Colorama (Python) tested on Ubuntu: does it strip ANSI color codes?

What is Colorama?

Colorama is a small Python library for colored terminal text. Its main job is to make ANSI escape codes, the hidden markers that switch colors on and off, behave on Windows the way they already do on Linux and macOS. It can also take those markers out of text, which is the feature we put to the test here.

Basically the idea is that this makes Windows act like Unix with respect to ANSI escape handling.

Apart from marked quotes, everything on this page comes from our own test run.

How we tested Colorama

We ran Colorama 0.4.6 on October 21, 2026 (UTC) in an isolated sandbox: Ubuntu 26.04 under WSL2 with Python 3.14. Networking was switched off, so nothing was downloaded or sent during the test. The test ran as an unprivileged user with an empty home directory.

Sandbox checks recorded before the run, all passed: network disabled, home directory blocked, secrets blocked, writes limited to the test workspace.

Setup as recorded: WSL2 Ubuntu 26.04 sandbox: no network, read-only root, nobody user; Python 3.14; local copy of the installed release.

1. The input file logfile (58 bytes) was placed in an empty workspace.
2. We ran bin/plain logfile. It exited with code 0.
3. We kept the exact output (40 bytes) and compared it with the input byte for byte.
4. The terminal session was recorded (6.54 seconds).

bin/plain is defined by the test definition in our repository (config/curation/colorama-0.4.6.json), shown below as it stood when this page was built. The script itself is not part of the hashed test record, unlike the input, output and command above.

#!/usr/bin/python3 -I
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, "/tmp/ws")
from colorama import AnsiToWin32
wrapper = AnsiToWin32(sys.stdout, strip=True, convert=False)
wrapper.stream.write(open(sys.argv[1], encoding="ascii").read())
wrapper.stream.flush()

What we saw

What we tried: Strip ANSI color codes from a two line log with an explicitly stripping colorama wrapper.

What went in: 2 lines of text (58 bytes) containing 4 ANSI escape codes: hidden instructions that tell a terminal to change the text color or style.

What came out: 2 lines of text (40 bytes) with no escape codes left. The readable text is exactly the same as in the input.

What this means: The tool removed the color codes and kept every word: the text is the same, character for character. Printed on a terminal, it now shows as plain, uncolored text.

Exact recorded input and output. Invisible characters are written out (for example \x1b is the escape character) so you can see them.

\x1b[92mPASS\x1b[0m build finished
\x1b[93mWARN\x1b[0m cache was cold

PASS build finished
WARN cache was cold

Measured result

Input size

58 bytes

Output size

40 bytes

Sandbox run time

16.17 seconds: the whole isolated sandbox run, including sandbox start-up. This is not the tool's own processing time.

Demo recording length

6.54 seconds

Recorded measurement: 58 input bytes -> 40 output bytes; elapsed 16.17 seconds.

Is Colorama a fit for you?

• Likely a fit if you need to strip ANSI color codes from a two line log with an explicitly stripping colorama wrapper. That is exactly what we checked.
• Check further if your input goes beyond our sample: the limit quoted above comes from the project itself.
• Check further if you need it on Windows: this record covers Ubuntu 26.04 under WSL2 only.

Questions this test answers

Does Colorama strip ANSI color codes?

In our test, yes. All 4 codes in the input were removed and the 40 bytes left matched the input text exactly.

Did we test Colorama on Windows?

No. This record ran on Ubuntu 26.04 under WSL2. It does not show how Colorama behaves in a Windows console.

Which version did we test, and when?

Colorama 0.4.6, on October 21, 2026 (UTC).

Did the test need internet access?

No. The sandbox had networking switched off for the whole run.

What does Colorama not handle?

Our single input does not probe this. The project names its own limit, quoted under Limits of this test; inputs like that need their own test.

Test records

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