Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?
Cursor IDE
Describe the Bug
Cursor Version: 2.1.50
OS: Windows 10 (build 26200)
Remote: Ubuntu VPS via Remote SSH
Issue:
Agent-initiated terminal commands fail with exit code -1. Terminal file shows pid: -1 and empty cwd.
Manual terminal works perfectly - I can run commands directly. But when the AI agent uses the Shell tool, it fails silently.
Tried:
- PC restart
- Remote server reinstall (Kill VS Code Server on Host)
- Developer: Reload Window
Expected: Agent should be able to run shell commands on remote server
Actual: All agent shell commands return exit code -1 with no output
Steps to Reproduce
- Connect to Ubuntu VPS via Remote SSH
- Open a workspace on the remote server
- Use Agent mode and ask it to run any shell command
- Agent’s Shell tool fails with exit code -1
- Check terminal file - shows pid: -1 and empty cwd
- Manual terminal (Ctrl+`) works perfectly - only AI-initiated commands fail
Expected Behavior
Agent should be able to execute shell commands on the remote server, just like manual terminal works.
Operating System
Windows 10/11
Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)
Version: 2.1.50
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: 56f0a83df8e9eb48585fcc4858a9440db4cc7770
For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled
Claude Opus 4.5 (Agent mode) or sonnet.
Does this stop you from using Cursor
No - Cursor works, but with this issue