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The serial command opens a serial port connection, allowing you to interact with serial devices directly from WezTerm.

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Synopsis

wezterm serial [OPTIONS] <PORT>

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Description

Opens a connection to a serial port device. This is useful for interacting with embedded systems, microcontrollers, network equipment, and other hardware that communicates via serial interfaces.

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Arguments

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PORT
string
required
Specifies the serial device name.
  • Windows: Use names like COM0, COM1, COM2, etc.
  • Linux/Unix: Use device paths like /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/ttyACM0, /dev/ttyS0, etc.
  • macOS: Use device paths like /dev/cu.usbserial-1234, /dev/tty.usbserial-1234, etc.
Examples:
# Windows
wezterm serial COM3

# Linux
wezterm serial /dev/ttyUSB0

# macOS
wezterm serial /dev/cu.usbserial-1234

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Options

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--baud
number
Set the baud rate. The default is 9600 baud.Common baud rates: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200Example:
wezterm serial --baud 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0
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--class
string
Override the default windowing system class. The default is org.wezfurlong.wezterm.
  • Under X11 and Windows: changes the window class
  • Under Wayland: changes the app_id
This changes the class for all windows spawned by this instance of wezterm, including error, update and ssh authentication dialogs.
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--position
string
Override the position for the initial window launched by this process.Format options:
  • --position 10,20 - set x=10, y=20 in screen coordinates
  • --position screen:10,20 - set x=10, y=20 in screen coordinates
  • --position main:10,20 - set x=10, y=20 relative to the main monitor
  • --position active:10,20 - set x=10, y=20 relative to the active monitor
  • --position HDMI-1:10,20 - set x=10, y=20 relative to the monitor named HDMI-1

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Examples

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Connect with default baud rate (9600)

# Linux
wezterm serial /dev/ttyUSB0

# Windows
wezterm serial COM3

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Connect with 115200 baud

wezterm serial --baud 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0

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Arduino serial connection

# Linux
wezterm serial --baud 9600 /dev/ttyACM0

# macOS
wezterm serial --baud 9600 /dev/cu.usbmodem14101

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Embedded development board

wezterm serial --baud 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0

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Network equipment console

wezterm serial --baud 9600 /dev/ttyUSB0

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Finding Serial Ports

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Linux

List available serial ports: 
ls /dev/tty*
# Look for ttyUSB*, ttyACM*, ttyS*
Or use: 
dmesg | grep tty

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macOS

List available serial ports: 
ls /dev/cu.*
ls /dev/tty.*

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Windows

Check Device Manager or use PowerShell: 
[System.IO.Ports.SerialPort]::getportnames()

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Common Use Cases

  • Arduino/Microcontroller Development: Connect to Arduino boards or other microcontrollers for programming and debugging
  • Embedded Systems: Interact with embedded Linux systems via serial console
  • Network Equipment: Access console ports on routers, switches, and other network devices
  • Debugging: Monitor serial output from hardware devices
  • IoT Devices: Communicate with IoT hardware during development

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Tips

  • On Linux, you may need to add your user to the dialout group to access serial ports: 
    sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
    (Log out and back in for changes to take effect)
  • Some devices require specific baud rates. Check your device documentation.
  • Use Ctrl+C to send interrupt signals to the connected device