python / python/cpython

REPL: incorrect error: `terminal doesn't have the required clear capability`

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OS-netbsd stdlib topic-repl type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

When running Python 3.14 (from pkgsrc on NetBSD 11/x86_64 in case it matters) with TERM=xterm-direct, I get an error:

Python 3.14.0 (main, Oct 11 2025, 19:31:08) [GCC 14.3.0] on netbsd11
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
warning: can't use pyrepl: terminal doesn't have the required clear capability; TERM=xterm-direct
>>>

and no syntax highlighting.
It works in the same environment with TERM=xterm (or TERM=xterm-256color):

Python 3.14.0 (main, Oct 11 2025, 19:31:08) [GCC 14.3.0] on netbsd11
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

(where the >>> is already colorful)

The error doesn't make sense, because the terminal descriptions do not differ in that regard:

> infocmp xterm xterm-direct
comparing xterm to xterm-direct,v3.
    comparing booleans.
    comparing numbers.
        colors: 8, 16777216.
        pairs: 64, 65536.
    comparing strings.
        setab: '\E[4%p1%dm', '\E[%?%p1%{8}%<%t4%p1%d%e48:2::%p1%{65536}%/%d:%p1%{256}%/%{255}%&%d:%p1%{255}%&%d%;m'.
        setaf: '\E[3%p1%dm', '\E[%?%p1%{8}%<%t3%p1%d%e38:2::%p1%{65536}%/%d:%p1%{256}%/%{255}%&%d:%p1%{255}%&%d%;m'.

Or to make it completely explicit, here's the full xterm-direct entry, containing a clear definition.

