute any command-line tool or script ( git, npm, pip, node, python, etc.)
• Capture Output: Read stdout and stderr from commands with proper encoding support
• Timeout Protection: Commands automatically timeout after 30 seconds (configurable) to prevent hangs
• Working Directory Control: Execute commands in specific project folders
• Fallback Support: Falls back to PowerShell if Windows Terminal is not installed

Usage#

Basic Command Execution#

powershell

# Check git status
run-command.ps1 -Command "git status" -WorkingDirectory "C:\Users\kanja\projects\my-app"

# Install dependencies
run-command.ps1 -Command "npm install" -WorkingDirectory "C:\Users\kanja\projects\my-app" -TimeoutSeconds 60

# Run a dev server (non-blocking)
run-command.ps1 -Command "npm run dev" -WorkingDirectory "C:\Users\kanja\projects\my-app"

Parameters#

ParameterTypeDefaultDescriptionCommandstringrequiredThe command to executeWorkingDirectorystringcurrent directoryDirectory to execute command inTimeoutSecondsint30Maximum time to wait for commandNoGuiswitchfalseForce PowerShell instead of Windows Terminal

Security & Limitations#

What This Skill CAN Do#

✅ Run standard CLI tools (git, npm, pip, python, node, etc.)

✅ Execute PowerShell commands

✅ Read command output and errors

✅ Operate in any directory you have access to

✅ Start background processes

✅ Handle output up to 100KB

What This Skill CANNOT Do#

❌ Run interactive commands (vim, nano, ssh, etc.)

❌ Run commands requiring Administrator privileges without approval

❌ Access other users' files or system directories outside your workspace

❌ Run indefinitely (30-second default timeout)

❌ Execute commands with dangerous patterns (sanitization blocks known attack vectors)

Security Safeguards#

• Input Sanitization: Blocks known dangerous patterns (command injection attempts)
• Timeout Protection: Prevents hanging commands
• No Interactive Mode: Interactive tools are blocked to prevent hangs
• User Permissions Only: Operates with your standard Windows user permissions
• Output Limits: Large outputs (>100KB) are truncated to prevent memory issues

Important Notes#

• Not a Sandbox: Commands run with your actual user permissions. The skill trusts command input.
• GUI Commands: Commands that spawn GUI windows may behave unexpectedly
• Network Commands: Commands requiring network access may timeout if the network is slow
• Windows Terminal vs PowerShell: Prefers Windows Terminal if installed, falls back to PowerShell

Prerequisites#

• Windows 10/11
• PowerShell 5.1 or later
• Windows Terminal (optional, but recommended)
• PowerShell Execution Policy set to RemoteSigned (for script execution)

Troubleshooting#

"Command timed out"#

Increase the timeout: run-command.ps1 -Command "slow-command" -TimeoutSeconds 120

"Interactive command detected"#

Use non-interactive alternatives:

• Instead of vim file.txt, use Get-Content file.txt
• Instead of ssh user@host, use ssh user@host "command"

"Access denied"#

The command may require elevated privileges. OpenClaw will ask for approval if needed.

"Windows Terminal not found"#

The skill automatically falls back to PowerShell. Install Windows Terminal for better experience.

Examples#

powershell

# Git workflow
run-command.ps1 -Command "git add ." -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app"
run-command.ps1 -Command "git commit -m 'Update'" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app"

# Python development
run-command.ps1 -Command "pip install -r requirements.txt" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app" -TimeoutSeconds 120
run-command.ps1 -Command "python manage.py migrate" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app"

# Node.js development
run-command.ps1 -Command "npm run build" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app" -TimeoutSeconds 60
run-command.ps1 -Command "npm test" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app"

# File operations
run-command.ps1 -Command "Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter '*.py' | Select-Object Name" -WorkingDirectory "C:\projects\my-app"