Better windows command line shells

Windows PowerShell is the obvious choice when it comes to "better windows command line shell other than cmd". Its clipboard handling isn't that much of an improvement - mark with the mouse, Enter to copy, or right mouse click to paste.

This probably is not exactly what you want, but you can take a look at Console2

I have it configured so that shift+select auto copies and middle click pastes, really handy, internally it uses same old cmd.exe so you are not really getting a different shell.

By the way, I guess Ctrl+C = copy is not the best idea in a command line context because it usually means interrupt running process.

Take Command does support Copy/Cut/Paste from the keyboard and the mouse. It's pretty handy if you do a lot of work from a command prompt. It also supports:

• Command and folder history, with popup windows to select prior commands or folders.
• Screen scroll back buffer
• Enhanced batch commands
• Built in FTP/HTTP file access
• A toolbar with programmable buttons

Note: It's a paid tool, with price of $99.95.

Depending on what you're trying to do with the shell, rxvt in cygwin is good.

You'll get the nicety of auto copy on selection and middle click paste. The biggest downside is that some windows console apps don't play nice with cygwin.

Not sure what specifically you mean by better copy/paste but try Take Command.

Take Command supports Shift+Ins for paste and Shift+Del for cut, but apparently nothing for copy, will dig some more.

Have you thought through what behavior you want to replace the current Ctrl+C functionality?

@Chirs
I think you need to clarify shell vs host(emulator). To me it sounds like you need another interface to your existing shell that better supports copy and paste, not another shell that supports more/different features.

I second Pat's suggestion of Console2, it is a very good application and OSS to boot.

I use the standard CMD.EXE shell but with a twist: an AutoHotKey script to support clipboard copy-paste as posted in: Keyboard shortcut to paste clipboard content into command prompt window (Win XP)

The Windows cmd shell, Cygwin Bash, and msysgit Bash shells can be run within Emacs. EmacsW32 provides all three separately. You just have to set the bin directory to use either of the Bash shells. EmacsW32 also provides limited interactions between the Windows clipboard and the top item of the kill ring.