microsoft / microsoft/terminal
Let Terminal auto-detect a busted `AutoRun` value for CMD
- Dominant language
- C++
- Stars
- 105k
- Forks
- 9.6k
- Avg merge
- 3d 17h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 29
Description
CMD has this magic `AutoRun` reg key that's a gigantic footgun.
* `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun`
* `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun`
Basically, if someone writes a bad value to that, it can mess up CMD.exe real bad. As a real life example: https://github.com/conda/constructor/pull/521
We attempted to patch this in Windows 11. But we'll surely be unable to backport that. While we're maintaining Windows 10 support, it might be nice to return a specific warning for this in Terminal. Something like:
```
if (profileGuid == {cmd} && error == 1 && reg query ....) { write("Hey your AutoRun value might be busted. Go check these reg keys:"); }
```
(for discussion. We can always just say _meh_, since we did fix this for cmd.exe)
Contributor guide
Research direction
The issue names no files or tests; begin by tracing Terminal's CMD profile startup error handling, especially the proposed profileGuid and error == 1 path. Check how the two listed AutoRun registry keys can be queried, with done defined as a specific warning that points users to those keys when the matching CMD startup failure occurs.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- cpp
- Domain
- cli, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100