Unexpected character after update

[dikiaap]

• nvm --version: NVIM 0.2.0-dev
• VIM - Vi IMproved 8.0 (2016 Sep 12, compiled Jan 18 2017 12:42:32)
• Operating system/version: Ubuntu
• Terminal name/version: lxterminal, tested in tty too
• $TERM: xterm-256color

I was updating neovim and this character suddenly appear. Before updating, this isn't happen.
Tested in vim, all is fine.

[jamessan]

That's probably due to ef753a7. If you put let $NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_CURSOR_SHAPE = 0 in your init.vim, does that fix the problem?

[justinmk]

Yes, your terminal should ignore unknown sequences.

[justinmk]

@dikiaap What does echo $VTE_VERSION report? Also if you can find out what version of libvte your system uses, please include that.

[dikiaap]

@justinmk Already fixed this. I did echo $VTE_VERSION command and there is nothing results

[dikiaap]

libvte-2.19-0 Version 0.42.5-1ubuntu1
libvte9 Version 1:0.28.2-5ubuntu3

[jessebl]

Just wondering, why has this been marked closed? Is let $NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_CURSOR_SHAPE = 0 the final solution? Respectfully, it seems to me like it would be good to not have user-configuration be the fix.

[jszakmeister]

@kantsdog It's not that simple. Terminals have all kinds of brokenness, and this is one of them. Many support changing the cursor shape, but do it in one of two different ways. And while there are ways to query whether or not a terminal supports the feature, most do not implement the mechanism. So we're stuck with user configuration until the situation improves. :-(

[justinmk]

I made a change that enables cursor shape by default. It looks like the state of terminals having even basic fallback behavior is worse than expected, so I'll switch it back to opt-in instead of opt-out.

I guess querying will be the only way this can be automatically enabled, because of all the broken terminals out there.

(I'm grateful for the feedback from users giving us early warning about this)

[jessebl]

@justinmk Thanks for changing it back to the default. Had I not found the solution in this thread, Neovim would have become unworkable for me and people in my situation, so switching it back to opt-in seems like a good call from my perspective.

@jszakmeister Thanks for the helpful and informative explanation of terminals in all their brokenness.

[prlz77]

Thank you very much. I have also realized that unsetting TERM when calling nvim does also "fix" this issue.

[jamessan]

@prlz77 Unsetting TERM is a very heavy-handed approach to "fix" this. Just add let $NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_CURSOR_SHAPE = 0 in your init.vim

[prlz77]

@jamessan I changed it when I discovered this thread. Thank you anyway!

[frostybee]

@jamessan It worked as you suggested. Thank you!.

[prlz77]

The problem is back after the last update.

I am using terminator and TERM=xterm-256color. My nvim version is v0.2.0-dev.

It persists even with $NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_CURSOR_SHAPE = 0.

[justinmk]

Please see https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/Following-HEAD

[prlz77]

Thank you, the problem persisted even with set guicursor= because a plug-in was overriding it.

I solved it with export VTE_VERSION="100" (https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#how-can-i-change-the-cursor-shape-in-the-terminal)

[tarciozemel]

I'm still having this issue of unexpected weird chars every time I type some command or change for Insert Mode.

Sadly, I've already tried all the solutions shown here and nothing.

All this madness it's just ":x"...

• Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS
• Terminal Guake 0.8.10
• NVIM v0.2.1-dev

[justinmk]

@tarciozemel #6997 should address your issue when it's merged soon.

[oppsig]

Also solved my problem with
export VTE_VERSION="100"

[ZelphirKaltstahl]

Question about this issue: Is it likely to be fixed in time, without users having to specify some variable like VTE_VERSION?

I've updated my NeoVim time and time again hoping it would be fixed, but maybe I am waiting for naught and there is no way it's simply going to work without having to set some variable?

(What does VTE_VERSION even do? Will it break other in terminal stuff?)

[ydajwz123]

The similar situation only occurs when I use 'sudo'. If I use nvim normally, everythin is ok. But if I use nvim with 'sudo' , changing mode(such as 'inserting mode, command mode) comes with a unexpected char 'q' (only one character 'q'). Is this the same as the problem you've disscused above?

[teto]

@ydajwz123 sudo changes your environment and the loaded config so it can be several things. You can :set guicursor= in the system config and overwrite it in your local one. See https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#nvim-shows-weird-symbols-2-q-when-changing-modes

[ydajwz123]

@teto thanks, now I have a better understanding of how it working.

[teto]

@kabasakalis $NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_CURSOR_SHAPE got removed a year ago (bootom of https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/Following-HEAD)

[kabasakalis]

@teto Right, I don't have time to follow the changelog. And I noticed you already mentioned guicursor in a comment above, so I am deleting my comment.

[jcarizza]

I also have the problem on Terminator and tmux. I had set the VTE_VERSION on my init.vim and fixed the problem:

let $VTE_VERSION="100"