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Needs to show an error (rather than just a blank tab) if a shell is missing #1318

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opened 2026-01-30 22:22:28 +00:00 by claunia · 11 comments
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:28 +00:00
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Originally created by @mikemaccana on GitHub (May 24, 2019).

New box, installed 1903 and Windows Terminal.

Starting a new terminal shows no UI:

image

It looks like this is because C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\6\\pwsh.exe is missing. Terminal should show a message like:

Couldn't start profile 'powershell'
The file C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\6\\pwsh.exe is missing.

Originally created by @mikemaccana on GitHub (May 24, 2019). New box, installed 1903 and Windows Terminal. Starting a new terminal shows no UI: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/172594/58337685-414abd00-7e3e-11e9-9965-ad24d42124e3.png) It looks like this is because `C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\6\\pwsh.exe` is missing. Terminal should show a message like: > Couldn't start profile 'powershell' > The file `C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\6\\pwsh.exe` is missing.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:29 +00:00
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@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019):

This is something we can totally do. We'd probably want to somehow have the TermControl surface this error to the App, and have the app display the exception using it's message box. When the App catches the exception, it should probably not open the tab/pane for that control it's trying to create.

Part of the trick here will be doing this before adding the control to the UI. We'd probably want to have a TermControl::ValidateSettings method, that throws/returns an HRESULT if it fails to validate. That way we could validate both the commandline, and other things, like the font. We'd construct the TermControl using the TerminalSettings, then ask the control to validate those settings. If the control returns an error, then we'll just not create the tab/pane, and display the error dialog.

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019): This is something we can totally do. We'd probably want to somehow have the TermControl surface this error to the App, and have the app display the exception using it's message box. When the App catches the exception, it should probably not open the tab/pane for that control it's trying to create. Part of the trick here will be doing this before adding the control to the UI. We'd probably want to have a `TermControl::ValidateSettings` method, that throws/returns an HRESULT if it fails to validate. That way we could validate both the commandline, and other things, like the font. We'd construct the TermControl using the TerminalSettings, then ask the control to validate those settings. If the control returns an error, then we'll just _not_ create the tab/pane, and display the error dialog.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:29 +00:00
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@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019):

We can't totally validate a commandline without trying to spawn it. Perhaps we can surface an error up through ConhostConnection? Eventually ConptyConnection will know better because it gets to CreateProcess the shell directly, and can more directly signal failure there.

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019): We can't totally validate a commandline without trying to spawn it. Perhaps we can surface an error up through ConhostConnection? Eventually ConptyConnection will know better because it gets to `CreateProcess` the shell directly, and can more directly signal failure there.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:29 +00:00
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@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019):

We could certainly do that. I was more imagining that TermControl would ask the connection to validate it's own settings, and as a basic sanity check, ensure that the file exists.

Oh you're right though, for something like foo.exe --bar, we can't get at just the foo.exe part.

That's extra tricky.

Maybe we'd have to start the connection before TermControl::_Initialize, and just do nothing with i/o from the connection until the control is actually initialized.

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019): We could certainly do that. I was more imagining that TermControl would ask the connection to validate it's own settings, and as a _basic_ sanity check, ensure that the file exists. Oh you're right though, for something like `foo.exe --bar`, we can't get at just the `foo.exe` part. That's extra tricky. Maybe we'd have to start the connection before `TermControl::_Initialize`, and just do nothing with i/o from the connection until the control is actually initialized.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:29 +00:00
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@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019):

I'm of two minds here. I think we should detect failures early where we can, but I also think that this is a perfectly acceptable (good! maybe better!) experience:

image

because this dovetails nicely with:

closeOnExit = false

image

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019): I'm of two minds here. I think we should detect failures early where we can, but I also think that this is a perfectly acceptable (good! maybe better!) experience: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/14316954/58346455-cec2e880-7e0f-11e9-9412-75bcf7f4efdb.png) because this dovetails nicely with: _`closeOnExit` = false_ ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/14316954/58346504-fa45d300-7e0f-11e9-945d-eff2af359b4f.png)
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:29 +00:00
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@binarycrusader commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019):

I'm of two minds here. I think we should detect failures early where we can, but I also think that this is a perfectly acceptable (good! maybe better!) experience:

The error code could also be translated to the human-friendly name for the user if the error code can be mapped. Also, in addition to that text, it might be useful to having diagnostics tailored to the specific error code. For example, if CreateProcess fails, and a simple existence / permissions check fails for the executable, a much better diagnostic message could be provided to the user.

For example, if spawning fails and the process discovers that wsl.exe can't be found, it could point the user at the Store app and suggest it doesn't appear to be installed, but they can install a Linux distribution from the Store?

The error code alone though I personally think is the right start, but some really great stuff could be done on top of that.

@binarycrusader commented on GitHub (May 24, 2019): > I'm of two minds here. I think we should detect failures early where we can, but I also think that this is a perfectly acceptable (good! maybe better!) experience: The error code could also be translated to the human-friendly name for the user if the error code can be mapped. Also, in addition to that text, it might be useful to having diagnostics tailored to the specific error code. For example, if CreateProcess fails, and a simple existence / permissions check fails for the executable, a much better diagnostic message could be provided to the user. For example, if spawning fails and the process discovers that wsl.exe can't be found, it could point the user at the Store app and suggest it doesn't appear to be installed, but they can install a Linux distribution from the Store? The error code alone though I personally think is the right start, but some really great stuff could be done on top of that.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:30 +00:00
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@miniksa commented on GitHub (Jul 31, 2019):

#1348 is relevant here

@miniksa commented on GitHub (Jul 31, 2019): #1348 is relevant here
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:30 +00:00
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@miniksa commented on GitHub (Jul 31, 2019):

OK so this is the way to fix the pwsh is missing thing that a lot of people have been hitting. Some sort of indication that it failed. Or a #1348 fallback to a different default. Or something.

But both #2091 from @mcpiroman and #2039 from @DHowett-MSFT show that this is being handled by others and will resolve itself when those get resolved. So I'm not going to take and pursue this further right now.

@miniksa commented on GitHub (Jul 31, 2019): OK so this is the way to fix the pwsh is missing thing that a lot of people have been hitting. Some sort of indication that it failed. Or a #1348 fallback to a different default. Or something. But both #2091 from @mcpiroman and #2039 from @DHowett-MSFT show that this is being handled by others and will resolve itself when those get resolved. So I'm not going to take and pursue this further right now.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:30 +00:00
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@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2020):

Hey @DHowett-MSFT did the whole graceful exit thing fix this?

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2020): Hey @DHowett-MSFT did the whole `graceful` exit thing fix this?
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:30 +00:00
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@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2020):

Yep, this was fixed in #3623

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2020): Yep, this was fixed in #3623
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:30 +00:00
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@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2020):

Thanks for the find!

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2020): Thanks for the find!
claunia commented 2026-01-30 22:22:31 +00:00
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@ghost commented on GitHub (Jan 14, 2020):

:tada:This issue was addressed in #3623, which has now been successfully released as Windows Terminal Preview v0.8.10091.0.🎉

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@ghost commented on GitHub (Jan 14, 2020): :tada:This issue was addressed in #3623, which has now been successfully released as `Windows Terminal Preview v0.8.10091.0`.:tada: Handy links: * [Release Notes](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/releases/tag/v0.8.10091.0) * [Store Download](https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9n0dx20hk701?cid=storebadge&ocid=badge)
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Reference: starred/terminal#1318
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