ShellStartup auto-activation adds newline

[jgillard]

Here I opened the left shell with python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType set to command, and the right shell with it set to shellStartup. This was my first time finding this feature so I don't know the age of the issue. I use fish shell.

The cursor always appears on a newline.

vscode 1.105.1
python 2025.16.0
python environments 1.11.13081013
fish shell 4.1.2

[anthonykim1]

When it runs through command does it still activate your environment?
Normally people favor the one on the right since it's very obvious that venv is activated

[jgillard]

Command actually wasn't working for me which is why I was changing this setting in the first place. I'm not sure why that was, as it did in the past, but that's a separate issue.

You can see I have the name of the virtualenv in brackets in my shell so that's how I see if it's activated or not. It'd be news to me if people prefer a newline, it felt (and still feels) like a bug to me e.g. when I press CMD+K to clear my terminal, I see a blank terminal not the prompt in my screenshots.

[anthonykim1]

I meant the display of (venv) when I said people preferred the right.
But I do see your point about the cursor being on next line.

What kind of prompt are you using?

Also curious to see what the behavior was when command didn't work. Did it just not send any activation command at all?

• if this was consistent across your other shell as well.

[jgillard]

Sorry I'm not sure what your prompt question is about :S I just meant the text that appears on the left side of each line by default.

I tested with command again and it's actually just really slow:

Screen.Recording.2025-11-17.at.13.25.16.mov

[github-actions]

Hey @anthonykim1, this issue might need further attention.

@jgillard, you can help us out by closing this issue if the problem no longer exists, or adding more information.

[anthonykim1]

You could switch the time with: terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.timeout
Or even better try out the shell startup python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType by setting to shellStartup. This way you won't even see activation command, terminal will be activated the moment you open it up.

[jgillard]

The value currently in terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.timeout is -1, what would you suggest?
And then the python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType -> shellStartup loops back to my initial post: the newline bug.

[anthonykim1]

@jgillard Sorry for delayed response here.
0 would be minimum but you may see same command show up twice.. Otherwise try different number in ms to find the sweet spot:https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_106#_consolidated-shell-integration-timeout-setting