Add command-line option start terminal minimized

[jarpoole]

Description of the new feature/enhancement

Currently command-line options for launching the windows terminal in maximized and full screen modes are available (-M and -F respectively). Notably, an option of launching minimized is missing.

I use windows task scheduler to start a variety of scripts at logon to insure my build environment is brought up to date the second I logon. Having the output of these scripts display in an interactive terminal is extremely helpful. However when I start my computer and I am not quite ready to work I must interact with the windows terminal to minimize it. A minimize flag in the command line options would solve this issue.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

I thought START /MIN wt.exe could be used as a workaround, but it leads to the crash #7396.

[Don-Vito]

@zadjii-msft, @KalleOlaviNiemitalo, @jarpoole - does the behavior where the terminal is open and then is immediately minimized work for you?

I have a PoC for something like this and wondering if I should productize it or abandon 😄

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

@Don-Vito, how do you "immediately" minimize it? When I first quit Windows Terminal Preview 1.4.2652.0 and then repeatedly click the button that I have pinned to the task bar, the window doesn't lose its title bar.

There is the toggleFocusMode action though, if you don't want a title bar.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Or did you mean you have modified Windows Terminal to add a feature that minimizes the window immediately after opening?

[Don-Vito]

@KalleOlaviNiemitalo - yes, I wrote a proof of concept solution that allows you to run "wt -m" or "wt --minimized" or "wt --minimized --focused" (what you actually see in the gif above).

However to implement this, I first allow the window to render fully with default dimensions and only then send a "minimize" signal (very similar to how full screen is implemented).

First I tried to implement this by starting with a minimized window, but then restoring to the default size created it with the wrong dimensions, so I fallbacked to this solution.

There is not much code there - here is the PR: Don-Vito#3.

My question is whether this satisfies your need and worth trying to push this upstream.

[Don-Vito]

@zadjii-msft - do you want me to productize it as is (screen is open on startup and then is immediately minimized)?

[zadjii-msft]

I guess when I'm imagining this, the window doesn't even flash on the screen. I could see there being difficulties with that though - is there any way for us to like, cache what the initial launch size should be, and immediately resize the window to that size when it's first restored from launching minimized?

I guess if there's not, then this is a good enough solution to start with, and we could always leave the door open for the possibility of figuring it out in the future.

[Don-Vito]

@zadjii-msft - you are absolutely correct that this should be the approach - compute the desired size, cache it and start minimized. I am sure we can make it working, but still don't know how 😄. The question is whether we want to push the silly solution I did, as sort of a temporary solution, until we solve it correctly.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Another hack could be to make the window initially normal-size but hidden (SW_HIDE), then minimize it after it has been initialized. However, I don't know how feasible that is with the UI libraries that Windows Terminal is using; and if there were a problem during initialization, then the window might remain hidden and the user would not know that the process still exists.

[OneYellowLemon]

Any update on this? Would love to see it

[zadjii-msft]

Nope. We'll make sure to update this thread when there is. In the meantime, might I recommend the Subscribe button?

That way you'll be notified of any updates to this thread, without needlessly pinging everyone on this thread ☺️

[toraxmalu]

Hi,
maybe you can extend the issue. Currently if you only want have the quake window on standby after bootup (wt -w _quacke) the pane stayes open. Not ideal in the boot process… and no, "start /min wt…" is not the solution, because it results in a funny sized quacke pane.

with an parameter -min or what ever you can keep the pane open as default…

Cheers

[zadjii-msft]

Note to self: For the minimized start mode, we might be able to use the DWM Cloaked thing to hide the window entirely when it's first being started up. That would let us create the window with a real size and position, and then minimize it, then uncloak it so that it can be restored to the correct size, already initialized.

[radutomy]

I use the quake mode a lot (via hotkey), but the quake hotkey doesn't work unless the terminal is already running - so I always have to start the terminal first before being able to quake it, which is really annoying.

Having the terminal launching minimized upon machine startup solves this issue.

[symphonic-navigator]

I use the quake mode a lot (via hotkey), but the quake hotkey doesn't work unless the terminal is already running - so I always have to start the terminal first before being able to quake it, which is really annoying.

Having the terminal launching minimized upon machine startup solves this issue.

Would like to second that.

We would like to use quake mode as our daily runner, with the zsh available on demand via hotkey, not having to start the terminal application.

