Proof-of-concept new Pseudo Console APIs' implementation in Windows 10 19H1 builds or greater. This repository uses many low level NTDLL APIs (without many error checking steps) and is dedicated to educational purposes. Use the executable file mainly for testing purposes and exploring Windows Consoles. This is not a pseudo terminal like in UNIX or UNIX-Like systems.
Download the compiled executable file from Release page. Double clicking on XConPty.exe will ping localhost aka. 127.0.0.1 for 10 seconds only. The ping time and ping count can be changed in source code. Use the FunXConPty.exe for the FUN_MODE (see below).
This mode shows behind-the-scene view by disabling/removing some flags and strings. Enable this mode by compiling with /DFUN_MODE in MSVC (i.e. with cl.exe) or add make CCOPT=-DFUN_MODE with gcc in msys2/mingw-w64 toolchain. For further details see build.bat, a batch file with cl.exe command. So, what does this mode do?
- Reveals the hidden ConHost.exe window attached with master side. For example, here XConPty.exe process.
- Does not enable VT-100 escape sequence processing mode. As a result, it shows all raw escape character buffers.
- Remains infinitely until user press Ctrl+C from keyboard. Closing the reference ConHost window results an ORPHAN CONHOST PROCESS. Cool.... 😎
Clone this repository. Open the solution (.sln) or project (.vcxproj) file in Visual Studio and build it. Alternatively, run Visual Studio developer command prompt, go to the cloned folder and run this command msbuild.exe. Or run the build.bat for release mode. You can also build with mingw-w64 toolchain. Go to the cloned folder in terminal, run make command from msys2/mingw-w64 toolchain.
If you are interested only Pseudo Console APIs those are written in PseudoCosole.c file. Many required Kernel32 files are written from scratch for better understanding but without many error checking steps. To eliminate confusion, All Kernel32 function names are prefixed with X_. If you want to use only XConPty.c file remove X_ prefix from all the Kernel32 APIs. Here are the overview of source files according to their dependencies:
src\
|
+-- WinInternal: Required NT APIs declarations and associates structures
|
+-- KernelBase: Required Kernel32 APIs written from scratch
|
+-- PseudoConsole: Pseudo Console APIs based on Kernel32 APIs
|
+-- XConPty: Sample to show the usage of Pseudo Console APIs
The interesting thing is that HPCON data type isn't void* only. Did you find it? 🔎
To create a pseudo ConHost process, CreatePseudoConsole() uses CreateProcessAsUserW() with a command line string (here ConHostCommand). That string contains some options. Here are the list with speculative explanation:
| Options | Details |
|---|---|
| headless | Hide ConHost window. |
| inheritcursor | Inherit/follow the cursor position from server to reference window. |
| server | Handle created from \Device\ConDrv\Server interface. |
| signal | R/W pipe handle. |
| width | Console window width (COORD.X). |
| height | Console window height (COORD.Y). |
| vtmode | win-telnet |
| xterm | |
| xterm-256color | |
| xterm-ascii | |
| feature | pty |
Thanks to:
- ConPty sample EchoCon
- ProcessHacker's collection of native API header file
- Rohitab's thread of PROC_THREAD_ATTRIBUTE_LIST structure
This project is licensed under GNU Public License v3 or higher. You are free to study, modify or distribute the source code.
XConPty -- Copyright (C) 2018-19 Biswapriyo Nath
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.