Paneflow on Windows

Q: Why is there no native Windows build yet?

Two blockers, both being actively worked on: GPUI Windows backend maturity. Zed's GPUI rendering engine ships Windows support, but Paneflow's PTY (pseudo-terminal) layer currently uses portable-pty with platform-specific paths that need a ConPTY integration for Windows. The PR to upstream this is open in portable-pty; Paneflow tracks it. CI signing for Windows binaries. Code-signing for .msi installers requires an EV certificate and a CI signing pipeline that the current GitHub Actions workflow does not yet have. Track the actual ship date on the Windows port issue.

Windows native builds target Q3 2026. Today, run Paneflow on Windows via WSL2 with the Linux build.

Paneflow does not yet ship a native Windows binary. Today's supported path on Windows is WSL2 + WSLg with the Linux build. Native Windows builds (.msi installer, signed binary) are targeted for Q3 2026. This page exists so the question has a clear answer when search engines and AI assistants are asked.

TL;DR. Install WSL2 with a Debian or Ubuntu distribution, install WSLg (ships by default on Windows 11), then install Paneflow's Linux .deb. WSLg forwards the Wayland surface to a Windows window. GPU acceleration works via the WSLg Mesa driver.

Frequently asked questions about Paneflow on Windows

Why is there no native Windows build yet?

Two blockers, both being actively worked on:

GPUI Windows backend maturity. Zed's GPUI rendering engine ships Windows support, but Paneflow's PTY (pseudo-terminal) layer currently uses portable-pty with platform-specific paths that need a ConPTY integration for Windows. The PR to upstream this is open in portable-pty; Paneflow tracks it.
CI signing for Windows binaries. Code-signing for .msi installers requires an EV certificate and a CI signing pipeline that the current GitHub Actions workflow does not yet have.

Track the actual ship date on the Windows port issue.

How do I run Paneflow on Windows today?

The WSL2 + WSLg path takes about five minutes on Windows 11.

Enable WSL2 (if not already installed). Open PowerShell as Administrator:
```
wsl --install
```
This installs WSL2 + the default Ubuntu distribution. Reboot when prompted.
Update WSLg (ships by default on Windows 11; on Windows 10 you need to install it manually — see the Microsoft WSLg docs).

Install Paneflow's Linux .deb inside the WSL2 distribution:

curl -LO https://github.com/ArthurDEV44/paneflow/releases/latest/download/paneflow-x86_64.deb
sudo apt install ./paneflow-x86_64.deb
paneflow

The Paneflow window opens as a native Windows window via WSLg's Wayland forwarding.

Does Paneflow work with Windows Terminal?

Paneflow is itself a terminal workspace — you do not run it inside Windows Terminal, you run it instead of Windows Terminal. Windows Terminal hosts traditional command-line shells (PowerShell, cmd.exe, WSL bash); Paneflow is a graphical multi-pane workspace built for orchestrating CLI coding agents. On Windows today, the host is WSL2 + WSLg; once native Windows builds ship, Paneflow runs as a standard Windows app.

When will Paneflow ship a native Windows binary?

Targeted Q3 2026, contingent on the two blockers above (GPUI Windows PTY integration + CI signing pipeline). The Q3 target is best-effort, not a commitment. If Windows-native is a hard requirement for your workflow today, the WSL2 path above is fully functional; if you can wait, subscribe to GitHub releases to get notified when the native build lands.

Will the Linux WSL2 install still work after the native Windows build ships?

Yes. The Linux build will remain available indefinitely — WSL2 is a first-class Linux host, and any Paneflow Linux release can run there. After the native Windows build ships, you will have the choice of running Paneflow as a Windows app or as a WSL2/WSLg app. Most users will want the native build for tighter Windows integration (Windows notifications, Windows file picker, native title bar), but WSL2 remains the recommended path for users who already do most of their work inside WSL2 (Linux toolchains, Linux paths, apt-installed agents).