> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/wezterm/wezterm/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Launch Configuration

> Configure default programs, domains, and launch menu in WezTerm

## Overview

WezTerm's launch configuration controls what programs run when you create new tabs and panes, how multiplexing domains are configured, and what options appear in the launcher menu.

## Default Program

Specify the program to run when launching WezTerm:

```lua theme={null}
local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local config = wezterm.config_builder()

config.default_prog = { '/bin/zsh', '-l' }

return config
```

<Note>
  If not specified, WezTerm will use your system's default shell.
</Note>

## Default Working Directory

Set the initial working directory:

```lua theme={null}
config.default_cwd = wezterm.home_dir .. '/projects'
```

Or use a tilde path:

```lua theme={null}
config.default_cwd = '~/projects'
```

## Launch Menu

The launch menu provides quick access to different shells and programs:

```lua theme={null}
config.launch_menu = {
  {
    label = 'Bash',
    args = { 'bash', '-l' },
  },
  {
    label = 'PowerShell',
    args = { 'pwsh.exe', '-NoLogo' },
  },
  {
    label = 'Top',
    args = { 'top' },
  },
}
```

### Platform-Specific Launch Menus

```lua theme={null}
if wezterm.target_triple == 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc' then
  config.launch_menu = {
    { label = 'PowerShell', args = { 'pwsh.exe', '-NoLogo' } },
    { label = 'Command Prompt', args = { 'cmd.exe' } },
    { label = 'Git Bash', args = { 'C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe', '-i', '-l' } },
  }
elseif wezterm.target_triple == 'x86_64-apple-darwin' then
  config.launch_menu = {
    { label = 'Bash', args = { 'bash', '-l' } },
    { label = 'Zsh', args = { 'zsh', '-l' } },
    { label = 'Fish', args = { '/opt/homebrew/bin/fish', '-l' } },
  }
end
```

## Multiplexing Domains

Domains enable persistent sessions and remote connections.

### Unix Domains

Local persistent sessions using Unix sockets:

```lua theme={null}
config.unix_domains = {
  {
    name = 'unix',
  },
}

config.default_gui_startup_args = { 'connect', 'unix' }
```

### SSH Domains

Remote multiplexing over SSH:

```lua theme={null}
config.ssh_domains = {
  {
    name = 'devserver',
    remote_address = 'dev.example.com',
    username = 'myuser',
  },
  {
    name = 'pi',
    remote_address = 'raspberrypi.local',
    username = 'pi',
  },
}
```

<Info>
  SSH domains automatically appear in the launcher menu.
</Info>

### WSL Domains

Windows Subsystem for Linux integration:

```lua theme={null}
config.wsl_domains = {
  {
    name = 'WSL:Ubuntu',
    distribution = 'Ubuntu',
    default_cwd = '~',
  },
}
```

WezTerm automatically detects installed WSL distributions:

```lua theme={null}
config.default_domain = 'WSL:Ubuntu'
```

### TLS Domains

Secure remote multiplexing:

```lua theme={null}
config.tls_clients = {
  {
    name = 'server',
    remote_address = 'server.example.com:8080',
    bootstrap_via_ssh = 'server.example.com',
  },
}
```

## Spawn Commands

Define reusable spawn commands:

```lua theme={null}
config.launch_menu = {
  {
    label = 'Dev Server SSH',
    args = { 'ssh', 'dev.example.com' },
    cwd = wezterm.home_dir,
  },
  {
    label = 'Local htop',
    args = { 'htop' },
  },
}
```

## Default Domain

Set which domain to use by default:

```lua theme={null}
config.default_domain = 'WSL:Ubuntu'
```

Or connect to a multiplexer on startup:

```lua theme={null}
config.default_gui_startup_args = { 'connect', 'unix' }
```

## Advanced Configuration

### Per-Domain Default Programs

```lua theme={null}
config.ssh_domains = {
  {
    name = 'devserver',
    remote_address = 'dev.example.com',
    username = 'myuser',
    -- Run tmux on connection
    multiplexing = 'None',
    default_prog = { 'tmux', 'attach', '-t', 'dev' },
  },
}
```

### Environment Variables

Set environment variables for spawned programs:

```lua theme={null}
config.set_environment_variables = {
  TERM = 'wezterm',
  COLORTERM = 'truecolor',
}
```

### Skip Launcher on Startup

```lua theme={null}
config.skip_close_confirmation_for_processes_named = {
  'bash',
  'sh',
  'zsh',
  'fish',
  'tmux',
}
```

## Examples

### Complete Launch Configuration

```lua theme={null}
local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local config = wezterm.config_builder()

config.default_prog = { 'zsh', '-l' }
config.default_cwd = '~/projects'

config.launch_menu = {
  { label = 'Zsh', args = { 'zsh', '-l' } },
  { label = 'Bash', args = { 'bash', '-l' } },
  { label = 'Python', args = { 'python3' } },
  { label = 'Htop', args = { 'htop' } },
}

config.ssh_domains = {
  {
    name = 'production',
    remote_address = 'prod.example.com',
    username = 'deploy',
  },
}

config.unix_domains = {
  { name = 'unix' },
}

return config
```

## See Also

* [SSH Feature](/features/ssh)
* [Multiplexing](/concepts/multiplexing)
* [CLI Start Command](/cli/start)