Kitty 0.43.0 - session starts with focus on last tab not first

[onefish2]

Describe the bug
Kitty 0.43.0 - session starts with last tab not first

Session config:

launch --title General bash -c "fastfetch; exec bash"

new_tab
launch --title Scratch

new_tab
launch --title Btop btop

To Reproduce
Start a kitty session

New Behavior. This is what I see when I start kitty. Also there is now a black bar the runs almost the length at the bottom of the window that was not there prior to 0.43.0:

Old behavior in versions prior to 0.43.0. This is what it used to look like when I would start kitty:

Environment details
bash shell

[onefish2]

Thank you for the super quick fix and response.

[onefish2]

I updated to kitty 0.43.0 again and copied over the updated tab.py file from github and I am still getting the same behavior. Am I missing something?

[kovidgoyal]

I have no idea where you are copying it over too. The official kitty
binaries dont have python files lying around to replace. I suggest you
try the next nightly which will be released in a few hours. Or build from
source, which is trivial to do.

I can tell you that

kitty --session <(echo "new_tab\nlaunch bash\nnew_tab\nlaunch fish")

opens in the first tab running bash, as expected in master.

[onefish2]

Thanks again for the quick reply. I will wait.

…

-steve 845.641.8585 Sent from my iPhone 16 Pro Max please excuse any typos

On Sun, Sep 28, 2025 at 13:26 Kovid Goyal ***@***.***> wrote: *kovidgoyal* left a comment (kovidgoyal/kitty#9025) <#9025 (comment)> I have no idea where you are copying it over too. The official kitty binaries dont have python files lying around to replace. I suggest you try the next nightly which will be released in a few hours. Or build from source, which is trivial to do. I can tell you that kitty --session <(echo "new_tab\nlaunch bash\nnew_tab\nlaunch fish") opens in the first tab running bash, as expected in master. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#9025 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHTU2DUZIOAZB7C3NSAJD233VAK4ZAVCNFSM6AAAAACHWZXCL6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTGNBTHEZDMNZWGM> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[onefish2]

Hi Kovid,

I just updated to 0.43-1. The black background behind the tabs as shown in picture 1 is still there. That has never been present in version prior to 0.43.1

[liusamfung]

Hi Kovid.

Theres another issue. When I open a new session with a keymap (map ctrl+cmd+9 goto_session $HOME/dotfiles/kitty/sessions/test-session.kitty-session) it always open the last tab. (btop)

# File: $HOME/dotfiles/kitty/sessions/test-session.kitty-session
new_tab
launch bash
new_tab
launch btop

I tried other ways, like focus_tab title:<name of tab> or focus_tab 0 but it didn't work.

Otherwise, this command kitty --session <(echo "new_tab\nlaunch bash\nnew_tab\nlaunch fish") Opens a new OS window and it open the first tab.
(Also, I test open my config with focus_tab 1 via command. Then, open a new OS window and it focus the second tab)
So, the command works, but not with keymap calls in the same OS Window.

I using MacOS (Tahoe 26.1), Kitty 0.44.0

If you need more information just tell me please.
Also, I like so much your work. Pretty fine term.

[kovidgoyal]

IIRC goto_session will keep the active window as the previously active window in that session, rather than the window implied by the session definition. This is by design since when you want to switch to a previous session you typically dont want to change the active window.