Best option would be, in my honest opinion:

1. Add parameter "--ready-to-quake" or something that starts the terminal as background process
2. Only on hotkey toggle quake
3. Never end the quake-terminal-process on exit, but restart shell instead (with hiding for the time being)
4. Still allow additional terminal windows

[brunoherrera]

I'm getting pushed away from using quake mode thanks to not being able to start it minimized, thanks

EDIT: I found out I can run a shortcut (.lnk) from task scheduler, now I have it auto start with windows and it's minimized.

[nirgranth]

EDIT: I found out I can run a shortcut (.lnk) from task scheduler, now I have it auto start with windows and it's minimized.

What is the shortcut/parameters, you are launching

[brunoherrera]

EDIT: I found out I can run a shortcut (.lnk) from task scheduler, now I have it auto start with windows and it's minimized.

What is the shortcut/parameters, you are launching

create a new link with to target wt.exe (I have windows terminal installed from microsoft store):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe

once you created it, right click, properties, where it says Run select Minimized from the dropdown list

then in task manager, actions:

start a program:
cmd.exe

then in Add arguments/parameters you add /c and the path to the link, mine looks like this:
/C "%userprofile%\Dropbox\PC\Documents\My Shortcuts\Windows Terminal.lnk"

triggers:
at log on of any user

and I checked the box "run with highest privileges", so I can have quake mode as admin

my settings for windows terminal:
launch on machine startup DISABLED
hide terminal in the notification area when it is minimized ENABLED
actions>add new>show/hide wuake window ctrl + alt + shift + T

if I ever want to have a non admin terminal I just have windows terminal to taskbar anyways, for whatever else I use quake terminal

[PixelQubed]

EDIT: I found out I can run a shortcut (.lnk) from task scheduler, now I have it auto start with windows and it's minimized.

What is the shortcut/parameters, you are launching

create a new link with to target wt.exe (I have windows terminal installed from microsoft store): %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe

once you created it, right click, properties, where it says Run select Minimized from the dropdown list

then in task manager, actions:

start a program: cmd.exe

then in Add arguments/parameters you add /c and the path to the link, mine looks like this: /C "%userprofile%\Dropbox\PC\Documents\My Shortcuts\Windows Terminal.lnk"

triggers: at log on of any user

and I checked the box "run with highest privileges", so I can have quake mode as admin

my settings for windows terminal: launch on machine startup DISABLED hide terminal in the notification area when it is minimized ENABLED actions>add new>show/hide wuake window ctrl + alt + shift + T

if I ever want to have a non admin terminal I just have windows terminal to taskbar anyways, for whatever else I use quake terminal

Unfortunately on my system, this doesn't work. I try an launch the shortcut and it causes an error to occur when launching PWSH. For some reason it works fine when I disable the start minimised in the shortcut. Is this some sort of bug?

[brunoherrera]

Is this some sort of bug?

no idea, haven't had any issues

[PixelQubed]

Is this some sort of bug?

no idea, haven't had any issues

I get this error.
[error 2147942487 (0x80070057) when launching "C:\Users\synta\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.PowerShell_8wekyb3d8bbwe\pwsh.exe"']

[PixelQubed]

Ah, ok, I figured it out. Just to let you know, you REQUIRE elevated access when launching PowerShell in this manner. Weird... It could be a security thing to stop consoles from just appearing minimised to prevent bad actors from using them in secret.

[brunoherrera]

Ah, ok, I figured it out. Just to let you know, you REQUIRE elevated access when launching PowerShell in this manner. Weird... It could be a security thing to stop consoles from just appearing minimised to prevent bad actors from using them in secret.

you forgot to click "run with highest privileges" checkbox in task scheduler?

[PixelQubed]

Ah, ok, I figured it out. Just to let you know, you REQUIRE elevated access when launching PowerShell in this manner. Weird... It could be a security thing to stop consoles from just appearing minimised to prevent bad actors from using them in secret.

you forgot to click "run with highest privileges" checkbox in task scheduler?

I didn't want to launch it elevated by default since I'm pretty security conscious. Unfortunately, there is no other way I can find to not have to elevate its perms. This really needs to be a built-in feature to prevent stuff like this from occurring. I feel like that way, the terminal will become more integrated with the system.

[brunoherrera]

I didn't want to launch it elevated by default since I'm pretty security conscious. Unfortunately, there is no other way I can find to not have to elevate its perms. This really needs to be a built-in feature to prevent stuff like this from occurring. I feel like that way, the terminal will become more integrated with the system.

yeah it's just weird why they have Maximized, Full Screen, Focus and Miximized focus, but not Minimized as Launch modes for startup for almost 2 years and a half....

