GitHub Copilot Agent cannot execute commands in WSL/bash terminals - only PowerShell supported

[nerohmot]

Copilot Chat Extension Version: 0.36.1
VS Code Version: 1.108.1
OS Version: Windows 11
Feature (e.g. agent/edit/ask mode): Agent
Selected model : Claude Sonnet 4.5
Logs: /
Steps to Reproduce:

• Open a project that requires WSL/bash environment (e.g., C/C++ project with Makefile, CMake)
• Ensure WSL terminal (e.g., "Ubuntu-24.04") is open in VS Code
• Close all PowerShell terminals to isolate WSL terminal
• Ask GitHub Copilot Agent to execute a build command (e.g., "build the project")
• Observe that Agent spawns a NEW PowerShell terminal instead of using the WSL terminal
• Agent attempts to run Unix commands (make, cmake) in PowerShell, which fail

Expected Behavior:
Agent should execute commands in the currently active terminal (WSL/bash) or provide a way to target specific terminal profiles.

Actual Behavior:
Agent's run_in_terminal tool is hardcoded to PowerShell. It spawns new PowerShell terminals even when only WSL terminals exist. No parameter exists to specify terminal type/profile.

Additional Context:

WSL is Microsoft's recommended solution for Linux development on Windows
Many projects require Unix toolchains (make, gcc, bash) unavailable in PowerShell
Network shares require Unix metadata support (mount -o metadata) only available in WSL
Agent can edit files but cannot automate builds, forcing manual command execution
This breaks workflow for embedded development, cross-compilation, and Linux-based tooling
Suggested Solution:
Add terminal profile targeting to run_in_terminal tool with parameter to specify terminal type, or auto-detect based on project context (presence of Makefile, .sh scripts, etc.).