Cursor agent mode - when running terminal commands often hangs up the terminal, requiring a click to pop it out in order to continue commands

Bug Reports
35

:bullseye: More Precise Solution: Keep Powerlevel10k in IDE Terminal

@BoboChen’s solution works great, but I found it also disables Powerlevel10k in Cursor’s built-in IDE terminal, which isn’t ideal if you want the full theme experience there.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: The Issue with Broad Detection

Using TERM_PROGRAM == "vscode" affects both:

  • :cross_mark: Agent terminals (where we want minimal config)
  • :cross_mark: IDE built-in terminal (where we want full Powerlevel10k)

:sparkles: Better Solution: Use VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION

After testing environment variables, I discovered that VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION is the perfect differentiator:

Environment VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION
Agent Terminal '1'
IDE Built-in Terminal '' (empty)

:hammer_and_wrench: Updated .zshrc Configuration

Replace the detection logic with this more precise version:

# Agent detection - only activate minimal mode for actual agents  
if [[ -n "$VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION" ]]; then
  POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT=off
  # Disable complex prompt features for AI agents
  POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(dir vcs)
  POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=()
  # Ensure non-interactive mode
  export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
  export NONINTERACTIVE=1
fi

# Your existing Powerlevel10k instant prompt setup...
if [[ -r "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh" ]]; then
  source "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh"
fi

# Theme selection - disable only for agents
if [[ -n "$VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION" ]]; then
  ZSH_THEME=""  # Disable Powerlevel10k for agents
else
  ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"  # Full theme for IDE terminal
fi

# Later in your .zshrc - minimal prompt for agents
if [[ -n "$VSCODE_SHELL_INTEGRATION" ]]; then
  PROMPT='%n@%m:%~%# '
  RPROMPT=''
  unsetopt CORRECT
  unsetopt CORRECT_ALL
  setopt NO_BEEP
  setopt NO_HIST_BEEP  
  setopt NO_LIST_BEEP
  
  # Agent-friendly aliases
  alias rm='rm -f'
  alias cp='cp -f' 
  alias mv='mv -f'
  alias npm='npm --no-fund --no-audit'
  alias yarn='yarn --non-interactive'
  alias pip='pip --quiet'
  alias git='git -c advice.detachedHead=false'
else
  [[ ! -f ~/.p10k.zsh ]] || source ~/.p10k.zsh
fi

:tada: Results

  • :white_check_mark: Agent terminals: No hangs, minimal prompt, fast startup
  • :white_check_mark: IDE built-in terminal: Full Powerlevel10k theme and functionality
  • :white_check_mark: Clean separation: Only agents get the minimal config

This approach gives you the best of both worlds - preventing agent hangs while preserving your beautiful terminal experience in the IDE!

Hope this helps others who want to keep their full terminal setup in the IDE. :rocket:

4 Likes