Arrow keys do not work in menuconfig (VSCode terminal & Windows Terminal Preview) (IDFGH-1860) (VSC-170)

[kaofishy]

Environment

• IDF version (run git describe --tags to find it):
  v4.1-dev-256-g9f145ff16
• Build System: CMake
• Compiler version (run xtensa-esp32-elf-gcc --version to find it):
  xtensa-esp32-elf-gcc (crosstool-NG esp32-2019r1) 8.2.0
• Operating System: Windows 10

Problem Description

When using idf.py menuconfig in a Visual Studio Code integrated terminal or a Windows Terminal Preview terminal, the arrow keys do not work as menu navigation. This does not occur under regular Windows terminal.

Expected Behavior

Arrow keys navigate the menu items

Actual Behavior

The menu does not respond to arrow keys

Steps to repropduce

1. Install Visual Studio Code or Windows Terminal Preview
2. Run idf.py menuconfig in a project within the Visual Studio Code integrated terminal or a Windows Terminal Preview session
3. Use arrow keys to navigate the menu

[versamodule]

Works for me.

[kaofishy]

Works for me.

Did you try it with Windows Terminal Preview https://github.com/microsoft/terminal and the latest git IDF? I am using the CMake Python-based menuconfig and not the old lxdialog menuconfig.

[versamodule]

Did you move you mouse onto the terminal window and left click first before you tryed to use the cursor keys. Sincerely, Jimp@Versamodule.com

…

On 9/16/2019 11:54 AM, Tony Kao wrote: Works for me. Did you try it with Windows Terminal Preview https://github.com/microsoft/terminal and the latest git IDF? I am using the CMake Python-based menuconfig and not the old lxdialog menuconfig. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/issues/4067?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABRIKTD34V2HFMGXKA7FOFLQJ622RA5CNFSM4IW4JHUKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOD6ZZNCQ#issuecomment-531863178>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABRIKTCEYDGCCJWVUCGWRVDQJ622RANCNFSM4IW4JHUA>.

[kaofishy]

Yes of course, and this occurs under both VSCode's integrated terminal and the Windows Terminal Preview, but not under regular conhost.exe command prompt.

Interestingly if I build the IDF under WSL then the arrow keys work under both terminals, which suggests to me it's something to do with mconf-idf under Windows since the Windows mconf is built differently from the other platforms (from what I can gather from the repo it uses PDCurses instead of ncurses).

Did you move you mouse onto the terminal window and left click first
before you tryed to use the cursor keys.

Sincerely,

Jimp@Versamodule.com
…
On 9/16/2019 11:54 AM, Tony Kao wrote:

 Works for me.

Did you try it with Windows Terminal Preview
https://github.com/microsoft/terminal and the latest git IDF? I am
using the CMake Python-based menuconfig and not the old lxdialog
menuconfig.

—
You are receiving this because you commented.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
<#4067?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABRIKTD34V2HFMGXKA7FOFLQJ622RA5CNFSM4IW4JHUKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOD6ZZNCQ#issuecomment-531863178>,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABRIKTCEYDGCCJWVUCGWRVDQJ622RANCNFSM4IW4JHUA.

[kaofishy]

After some more tests, I've definitively isolated the issue to PDCurses on Windows when using a non-conhost.exe terminal. I compiled demo programs for PDCurses and I am able to reproduce the same issue: arrows work under regular conhost.exe but not any other terminal on Windows.

I used MinGW and source from this git repo https://github.com/wmcbrine/PDCurses

[kaofishy]

I have created a pull request to fix this issue in kconfig-frontend, see espressif/kconfig-frontends#1

[Devenda]

Is there any workaround for this?

[versamodule]

I'm new to the VSCode thing, so I many not clearly understand. But I ran into this issue too. What fixed it for me was to set the integrated terminal to bash.
"terminal.integrated.shell.windows": "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"

[Devenda]

After updating to the latest version of esp-idf, even the rendering in vscode is broken.
Even though the menu is hard to use, the j and k keys seems to navigate the menu correctly.

Hoping more is known about this, a new issue is made about both issues: #5

Currently using bash is not really feasible in my setup.

[projectgus]

(Moving this into VSCode Extension because even though the extension isn't responsible for this, it seems like any fix will probably need to come via the extension.)

[projectgus]

(Note also that the extension provides a UI config editor, so that may be a better solution than debugging VSCode's interactive terminal support.)

[pwmb]

@kaofishy Since we don't have control over the terminal inside the vscode directly, for this reason in the ESP IDF Official VSCode Extension we have provided support for the Menuconfig, use that instead.

Visit the extension marketplace to know more.

[positron96]

For what it's worth, my workaround is to exec start from inside VS Code terminal, which opens a normal Windows terminal, and call pio run -t menuconfig from there.

[JonathanDotCel]

Just to add to @positron96 's solution. If VSCode is using a powershell terminal then you must do e.g. start cmd
then idf.py menuconfig
(For the oldschool terminal, just start will work without the cmd part)

[mike6000]

I opened a windows terminal with Windows + R and typing cmd
Then running pio run -t menuconfig worked fine for me
(Make sure that pio is in your PATH)

[Zeni241]

I used start idf.py menuconfig , it opened menuconfig in a new detached terminal window where all the keys works!! I am using powershell as terminal.