Remember terminal drawer height and right panel state/width across threads (+ workaround)

[apvillela]

Problem

The terminal drawer and the right panel are saved per thread. Every new thread starts with the hardcoded defaults:

• terminal drawer (Ctrl+J) closed, and 280px tall when opened (the minimum is 180px)
• right panel (Ctrl+Alt+B) closed, and 540px wide when opened (the minimum is 360px)

If you always work with both open, you have to open (and resize) them again in every thread. There is no setting for this today.

Proposal

Any of these would solve it:

1. New threads start with the last state/size used (one global value instead of one per thread).
2. Settings for "open terminal by default", "open right panel by default", the default terminal drawer height, and the default right panel width.
3. The same settings per project (in project settings), overriding the global default. For example: terminal open by default only in projects where you run commands, or a wider right panel only in projects where you review diffs.

Related

• fix(web): remember right panel width across threads #13298 tried to keep the right panel width across threads, but it was closed without being merged.

Workaround (Linux, tested on T3 Code 0.0.45 .deb)

Until this exists, you can patch the bundled app.asar. Every replacement keeps the same byte length, so no repacking is needed. Pick one option:

	Option A: open	Option B: open minimum
Terminal drawer opens by itself in every thread	yes	yes
Right panel opens by itself in every thread	yes	yes
Terminal drawer default height	280px (unchanged)	180px
Right panel default width	540px (unchanged)	360px

How it behaves:

• The terminal opens (with a new shell) when you enter a thread that has no terminal yet, the same as pressing Ctrl+J. If you close the drawer, it stays closed in that thread.
• The right panel can still be closed, and closing it is remembered per thread.
• Threads that already have a saved terminal height or panel width keep it.

Notes:

• Works with the .deb, .rpm and tar.gz installs (it finds app.asar next to the t3code binary). It does not work with the AppImage, because its files are read-only. If the script can't find your install, run it with T3_ASAR=/path/to/resources/app.asar.
• sudo is only used when app.asar isn't writable by you (e.g. /opt, owned by root). In that case run it from a system terminal, not from T3's own terminal: T3 runs with the no new privileges flag, so sudo fails inside it.
• The alias goes to ~/.bashrc and ~/.zshrc (whichever exist). Running the other option's block later switches the alias and the patch.
• Every T3 update replaces app.asar, so the patch has to be applied again (see below).
• The patch matches minified code from 0.0.45. If an update changes that code, the script prints MISSING for each change it could not apply and exits with an error.

Option A: terminal and right panel open by default (paste and apply)

Show command

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && cat > ~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Re-applies T3 Code layout defaults after each update.
# Groups (can be combined, e.g. t3-patch-asar.sh open minimum):
#   open      terminal drawer (Ctrl+J) and right panel (Ctrl+Alt+B) open by themselves in every thread
#   minimum   terminal drawer at 180px and right panel at 360px (the minimums)
#   --revert  restore T3's original defaults
# Groups you don't pass go back to the original, so you can switch combinations by running it again.
# Uses sudo when app.asar is root-owned: run it from a system terminal, not T3's terminal ("no new privileges" flag).
set -euo pipefail

# Find app.asar: $T3_ASAR, then next to the t3code binary (.deb, .rpm, tar.gz), then /opt defaults
find_asar() {
    local binary
    if [ -n "${T3_ASAR:-}" ]; then echo "$T3_ASAR"; return; fi
    binary="$(command -v t3code 2>/dev/null || true)"
    if [ -n "$binary" ] && [ -f "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$binary")")/resources/app.asar" ]; then
        echo "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$binary")")/resources/app.asar"; return
    fi
    for candidate in "/opt/T3 Code (Alpha)/resources/app.asar" "/opt/T3 Code/resources/app.asar"; do
        if [ -f "$candidate" ]; then echo "$candidate"; return; fi
    done
}

