Windows: Cannot start server in new window because no terminal app was specified

[feng-yu-healthbank]

Do you want to request a feature or report a bug?

Report a bug

It's originally raised on StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77684266/react-native-error-cannot-start-server-in-new-window-because-no-terminal-app-wa/77688826

What is the current behavior?

When launching react-native metro on Windows, it gets "error Cannot start server in new window because no terminal app was specified".

If the current behavior is a bug, please provide the steps to reproduce and a minimal repository on GitHub that we can yarn install and yarn test.

It's really just a fresh react-native project using the standard init.

npx react-native@latest init AwesomeProject && cd ./AwesomeProject && npm run android

If you don't like to run it yourself, I have created a repo for you. No customization whatsoever, just a fresh react-native project.

https://github.com/feng-yu-healthbank/AwesomeProject

Please note the error is specific to Windows.

What is the expected behavior?

The empty project launches into an Android emulator by npm run android.

Please provide your exact Metro configuration and mention your Metro, node, yarn/npm version and operating system.

It's a fresh official react-native sample project. No customization is applied.

Metro version

"metro": "^0.80.0"

metro config:

const {getDefaultConfig, mergeConfig} = require('@react-native/metro-config');

/**
 * Metro configuration
 * https://facebook.github.io/metro/docs/configuration
 *
 * @type {import('metro-config').MetroConfig}
 */
const config = {};

module.exports = mergeConfig(getDefaultConfig(__dirname), config);

npx react-native info

System:
  OS: Windows 11 10.0.22621
  CPU: (24) x64 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700K
  Memory: 27.55 GB / 63.77 GB
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 20.10.0
    path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.EXE
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.19
    path: ~\AppData\Roaming\npm\yarn.CMD
  npm:
    version: 9.7.1
    path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.CMD
  Watchman:
    version: 20231008.002904.0
    path: C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\watchman.EXE
SDKs:
  Android SDK:
    Android NDK: 22.1.7171670
  Windows SDK:
    AllowAllTrustedApps: Disabled
    Versions:
      - 10.0.19041.0
IDEs:
  Android Studio: AI-231.9392.1.2311.11076708
  Visual Studio: Not Found
Languages:
  Java: 17.0.9
  Ruby: Not Found
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli": Not Found
  react:
    installed: 18.2.0
    wanted: 18.2.0
  react-native:
    installed: 0.73.1
    wanted: 0.73.1
  react-native-windows: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: false
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: Not found
  newArchEnabled: Not found

[Navpan18]

Facing same issue

[Navpan18]

this problem is occuring from react native version 0.72.9

[coder-xiaomo]

Same here. I upgraded from react-native@0.72 to react-native@0.73.1, and then, the problem occurred.

I found a temporary solution that is to use npm run start or npm start instead of npm run android mentioned in this stackoverflow page

[Navpan18]

App works fine till react native version 0.72.8 . Problem begins from 0.72.9

[Navpan18]

Same here. I upgraded from react-native@0.72 to react-native@0.73.1, and then, the problem occurred.

I found a temporary solution that is to use npm run start or npm start instead of npm run android mentioned in this stackoverflow page

Check if your app works fine in RN 0.72.8

[szymonrybczak]

Hey @Navpan18, @coder-xiaomo can you try passing via --terminal flag a path to executable file of your terminal? and say if that is working :)

[james-cohen]

Hey @Navpan18, @coder-xiaomo can you try passing via --terminal flag a path to executable file of your terminal? and say if that is working :)

This works for me. However it only opens a new window and doesn't automatically run andoid, it acts as if you've run react-native start only

[szymonrybczak]

This works for me. However it only opens a new window and doesn't automatically run andoid, it acts as if you've run react-native start only

Interesting, can you please record a video which presents this behaviour?