> infocmp xterm-direct
# Reconstructed from /usr/share/misc/terminfo.cdb
xterm-direct|xterm with direct-color indexing,
        am, bce, km, mc5i, mir, msgr, npc, xenl,
        colors#16777216, cols#80, it#8, lines#24, pairs#65536,
        acsc=``aaffggiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzz{{||}}~~, bel=^G, blink=\E[5m, bold=\E[1m, cbt=\E[Z, civis=\E[?25l, clear=\E[H\E[2J, cnorm=\E[?12l\E[?25h, cr=^M, csr=\E[%i%p1%d;%p2%dr, cub=\E[%p1%dD,
        cub1=^H, cud=\E[%p1%dB, cud1=^J, cuf=\E[%p1%dC, cuf1=\E[C, cup=\E[%i%p1%d;%p2%dH, cuu=\E[%p1%dA, cuu1=\E[A, cvvis=\E[?12;25h, dch=\E[%p1%dP, dch1=\E[P, dim=\E[2m, dl=\E[%p1%dM, dl1=\E[M, ech=\E[%p1%dX,
        ed=\E[J, el=\E[K, el1=\E[1K, flash=\E[?5h$<100/>\E[?5l, home=\E[H, hpa=\E[%i%p1%dG, ht=^I, hts=\EH, ich=\E[%p1%d@, il=\E[%p1%dL, il1=\E[L, ind=^J, indn=\E[%p1%dS, invis=\E[8m, is2=\E[!p\E[?3;4l\E[4l\E>,
        kDC=\E[3;2~, kEND=\E[1;2F, kHOM=\E[1;2H, kIC=\E[2;2~, kLFT=\E[1;2D, kNXT=\E[6;2~, kPRV=\E[5;2~, kRIT=\E[1;2C, ka1=\EOw, ka3=\EOy, kb2=\EOu, kbeg=\EOE, kbs=^H, kc1=\EOq, kc3=\EOs, kcbt=\E[Z, kcub1=\EOD,
        kcud1=\EOB, kcuf1=\EOC, kcuu1=\EOA, kdch1=\E[3~, kend=\EOF, kent=\EOM, kf1=\EOP, kf10=\E[21~, kf11=\E[23~, kf12=\E[24~, kf13=\E[1;2P, kf14=\E[1;2Q, kf15=\E[1;2R, kf16=\E[1;2S, kf17=\E[15;2~, kf18=\E[17;2~,
        kf19=\E[18;2~, kf2=\EOQ, kf20=\E[19;2~, kf21=\E[20;2~, kf22=\E[21;2~, kf23=\E[23;2~, kf24=\E[24;2~, kf25=\E[1;5P, kf26=\E[1;5Q, kf27=\E[1;5R, kf28=\E[1;5S, kf29=\E[15;5~, kf3=\EOR, kf30=\E[17;5~,
        kf31=\E[18;5~, kf32=\E[19;5~, kf33=\E[20;5~, kf34=\E[21;5~, kf35=\E[23;5~, kf36=\E[24;5~, kf37=\E[1;6P, kf38=\E[1;6Q, kf39=\E[1;6R, kf4=\EOS, kf40=\E[1;6S, kf41=\E[15;6~, kf42=\E[17;6~, kf43=\E[18;6~,
        kf44=\E[19;6~, kf45=\E[20;6~, kf46=\E[21;6~, kf47=\E[23;6~, kf48=\E[24;6~, kf49=\E[1;3P, kf5=\E[15~, kf50=\E[1;3Q, kf51=\E[1;3R, kf52=\E[1;3S, kf53=\E[15;3~, kf54=\E[17;3~, kf55=\E[18;3~, kf56=\E[19;3~,
        kf57=\E[20;3~, kf58=\E[21;3~, kf59=\E[23;3~, kf6=\E[17~, kf60=\E[24;3~, kf61=\E[1;4P, kf62=\E[1;4Q, kf63=\E[1;4R, kf7=\E[18~, kf8=\E[19~, kf9=\E[20~, khome=\EOH, kich1=\E[2~, kind=\E[1;2B, kmous=\E[<,
        knp=\E[6~, kpp=\E[5~, kri=\E[1;2A, mc0=\E[i, mc4=\E[4i, mc5=\E[5i, mgc=\E[?69l, nel=\EE, op=\E[39;49m, rc=\E8, rep=%p1%c\E[%p2%{1}%-%db, rev=\E[7m, ri=\EM, rin=\E[%p1%dT, ritm=\E[23m, rmacs=\E(B,
        rmam=\E[?7l, rmcup=\E[?1049l\E[23;0;0t, rmir=\E[4l, rmkx=\E[?1l\E>, rmm=\E[?1034l, rmso=\E[27m, rmul=\E[24m, rs1=\Ec, rs2=\E[!p\E[?3;4l\E[4l\E>, sc=\E7,
        setab=\E[%?%p1%{8}%<%t4%p1%d%e48:2::%p1%{65536}%/%d:%p1%{256}%/%{255}%&%d:%p1%{255}%&%d%;m, setaf=\E[%?%p1%{8}%<%t3%p1%d%e38:2::%p1%{65536}%/%d:%p1%{256}%/%{255}%&%d:%p1%{255}%&%d%;m,
        setb=\E[4%?%p1%{1}%=%t4%e%p1%{3}%=%t6%e%p1%{4}%=%t1%e%p1%{6}%=%t3%e%p1%d%;m, setf=\E[3%?%p1%{1}%=%t4%e%p1%{3}%=%t6%e%p1%{4}%=%t1%e%p1%{6}%=%t3%e%p1%d%;m,
        sgr=%?%p9%t\E(0%e\E(B%;\E[0%?%p6%t;1%;%?%p5%t;2%;%?%p2%t;4%;%?%p1%p3%|%t;7%;%?%p4%t;5%;%?%p7%t;8%;m, sgr0=\E(B\E[m, sitm=\E[3m, smacs=\E(0, smam=\E[?7h, smcup=\E[?1049h\E[22;0;0t, smglp=\E[?69h\E[%i%p1%ds,
        smglr=\E[?69h\E[%i%p1%d;%p2%ds, smgrp=\E[?69h\E[%i;%p1%ds, smir=\E[4h, smkx=\E[?1h\E=, smm=\E[?1034h, smso=\E[7m, smul=\E[4m, tbc=\E[3g, u6=\E[%i%d;%dR, u7=\E[6n, u8=\E[?%[;0123456789]c, u9=\E[c,
        vpa=\E[%i%p1%dd,
CPython versions tested on:

3.14

Operating systems tested on:

Other

Contributor guide

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First steps

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  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the warning in the Python 3.14 REPL with TERM=xterm-direct, then compare the terminal capability detection with TERM=xterm and xterm-256color. Inspect the REPL code that checks the clear capability and use the provided infocmp output as evidence. Done means xterm-direct no longer produces the incorrect warning and syntax highlighting works.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
cli
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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