Preserve terminal output when operation is cancelled

[exedev-shelley]

Author: dpen2000
Channel: #feedback
Link: https://discord.com/channels/1405685085923049482/1405686161791516873/1538591912733179955

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Issue

Terminal output disappears when an operation is cancelled, making it impossible to review what was executed before cancellation.

Context

This is a long-standing problem affecting web-based terminals. Related issues include:

• Output briefly displays in the window but clears too quickly to read
• Long-running commands lose their output if the user navigates away and returns
• The problem is particularly frustrating in Shelley's terminal UI

Related discussion:

"I can't trust them to preserve terminal output. If I start a long-running command and come back, often the output will be lost. With the web-based terminals, it's especially frustrating because it will briefly display the output in the window and immediately clear it before I can read it."

Potential Solution

As suggested in the discussion, consider implementing techniques similar to those used in exe-scroll to improve output persistence and prevent it from disappearing so quickly.

Note

While long-term output preservation may not be required, the output should at minimum remain visible until explicitly cleared by the user.

Attachments

• Screenshot_2026-08-16-17-53-27-445_com.android.chrome-edit.jpg