[james-cohen]

Sure, I've recorded 2 GIFs below. When I run 'yarn android:test' it is the following npm script:

react-native run-android --active-arch-only --mode=devDebug

The first video, you can see that even after waiting for over a minute, the Android build doesn't start. You have to press a in the Metro terminal but then all of the parameters are lost

This second video, I run the same script with Metro already running and the Android build starts immediately

[abbasbphppoets]

Sure, I've recorded 2 GIFs below. When I run 'yarn android:test' it is the following npm script:

react-native run-android --active-arch-only --mode=devDebug

The first video, you can see that even after waiting for over a minute, the Android build doesn't start. You have to press a in the Metro terminal but then all of the parameters are lost

This second video, I run the same script with Metro already running and the Android build starts immediately

doesn't work

[WesleyMaciel2510]

Same issue, trying to solve it.

[dezudas]

+1
$ react-native run-ios --simulator 'iPhone 15'
error Cannot start server in new window because no terminal app was specified.
error Command failed with exit code 1.
info Visit https://yarnpkg.com/en/docs/cli/run for documentation about this command.

[phuthien007]

Same issue, trying to solve it.

temporary is run script: npx react-native start and after that type mode a

[rishimagiawala]

Same issue, trying to solve it.

temporary is run script: npx react-native start and after that type mode a

This works for me, thx.

I ran "npx react-native start", then hit "a" when it gave me the option to

[Shreyas-29]

Try running the following command:😊

npx react-native start

[jslok]

Getting this bug on windows+android on 0.73.1. Works fine on 0.73.0. Not tested on mac/ios.

[machadinha]

When i run "npx react-native start", then hit "a" it gives me this

what do i do im in windowns

[yetki]

I fix my problem with

npx react-native run-android --terminal powershell

however I want to use only npx react-native run-android

[Shreyas-29]

When i run "npx react-native start", then hit "a" it gives me this what do i do im in windowns

Yes. I am also getting that error.
But don't know how to fix it. I am unable to run the app on neither physical device nor android studio.

[szymonrybczak]

@machadinha @Shreyas-29 for you it is not working because you don't have ANDROID_HOME env variable provided - please re-read an error message and try setting in your system setting - also it may be helpful to run npx react-native doctor and make sure it is passing :)

[szymonrybczak]

however I want to use only npx react-native run-android

you can also do npx react-native run-android --terminal

[machadinha]

@machadinha @Shreyas-29 for you it is not working because you don't have ANDROID_HOME env variable provided - please re-read an error message and try setting in your system setting - also it may be helpful to run npx react-native doctor and make sure it is passing :)

Its resolved I thinks

[yetki]

however I want to use only npx react-native run-android

you can also do npx react-native run-android --terminal

PS FILE_PATH> npx react-native run-android --terminal
error: option '--terminal ' argument missing

It was asking string like node, powershell etc.

[linq8261]

however I want to use only npx react-native run-android

you can also do npx react-native run-android --terminal

PS FILE_PATH> npx react-native run-android --terminal error: option '--terminal ' argument missing

It was asking string like node, powershell etc.

npx react-native run-android --terminal C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe

[XinrZhou]

npm run start
npm start
npx react-native start
Try the above commands~

[faraz-stack]

Simple Solution
Run npx react-native start
and after when metro starts successfully and gives you Dev server ready options hit a to run on android and i to run on iOS.
it works for me on android with react native version 0.73.
With react-native version 0.73 it aslo require you to have Java jdk 17.

[raphaelrb96]

Eu resolvo meu problema com

npx react-native run-android --terminal powershell

no entanto, quero usar apenas npx react-native run-Android

funcionou!!

[abid-2362]

on MacOS M1 14.2.1 (23C71)

react-native run-android --terminal terminal

worked for me, and then for easy access, I added this under the scripts in package.json file

"android": "react-native run-android --terminal terminal",
"ios": "react-native run-ios --terminal terminal",

and then yarn android works fine

[RobertSavage]

Running: npx react-native run-ios or run ios or react-native run-ios --terminal terminal
Error: EACCES: permission denied

Running: sudo npx react-native run-ios or sudo run ios or sudo react-native run-ios --terminal terminal
Error: Cannot start server in new window because no terminal app was specified.

Fix: As suggested above I ran npm run start with my simulator open. It did not start the app up for me like it usually does but I was able to click into the app and it was running.

MacOS Sonoma 14.1
Apple M3 Pro
React Native v0.73