[zadjii-msft]

yeah it's just weird why they have Maximized, Full Screen, Focus and Miximized focus, but not Minimized

I mean, higher up in the thread pretty much explains why --minimized is Hard relative to the others. (comments starting here: #7374 (comment))

We might be able to do --minimized based off the work in #13811. That PR will make it so we don't ShowWindow(SW_SHOW) until the window has figured out its size and position. Building off that, we could use --minimized to show the window as minimized immediately. That would probably work, but someone (theoretically me) has to figure out the last edge cases in that PR first. I'd love the help though! If someone wants to come through and help get that PR across the finish line, I'd appreciate the help ☺️

[nirgranth]

someone (theoretically me) has to figure out the last edge cases in that PR first. I'd love the help though! If someone wants to come through and help get that PR across the finish line, I'd appreciate the help ☺️

I can help you can ping me if needed

[zadjii-msft]

I've left notes in #13811 (comment) 😉

[Silther]

Is there a way to start the terminal in focus mode only for a batch file?

[mmarkus13]

EDIT: I found out I can run a shortcut (.lnk) from task scheduler, now I have it auto start with windows and it's minimized.

What is the shortcut/parameters, you are launching

create a new link with to target wt.exe (I have windows terminal installed from microsoft store): %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe

once you created it, right click, properties, where it says Run select Minimized from the dropdown list

then in task manager, actions:

start a program: cmd.exe

then in Add arguments/parameters you add /c and the path to the link, mine looks like this: /C "%userprofile%\Dropbox\PC\Documents\My Shortcuts\Windows Terminal.lnk"

triggers: at log on of any user

and I checked the box "run with highest privileges", so I can have quake mode as admin

my settings for windows terminal: launch on machine startup DISABLED hide terminal in the notification area when it is minimized ENABLED actions>add new>show/hide wuake window ctrl + alt + shift + T

if I ever want to have a non admin terminal I just have windows terminal to taskbar anyways, for whatever else I use quake terminal

Thanks for the solution; just a minor correction:

"...then in task manager^{Task Scheduler}, actions:"

[marcinsmialek]

Ah, ok, I figured it out. Just to let you know, you REQUIRE elevated access when launching PowerShell in this manner. Weird... It could be a security thing to stop consoles from just appearing minimised to prevent bad actors from using them in secret.

you forgot to click "run with highest privileges" checkbox in task scheduler?

I didn't want to launch it elevated by default since I'm pretty security conscious. Unfortunately, there is no other way I can find to not have to elevate its perms. This really needs to be a built-in feature to prevent stuff like this from occurring. I feel like that way, the terminal will become more integrated with the system.

I'd recommend https://github.com/gerardog/gsudo to elevate single commands or terminal instances. I use it all the time, and never start whole Windows Terminal as admin (I avoid admin privileges when I can). It should work well with the mentioned workaround.

Nonetheless, having a native minimized startup would be nice to have.

[zadjii-msft]

FWIW start /min wt should work now in 1.18. We'll still look at a separate wt --minimized flag (to override the launchMode), but that should be possible now.

[beyond9thousand]

How exactly is one supposed to run this bit of code start /min wt ?

[toraxmalu]

e.g. as a script or a link. You simply input the command.
cmd /c start /min wt -w _quake
starts the windows-terminal minimized and invokes the quake-mode. There was some trouble with the minimizing by start and opening the quake window, if the 2nd screen is the main. Ok - seems to be fixed now. Thanks to the developers.

[Edit] Just saw the trouble. Invoke a cmd-shell. simple add cmd /c to the command like example above.

[beyond9thousand]

it kind of does the job, but the terminal that opens is like 2% of my screen size for some reason

[nirgranth]

it kind of does the job, but the terminal that opens is like 2% of my screen size for some reason

i think the command will be implemented in 1.18

[toraxmalu]

it kind of does the job, but the terminal that opens is like 2% of my screen size for some reason

Check here: Post with fix
The developers emphased "1.18. and above".

I asume, it looks something like this when you try cmd /c start /min wt -w _quake and opening the quake terminal.?

There is a bug in versions up to 1.17 in follow szenario:

• 2 Screns
• the 2nd is position left to the 1st
• 2nd is assigne "main"
• you try to invoce the quake terminal on the 2nd screen

in this case the quake terminal is not resized to the 2nd screen, until you move the open terminal once to the 1st screen via short-cut Shift-Win-Curesor[Left/Right] and back.

Currently you can find the Preview of 1.18 here.. Or you waite, till the wt-update is deployet via windows update.

Cheers.

[Myron472]

Why does Phone Link app has option for launching minimised to tray and Windows Terminal doesn't?