microsoft / microsoft/terminal

Git bash intermittently won't clear screen when PS1 includes commands

Open
#16,117 4 comments 0 reactions 1 assignee Claimed by @DHowett View on GitHub
Issue-Bug Needs-Attention Needs-Triage
Dominant language
C++
Stars
105k
Forks
9.6k
Avg merge
3d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
29

Description

### Windows Terminal version

1.19.2682.0

### Windows build number

10.0.22000.2416

### Other Software

Git for windows: 2.42.0.windows.2

### Steps to reproduce

1. Start a terminal running git bash (`%PROGRAMFILES%\\git\\bin\\sh.exe`)

2. Define a PS1 that echoes text to the screen:

```
PS1='$(echo -n "winterm echo> ")'
```

3. Run some commands that output text to the screen:

```
$ ls
$ pwd
```

4. Run `clear` to try and clear the screen contents:

```
$ clear
```

5. Sometimes the screen won't clear and the previous text will remain displayed on screen

6. When this happens, resizing the window or trying to select the text will clear the "ghost" text once, but the problem will continue to occur

### Expected Behavior

The screen should be cleared and return to a blank prompt

e.g.

```
winterm echo>
```

### Actual Behavior

Intermittently, the screen will not be cleared and the previous text will remain rendered to the screen.

![windows-terminal-not-clearning](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/assets/1791456/da257cde-092f-440d-9511-a97f579975ec)

-------------------------

The issue does not occur for "simple" PS1 that doesn't echo text to the screen:

i.e. this PS1 works:

```
PS1='winterm noecho> '
```

this PS1 will fail intermittently:

```
PS1='$(echo -n "winterm echo> ")'
```

-------------------------

Other information:

Issue first seen in Windows Terminal Preview Version: 1.19.2682.0

Works correctly in Windows Terminal Version: 1.17.11461.0

Same issue occurs in Windows 10 and Windows 11
Windows 10: 10.0.19045.3448
Windows 11: 10.0.22000.2416

I have only observed this issue with Git for Windows gitbash when updating to Windows Terminal Preview Version: 1.19.2682.0 (was working previously, with no change to bitbash

Have not observed the issue with any other terminal: WSL Ubuntu, Powershell, Command Prompt

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Assessment

This issue has not been assessed yet.

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.