# Each index: group, original T3 code, patched code (same byte length)
CHANGE_GROUPS=(
    'open'
    'open'
    'open'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
)
ORIGINALS=(
    'f={isOpen:!1,activeSurfaceId:null,surfaces:[]}'
    'if(!i.isOpen&&i.activeSurfaceId===null&&i.surfaces.length===0'
    'Sd(e)},[ha,ri,X,bu,Ui,t,nu,A,Sd,Sr,yr.terminalIds.length,yr.terminalOpen]),Od=(0,Z.useCallback)'
    'terminalOpen:!1,terminalHeight:280,terminalIds:[]'
    'e.terminalHeight>0?e.terminalHeight:280'
    'isFinite(e)?e:280,n='
    'hi=360,gi=.7,_i=540,vi=360'
)
PATCHED=(
    'f={isOpen:!0,activeSurfaceId:null,surfaces:[]}'
    'if( i.isOpen&&i.activeSurfaceId===null&&i.surfaces.length===0'
    'Sd(e)}),Ed_=(0,Z.useEffect)(()=>{yr.terminalIds.length||Ed()},[vi,ri,ha]) ,Od=(0,Z.useCallback)'
    'terminalOpen:!1,terminalHeight:180,terminalIds:[]'
    'e.terminalHeight>0?e.terminalHeight:180'
    'isFinite(e)?e:180,n='
    'hi=360,gi=.7,_i=360,vi=360'
)

if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then echo "Usage: $0 [open] [minimum] | --revert"; exit 1; fi
enabled_groups=" "
for group in "$@"; do
    case "$group" in
        open|minimum) enabled_groups+="$group " ;;
        --revert) ;;
        *) echo "Unknown group: $group"; echo "Usage: $0 [open] [minimum] | --revert"; exit 1 ;;
    esac
done

ASAR="$(find_asar)"
if [ -z "$ASAR" ] || [ ! -f "$ASAR" ]; then
    echo "app.asar not found. Run again with T3_ASAR=/path/to/resources/app.asar"
    exit 1
fi
echo "patching: $ASAR"
SUDO=sudo
[ -w "$ASAR" ] && SUDO=""

escape_pattern() { printf '%s' "$1" | sed 's/[][\.*^$/]/\\&/g'; }
escape_replacement() { printf '%s' "$1" | sed 's/[\/&]/\\&/g'; }

sed_arguments=()
expected=()
for index in "${!CHANGE_GROUPS[@]}"; do
    if [[ "$enabled_groups" == *" ${CHANGE_GROUPS[$index]} "* ]]; then
        source_text="${ORIGINALS[$index]}"; target_text="${PATCHED[$index]}"
    else
        source_text="${PATCHED[$index]}"; target_text="${ORIGINALS[$index]}"
    fi
    sed_arguments+=(-e "s/$(escape_pattern "$source_text")/$(escape_replacement "$target_text")/")
    expected+=("$target_text")
done
$SUDO sed -i "${sed_arguments[@]}" "$ASAR"

missing=0
for index in "${!expected[@]}"; do
    label="${CHANGE_GROUPS[$index]}: ${expected[$index]:0:70}"
    if grep -aqF "${expected[$index]}" "$ASAR"; then
        echo "ok       $label"
    else
        echo "MISSING  $label"
        missing=1
    fi
done

if [ "$missing" -eq 1 ]; then
    echo "Some code changed in this T3 update: the patch needs to be reviewed."
    exit 1
fi
echo "Done. Quit and reopen T3."
EOF
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh
for rc in ~/.bashrc ~/.zshrc; do
    [ -f "$rc" ] || continue
    sed -i '/alias configt3chatafterupdate=/d' "$rc"
    echo "alias configt3chatafterupdate='~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh open'" >> "$rc"
done
~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh open

Option B: terminal and right panel open by default, at their minimum size (paste and apply)

Show command

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && cat > ~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Re-applies T3 Code layout defaults after each update.
# Groups (can be combined, e.g. t3-patch-asar.sh open minimum):
#   open      terminal drawer (Ctrl+J) and right panel (Ctrl+Alt+B) open by themselves in every thread
#   minimum   terminal drawer at 180px and right panel at 360px (the minimums)
#   --revert  restore T3's original defaults
# Groups you don't pass go back to the original, so you can switch combinations by running it again.
# Uses sudo when app.asar is root-owned: run it from a system terminal, not T3's terminal ("no new privileges" flag).
set -euo pipefail

# Find app.asar: $T3_ASAR, then next to the t3code binary (.deb, .rpm, tar.gz), then /opt defaults
find_asar() {
    local binary
    if [ -n "${T3_ASAR:-}" ]; then echo "$T3_ASAR"; return; fi
    binary="$(command -v t3code 2>/dev/null || true)"
    if [ -n "$binary" ] && [ -f "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$binary")")/resources/app.asar" ]; then
        echo "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$binary")")/resources/app.asar"; return
    fi
    for candidate in "/opt/T3 Code (Alpha)/resources/app.asar" "/opt/T3 Code/resources/app.asar"; do
        if [ -f "$candidate" ]; then echo "$candidate"; return; fi
    done
}

