startingDirectory and splitMode ignored in settings file #18152

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022):

Firstly, yea it's startingDirectory.

Second, did you configure your shell to actually tell the Terminal about it's CWD/?

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022): Firstly, yea it's [`startingDirectory`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/terminal/customize-settings/profile-general#starting-directory). Second, did you [configure your shell](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/terminal/tutorials/new-tab-same-directory) to actually tell the Terminal about it's CWD/?

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022):

@zadjii-msft I added the following to my Powershell profile based on the link you provided:

function prompt {
  $loc = $($executionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation);
  $out = "PS $loc$('>' * ($nestedPromptLevel + 1)) ";
  $out += "$([char]27)]9;9;`"$loc`"$([char]27)\"
  return $out
}

Then I double checked that my settings included startingDirectory, which they were.

The behavior unfortunately persists. I still have the same problem.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022): @zadjii-msft I added the following to my Powershell profile based on the link you provided: ``` function prompt { $loc = $($executionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation); $out = "PS $loc$('>' * ($nestedPromptLevel + 1)) "; $out += "$([char]27)]9;9;`"$loc`"$([char]27)\" return $out } ``` Then I double checked that my settings included `startingDirectory`, which they were. The behavior unfortunately persists. I still have the same problem.

claunia commented

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022):

Hmm. Maybe the cwd sequence is getting lost.

Can you try opening this profile with the debug tap to get a trace of all the input and output/? Once it's open, cd once, just to make sure that CWD changes propagate out. Send us a screenshot and we might be able to figure out what the Terminal thinks it's getting here.

Alternatively, maybe it's the `"alt+shift+minus"` that's tripping up the keybindings. Those ones are sometimes a little wonky, esp on other keyboard layouts. As a sanity check, try binding that to something like, `f1` instead.

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 11, 2022): Hmm. Maybe the cwd sequence is getting lost. Can you try opening this profile with the [debug tap](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/wiki/Enabling-the-debug-tap) to get a trace of all the input and output/? Once it's open, `cd` once, just to make sure that CWD changes propagate out. Send us a screenshot and we might be able to figure out what the Terminal thinks it's getting here. <hr> Alternatively, maybe it's the `"alt+shift+minus"` that's tripping up the keybindings. Those ones are sometimes a little wonky, esp on other keyboard layouts. As a sanity check, try binding that to something like, `f1` instead.

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022):

Here's the output from the debug tap:

Using "f1" instead of "alt+shift+minus" in the keybinding does not make a difference.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022): Here's the output from the debug tap: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/24267968/184304413-71289833-7393-400c-afd9-6b50b2b087b7.png) Using "f1" instead of "alt+shift+minus" in the keybinding does not make a difference.

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022):

I changed the relevant part in settings.json to

{
            "command": 
            {
                "action": "splitPane",
                "split": "horizontal",
                "splitMode": "duplicate"
            },
            "keys": "shift+alt+-"
        }
}

And now it seems to duplicate the profile and CWD in all profiles except for the Visual Studio Developer command prompt. That seems to indicate that Windows Terminal works fine, and there's something about the way I've set up the Visual Studio profile which causes it to behave this way. Closing.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022): I changed the relevant part in `settings.json` to ``` { "command": { "action": "splitPane", "split": "horizontal", "splitMode": "duplicate" }, "keys": "shift+alt+-" } } ``` And now it seems to duplicate the profile and CWD in all profiles except for the Visual Studio Developer command prompt. That seems to indicate that Windows Terminal works fine, and there's something about the way I've set up the Visual Studio profile which causes it to behave this way. Closing.

claunia commented

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022):

Huh. Interesting! I know there have been issues with that in the past with ubuntu.exe as well. Maybe Enter-VsDevShell always switches the CWD to %USERPROFILE%\source\repos, regardless of the starting directory.

Glad you (sorta) figured it out!

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 12, 2022): Huh. Interesting! I know there have been issues with that in the past with `ubuntu.exe` as well. Maybe `Enter-VsDevShell` always switches the CWD to `%USERPROFILE%\source\repos`, regardless of the starting directory. Glad you (sorta) figured it out!

