[Bug]: Option+C types nothing on the macOS US-International-PC layout
- Dominant language
- TypeScript
- Stars
- 71.3k
- Forks
- 4.7k
- Avg merge
- 14h 54m
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 520
Description
### Operating system
macOS (Darwin 25.6.0)
### Orca version
1.4.197
### Details
On the macOS `U.S. International - PC` keyboard layout, Option+letter produces nothing in any terminal pane. No character is inserted, and there is no visible feedback: Option+C should type `ç`, Option+Shift+C should type `Ç`, Option+A should type `å`, Option+E should arm the acute dead key. The same keystrokes work in every other macOS application.
This is the same silent-swallow bug as #1205 (Polish diacritics), on a layout that was left out of that fix.
**Cause**
`src/renderer/src/lib/keyboard-layout/input-source-id.ts` allowlists `com.apple.keylayout.USInternational-PC` as a layout where Option should act as Meta. With the default `terminalMacOptionAsAlt: 'auto'`, the classifier returns `'meta'`, `effectiveMacOptionAsAlt` resolves to `'true'`, xterm's `macOptionIsMeta` turns on, and every Option+letter keystroke is translated to an Esc+letter readline chord instead of the composed character. In Claude Code, Codex CLI or a plain shell, that chord is a no-op with no output, which is why the keystroke appears to vanish.
The allowlist entry was copied from Ghostty rather than measured. The layout's Option layer is a composition layer. Verified with `UCKeyTranslate` against the shipped keylayout:
| Key | Plain | Option | Option+Shift |
|-----|-------|--------|--------------|
| C | `c` | `ç` | `Ç` |
| A | `a` | `å` | `Å` |
| E | `e` | `´` (dead) | `´` |
| N | `n` | `˜` (dead) | `˜` |
| U | `u` | `¨` (dead) | `¨` |
A user who selects the International variant over plain `U.S.` does so precisely to type accented characters, so Option-as-Meta defeats the only reason to pick that layout.
### Reproduction
1. On macOS, set the input source to `U.S. International - PC`.
2. Leave `Settings > Terminal > Option as Alt` on `Auto` (the default).
3. Open any terminal pane and press Option+C.
Expected: `ç`. Actual: nothing is inserted.
### Workaround
Set `Settings > Terminal > Option as Alt` to `Off`. Option+B / Option+F / Option+D word navigation still works, because `terminal-option-shortcut-policy.ts` sends those sequences explicitly when Option is not Meta.
Contributor guide
Assessment
This issue has not been assessed yet.