microsoft / microsoft/terminal

"useAnyExisting" ignored with default terminal, allowHeadless, and globalSummon

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Area-Remoting Issue-Bug Priority-3 Product-Terminal
Dominant language
C++
Stars
105k
Forks
9.6k
Avg merge
3d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

### Windows Terminal version

1.19.3172.0

### Windows build number

Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3758)

### Steps to reproduce

1. Make Windows Terminal the default terminal for the OS.
1. Add these to default config:
```json
"compatibility.allowHeadless": true,
"windowingBehavior": "useAnyExisting",
"actions":
[
{
"command":
{
"action": "globalSummon"
},
"keys": "ctrl+`"
},
```
2. Sign out of Windows and sign back in
3. Launch an instance of Windows Terminal
4. Use the global summon keys, Ctrl+`

### Expected Behavior

Global summon summons/hides the existing instance.

### Actual Behavior

A new terminal window appears for each press of global summon.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing the globalSummon action with compatibility.allowHeadless and windowingBehavior set to useAnyExisting, focusing on how the default Windows Terminal instance is selected. Reproduce the Ctrl+` sequence after sign-in and verify that it summons or hides the existing instance instead of creating a new window on each press.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
cli, desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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