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 14, 2022):

Sorry, I have to reopen this. I tried using the same settings file on another machine and got the same unwanted behavior. So I'm leaning more towards the idea that this is definitely Windows Terminal related.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 14, 2022): Sorry, I have to reopen this. I tried using the same settings file on another machine and got the same unwanted behavior. So I'm leaning more towards the idea that this is definitely Windows Terminal related.

claunia commented

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 15, 2022):

got the same unwanted behavior

Like, got the same behavior with cmd/powershell? I thought we had debugged this down to an issue with Enter-VsDevShell/?

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Aug 15, 2022): > got the same unwanted behavior Like, got the same behavior with cmd/powershell? I thought we had debugged this down to an issue with `Enter-VsDevShell`/?

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 17, 2022):

@zadjii-msft We hadn't debugged anything, really. I submitted the debug tap like you asked and then closed the issue before you had a chance to respond when I (incorrectly) concluded my issue was resolved.

I'm not sure what Enter-VsDevShell is, but I don't think we had gotten far enough to determine the root cause of this issue. I would kindly refer you back to the debug tap I submitted a couple of days ago.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Aug 17, 2022): @zadjii-msft We hadn't debugged anything, really. I submitted the debug tap like you asked and then closed the issue before you had a chance to respond when I (incorrectly) concluded my issue was resolved. I'm not sure what `Enter-VsDevShell` is, but I don't think we had gotten far enough to determine the root cause of this issue. I would kindly refer you back to the debug tap I submitted a couple of days ago.

claunia commented

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Mar 1, 2023):

I'm sorry for the radio silence here! Thanks for your patience.

Based on the symptoms and your configuration here, it seems like there are two issues:

If you have not configured cmd/powershell to "tell" terminal about their starting directory, duplicate doesn't work properly. This is an unfortunate but documented consequence of how processes on Windows work.
the VS dev shells are impacted explicitly, even if you follow the above docs

For 1, the docs reign supreme. For 2, however... every VS dev shell profile is configured to use a Visual Studio command Enter-VsDevShell. That command(let) explicitly overrides any starting directory, which is somewhat frustrating. You can fix this by adding -SkipAutomaticLocation to the commandline for any VS Dev Shell profile. We should document or fix this.

Does that help at all?

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Mar 1, 2023): I'm sorry for the radio silence here! Thanks for your patience. Based on the symptoms and your configuration here, it seems like there are two issues: 1. If you have not configured cmd/powershell to "tell" terminal about their starting directory, duplicate doesn't work properly. This is an unfortunate but [documented](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/terminal/tutorials/new-tab-same-directory) consequence of how processes on Windows work. 1. _the VS dev shells_ are impacted explicitly, even if you follow the above docs For 1, the docs reign supreme. For 2, however... every VS dev shell profile is configured to use a Visual Studio command `Enter-VsDevShell`. That command(let) explicitly overrides any starting directory, which is somewhat frustrating. You can fix this by adding `-SkipAutomaticLocation` to the commandline for any VS Dev Shell profile. We should document or fix this. <img width="304" alt="image" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/189190/222282117-a556638d-d5ae-471f-90a7-53d9b07ee2bc.png"> Does that help at all?

claunia commented

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Mar 7, 2023):

@DHowett I see, so this appears to be specific for profiles that use VsDevShell. Yes, in my case adding -SkipAutomaticLocation does help. When I split the pane it now keeps the same base folder as the one specified in my original pane. Thanks.

@awa5114 commented on GitHub (Mar 7, 2023): @DHowett I see, so this appears to be specific for profiles that use `VsDevShell`. Yes, in my case adding `-SkipAutomaticLocation` does help. When I split the pane it now keeps the same base folder as the one specified in my original pane. Thanks.

claunia commented

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Mar 7, 2023):

Thanks for confirming!

Personally, I'd love to add that for everyone . . . @heaths, how integral to the continuity of "dev shell" is that it ignore the user's starting directory? I know that the start menu shortcuts work one way, but perhaps we can change that contract a bit?

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Mar 7, 2023): Thanks for confirming! Personally, I'd love to add that for everyone . . . @heaths, how integral to the continuity of "dev shell" is that it ignore the user's starting directory? I know that the start menu shortcuts work one way, but perhaps we can change that contract a bit?

claunia commented