# Each index: group, original T3 code, patched code (same byte length)
CHANGE_GROUPS=(
    'open'
    'open'
    'open'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
    'minimum'
)
ORIGINALS=(
    'f={isOpen:!1,activeSurfaceId:null,surfaces:[]}'
    'if(!i.isOpen&&i.activeSurfaceId===null&&i.surfaces.length===0'
    'Sd(e)},[ha,ri,X,bu,Ui,t,nu,A,Sd,Sr,yr.terminalIds.length,yr.terminalOpen]),Od=(0,Z.useCallback)'
    'terminalOpen:!1,terminalHeight:280,terminalIds:[]'
    'e.terminalHeight>0?e.terminalHeight:280'
    'isFinite(e)?e:280,n='
    'hi=360,gi=.7,_i=540,vi=360'
)
PATCHED=(
    'f={isOpen:!0,activeSurfaceId:null,surfaces:[]}'
    'if( i.isOpen&&i.activeSurfaceId===null&&i.surfaces.length===0'
    'Sd(e)}),Ed_=(0,Z.useEffect)(()=>{yr.terminalIds.length||Ed()},[vi,ri,ha]) ,Od=(0,Z.useCallback)'
    'terminalOpen:!1,terminalHeight:180,terminalIds:[]'
    'e.terminalHeight>0?e.terminalHeight:180'
    'isFinite(e)?e:180,n='
    'hi=360,gi=.7,_i=360,vi=360'
)

if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then echo "Usage: $0 [open] [minimum] | --revert"; exit 1; fi
enabled_groups=" "
for group in "$@"; do
    case "$group" in
        open|minimum) enabled_groups+="$group " ;;
        --revert) ;;
        *) echo "Unknown group: $group"; echo "Usage: $0 [open] [minimum] | --revert"; exit 1 ;;
    esac
done

ASAR="$(find_asar)"
if [ -z "$ASAR" ] || [ ! -f "$ASAR" ]; then
    echo "app.asar not found. Run again with T3_ASAR=/path/to/resources/app.asar"
    exit 1
fi
echo "patching: $ASAR"
SUDO=sudo
[ -w "$ASAR" ] && SUDO=""

escape_pattern() { printf '%s' "$1" | sed 's/[][\.*^$/]/\\&/g'; }
escape_replacement() { printf '%s' "$1" | sed 's/[\/&]/\\&/g'; }

sed_arguments=()
expected=()
for index in "${!CHANGE_GROUPS[@]}"; do
    if [[ "$enabled_groups" == *" ${CHANGE_GROUPS[$index]} "* ]]; then
        source_text="${ORIGINALS[$index]}"; target_text="${PATCHED[$index]}"
    else
        source_text="${PATCHED[$index]}"; target_text="${ORIGINALS[$index]}"
    fi
    sed_arguments+=(-e "s/$(escape_pattern "$source_text")/$(escape_replacement "$target_text")/")
    expected+=("$target_text")
done
$SUDO sed -i "${sed_arguments[@]}" "$ASAR"

missing=0
for index in "${!expected[@]}"; do
    label="${CHANGE_GROUPS[$index]}: ${expected[$index]:0:70}"
    if grep -aqF "${expected[$index]}" "$ASAR"; then
        echo "ok       $label"
    else
        echo "MISSING  $label"
        missing=1
    fi
done

if [ "$missing" -eq 1 ]; then
    echo "Some code changed in this T3 update: the patch needs to be reviewed."
    exit 1
fi
echo "Done. Quit and reopen T3."
EOF
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh
for rc in ~/.bashrc ~/.zshrc; do
    [ -f "$rc" ] || continue
    sed -i '/alias configt3chatafterupdate=/d' "$rc"
    echo "alias configt3chatafterupdate='~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh open minimum'" >> "$rc"
done
~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh open minimum

Then quit and reopen T3.

After every T3 update

Open a new system terminal and run:

configt3chatafterupdate

To go back to T3's original defaults:

~/.local/bin/t3-patch-asar.sh --revert

Bonus: proactive panels

Not part of the patch, but it pairs well with it: Settings → Proactive panels opens the diff/PR panel automatically when there are changes ("proactivePanelsEnabled": true in ~/.t3/userdata/client-settings.json).

[levochkaa]

Opened #22256 with option 1 as an opt-in setting: Settings → Appearance → Shared panel width. Per-thread widths stay the default.

[matthias-scale]

Agent-side use case: an agent makes a checklist or dashboard and opens it beside the chat at a useful width, such as 50%. Please allow an optional panelWidth on preview_open (fraction or pixels), separate from the page viewport size. This also supports the agent-tool request in #22037.