Ctrl+H (delete previous character) is misinterpreted as Ctrl+Backspace (delete word) under WSL2 due to WT_SESSION leaking from Windows Terminal
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Description
Description
/help documents ctrl+h as "delete previous character", but under WSL2 it instead deletes the whole previous word (i.e. behaves like ctrl+w/Ctrl+Backspace).
Environment
- Copilot CLI version: 1.0.78-2
- Platform: WSL2 (
Linux ... 6.18.33.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2), Windows Terminal as host, plainxterm-256colorinside (issue reproduces both inside and outside tmux) WSLENV=WT_SESSION:WT_PROFILE_ID:(default WSL/Windows Terminal integration), soWT_SESSIONis present in the WSL shell environment even though the CLI is not running as a native Windows process
Root cause
In the bundled app.js, the raw-byte key decoder special-cases byte 0x08 (\b) — which is exactly what Ctrl+H sends — as Ctrl+Backspace when a ctrlHIsCtrlBackspace flag is set:
function ZDe(t, e=!1) {
return t.length!==1 ? null
: t==="\r" ? {code:"return"}
: ...
: t==="\b" && e ? {code:"backspace", ctrl:!0} // <-- Ctrl+H reinterpreted as Ctrl+Backspace
: t==="\b" || t==="\x7F" ? {code:"backspace"}
: ...
}
The flag is computed once at startup:
reader = new ope({ ctrlHIsCtrlBackspace: fSt() })
function Nk() { return !RA() && !process.env.TMUX && !process.env.STY }
function fSt() { return process.platform==="win32" && Nk() || !!process.env.WT_SESSION }
The intent is reasonable on native Windows (Windows Console/Windows Terminal apps can't distinguish a literal Ctrl+H keypress from Ctrl+Backspace, since both produce byte 0x08), so trading away the Ctrl+H binding there makes sense. However, the || !!process.env.WT_SESSION clause has no accompanying process.platform==="win32" check, so it also fires under WSL2, where WT_SESSION is forwarded into the Linux environment by WSLENV for terminal-integration purposes, but the CLI is actually running in a normal Linux pty where Ctrl+H and Ctrl+Backspace are distinguishable. This causes a false positive: the workaround for a Windows-only ambiguity ends up breaking a real, distinguishable keybinding on WSL.
This also affects users in the reverse scenario, if WT_SESSION is otherwise present in the environment (e.g. propagated through SSH or subshells) on non-Windows platforms.
Steps to reproduce
- Launch Copilot CLI inside WSL2 under Windows Terminal (default
WSLENVintegration). - Type some text, then press Ctrl+H.
- Expected: deletes one character before the cursor (per
/help). - Actual: deletes the entire previous word.
Suggested fix
Gate the WT_SESSION check on process.platform === "win32" as well, e.g.:
function fSt() {
return process.platform === "win32" && (Nk() || !!process.env.WT_SESSION);
}
or otherwise detect WSL (e.g. via /proc/version containing "microsoft" or process.platform !== "win32") and skip the ctrlHIsCtrlBackspace heuristic in that case.
Workaround
unset WT_SESSION before launching copilot restores the documented Ctrl+H behavior.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start in the bundled app.js at fSt() and its reader initialization, then verify how WT_SESSION and process.platform affect ctrlHIsCtrlBackspace before checking ZDe(). Reproduce under WSL2 with WT_SESSION set and unset; done when Ctrl+H deletes one character while native Windows behavior remains unchanged.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- javascript, linux, node.js
- Domain
- cli, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 78/100