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Similar terminal scrolling/jumping behavior observed with Gemini CLI as in anthropics/claude-code #25399

@tushellframe

Description

@tushellframe

🌊 Context

We are observing an unexpected and disruptive terminal behavior when interacting with Gemini CLI. During periods of active output, the terminal viewport frequently and unpredictably jumps to the top of the history or aggressively auto-scrolls to the bottom. This makes it exceptionally difficult to read and track previous messages, effectively disrupting the flow of interaction and review.

🌟 Desired State

The terminal interaction with Gemini CLI should maintain a stable viewport during output, allowing users to scroll and read historical output without arbitrary jumps or forced auto-scrolling, unless explicitly initiated by the user.

🛠️ Action Steps

  1. Reproduce the Behavior: We request the google-gemini team investigate if this specific terminal scrolling/jumping anomaly can be reproduced on their end using Gemini CLI in various terminal environments (e.g., standard Linux terminals, VS Code integrated terminal).
  2. Analyze Potential Causes: Given the similarity to the referenced issue, an analysis focusing on how Gemini CLI's output mechanism handles ANSI escape sequences, cursor positioning, and terminal re-renders would be valuable.
  3. Propose Solutions: If reproducible, we hope for insights into potential causes and any proposed solutions or workarounds.

⚡ Structural Conflict

The conflict lies between the current erratic terminal behavior that impedes effective monitoring and interaction with Gemini CLI, and the desired state of a stable, predictable terminal interface crucial for efficient development and debugging. This unresolved conflict creates friction in the user experience and hinders productivity.

📚 Related

This behavior strongly mirrors an issue documented and discussed at length in the anthropics/claude-code repository: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/34845. The detailed analysis within that issue, particularly concerning terminal rendering and ANSI escape sequences, may offer valuable context or diagnostic pathways for Gemini CLI.

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