Installation
You can download ConEmu from https://www.fosshub.com/ConEmu.html.
You'll likely want the Installer download for the latest Stable release.
On running the installation, select either the x64 or x86 version, of course depending on whether you're running a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows respectively.
Splitting panes on launch
You can create a shortcut for ConEmu with the target path edited so it launches with multiple terminals.
Example:
"C:\Program Files\ConEmu\ConEmu64.exe" -cmdlist
cmd -cur_console |||
cmd -cur_console:s1TVn |||
cmd -cur_console:s1THn |||
cmd -cur_console:s2THn
This creates a grid of 4 terminals with equal width and height.
Alternatively, you can edit the predefined task for the default shell. In ConEmu, go to Settings and under Startup select Tasks. Edit the {Shells::cmd} task.
Example:
cmd.exe /k "%ConEmuBaseDir%\CmdInit.cmd"
cmd -new_console:s66H
cmd -new_console:s50H
cmd -new_console:s2T50V
cmd -new_console:s3T50V
Check the Default shell checkbox and save the changes.
This creates a 2x2 grid on launch, but with an extra full height terminal on the left hand side.
Setting default folders
To launch the terminals with specific work folders, add a :d flag.
Example:
"C:\Program Files\ConEmu\ConEmu64.exe" -cmdlist
cmd -cur_console:d:C:\Ruby23-x64\ |||
cmd -cur_console:s1TVn:d:C:\Ruby23-x64\project\app |||
cmd -cur_console:s1THn |||
cmd -cur_console:s2THn
Setting default task executions
As with setting default folders, you can edit the predefined task for the default shell. In ConEmu, go to Settings and under Startup select Tasks. Edit the {Shells::cmd} task.
Example:
>cmd -cur_console:d:C:\Python33\project
/k "Scripts\activate" & cd project
cmd -cur_console:s1TVn
cmd -cur_console:s1THn:d:C:\elasticsearch-1.4.4\bin &
/k "service start"
Check the Default shell checkbox and save the changes.
In the example, launching ConEmu would activate the virtual environment in a Python project, change the working directory to this project, and in a separate terminal it launches the ElasticSearch service.
Set background transparency
Open Settings and under Features select Transparency.
Now, ensure the Active window transparency checkbox is selected and drag the slider to change the transparency. Something like 75% opaque should be sufficient to comfortably read console text whilst being able to, for example, read a webpage behind the console.
Disable focus on hover
If you keep losing focus on your selected console, this is likely due to the setting which changes the active console when your mouse hovers over a different one from the one you have selected. This has become a default setting.
To disable this, in Settings under Keys & Macro select Mouse and uncheck the checkbox for Activate split/pane on mouse hover.