feat: add terminalAutoShow setting for auto-showing terminal on command execution

Adds a new opt-in setting "terminalAutoShow" that:
- When using VS Code terminal (shell integration enabled): automatically
  shows the terminal panel when Roo runs a command
- When using Inline Terminal (execa mode): auto-expands command output
  in the chat so users can always see what is happening

Addresses options (a) and (c) from Issue #12277.

Changes:
- packages/types: add terminalAutoShow to schema + ExtensionState
- src/core/tools/ExecuteCommandTool: conditionally call terminal.show()
- src/core/webview/ClineProvider: thread setting through state
- webview-ui: add checkbox in TerminalSettings, auto-expand in CommandExecution
- i18n: add English strings for the new setting

Author: roomote

packages/types/src/global-settings.ts

@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ export const globalSettingsSchema = z.object({
 	terminalZshOhMy: z.boolean().optional(),
 	terminalZshP10k: z.boolean().optional(),
 	terminalZdotdir: z.boolean().optional(),
+	terminalAutoShow: z.boolean().optional(),
 	execaShellPath: z.string().optional(),
 
 	diagnosticsEnabled: z.boolean().optional(),
@@ -356,6 +357,7 @@ export const EVALS_SETTINGS: RooCodeSettings = {
 	terminalZshP10k: false,
 	terminalZdotdir: true,
 	terminalShellIntegrationDisabled: true,
+	terminalAutoShow: false,
 
 	diagnosticsEnabled: true,
 

packages/types/src/vscode-extension-host.ts

@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ export type ExtensionState = Pick<
 	| "terminalZshOhMy"
 	| "terminalZshP10k"
 	| "terminalZdotdir"
+	| "terminalAutoShow"
 	| "execaShellPath"
 	| "diagnosticsEnabled"
 	| "language"

src/core/tools/ExecuteCommandTool.ts

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class ExecuteCommandTool extends BaseTool<"execute_command"> {
 			const provider = await task.providerRef.deref()
 			const providerState = await provider?.getState()
 
-			const { terminalShellIntegrationDisabled = true } = providerState ?? {}
+			const { terminalShellIntegrationDisabled = true, terminalAutoShow = false } = providerState ?? {}
 
 			// Get command execution timeout from VSCode configuration (in seconds)
 			const commandExecutionTimeoutSeconds = vscode.workspace
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ export type ExecuteCommandOptions = {
 	command: string
 	customCwd?: string
 	terminalShellIntegrationDisabled?: boolean
+	terminalAutoShow?: boolean
 	commandExecutionTimeout?: number
 	agentTimeout?: number
 }
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ export async function executeCommandInTerminal(
 		command,
 		customCwd,
 		terminalShellIntegrationDisabled = true,
+		terminalAutoShow = false,
 		commandExecutionTimeout = 0,
 		agentTimeout = 0,
 	}: ExecuteCommandOptions,
@@ -369,7 +371,9 @@ export async function executeCommandInTerminal(
 	const terminal = await TerminalRegistry.getOrCreateTerminal(workingDir, task.taskId, terminalProvider)
 
 	if (terminal instanceof Terminal) {
-		terminal.terminal.show(true)
+		if (terminalAutoShow) {
+			terminal.terminal.show(true)
+		}
 
 		// Update the working directory in case the terminal we asked for has
 		// a different working directory so that the model will know where the

src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts

@@ -2162,6 +2162,7 @@ export class ClineProvider
 			terminalZshOhMy,
 			terminalZshP10k,
 			terminalZdotdir,
+			terminalAutoShow,
 			mcpEnabled,
 			currentApiConfigName,
 			listApiConfigMeta,
@@ -2282,6 +2283,7 @@ export class ClineProvider
 			terminalZshOhMy: terminalZshOhMy ?? false,
 			terminalZshP10k: terminalZshP10k ?? false,
 			terminalZdotdir: terminalZdotdir ?? false,
+			terminalAutoShow: terminalAutoShow ?? false,
 			mcpEnabled: mcpEnabled ?? true,
 			currentApiConfigName: currentApiConfigName ?? "default",
 			listApiConfigMeta: listApiConfigMeta ?? [],
@@ -2509,6 +2511,7 @@ export class ClineProvider
 			terminalZshOhMy: stateValues.terminalZshOhMy ?? false,
 			terminalZshP10k: stateValues.terminalZshP10k ?? false,
 			terminalZdotdir: stateValues.terminalZdotdir ?? false,
+			terminalAutoShow: stateValues.terminalAutoShow ?? false,
 			mode: stateValues.mode ?? defaultModeSlug,
 			language: stateValues.language ?? formatLanguage(vscode.env.language),
 			mcpEnabled: stateValues.mcpEnabled ?? true,

webview-ui/src/components/chat/CommandExecution.tsx

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ interface CommandExecutionProps {
 export const CommandExecution = ({ executionId, text, icon, title }: CommandExecutionProps) => {
 	const {
 		terminalShellIntegrationDisabled = false,
+		terminalAutoShow = false,
 		allowedCommands = [],
 		deniedCommands = [],
 		setAllowedCommands,
@@ -44,8 +45,10 @@ export const CommandExecution = ({ executionId, text, icon, title }: CommandExec
 	const { command, output: parsedOutput } = useMemo(() => parseCommandAndOutput(text), [text])
 
 	// If we aren't opening the VSCode terminal for this command then we default
-	// to expanding the command execution output.
-	const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(terminalShellIntegrationDisabled)
+	// to expanding the command execution output. When terminalAutoShow is
+	// enabled, also auto-expand output regardless of terminal mode so users
+	// can always see what is happening.
+	const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(terminalShellIntegrationDisabled || terminalAutoShow)
 	const [streamingOutput, setStreamingOutput] = useState("")
 	const [status, setStatus] = useState<CommandExecutionStatus | null>(null)
 

webview-ui/src/components/settings/SettingsView.tsx

@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ const SettingsView = forwardRef<SettingsViewRef, SettingsViewProps>(({ onDone, t
 		terminalZshOhMy,
 		terminalZshP10k,
 		terminalZdotdir,
+		terminalAutoShow,
 		writeDelayMs,
 		showRooIgnoredFiles,
 		enableSubfolderRules,
@@ -396,6 +397,7 @@ const SettingsView = forwardRef<SettingsViewRef, SettingsViewProps>(({ onDone, t
 					terminalZshOhMy,
 					terminalZshP10k,
 					terminalZdotdir,
+					terminalAutoShow,
 					terminalOutputPreviewSize: terminalOutputPreviewSize ?? "medium",
 					mcpEnabled,
 					maxOpenTabsContext: Math.min(Math.max(0, maxOpenTabsContext ?? 20), 500),
@@ -862,6 +864,7 @@ const SettingsView = forwardRef<SettingsViewRef, SettingsViewProps>(({ onDone, t
 								terminalZshOhMy={terminalZshOhMy}
 								terminalZshP10k={terminalZshP10k}
 								terminalZdotdir={terminalZdotdir}
+								terminalAutoShow={terminalAutoShow}
 								setCachedStateField={setCachedStateField}
 							/>
 						)}

webview-ui/src/components/settings/TerminalSettings.tsx

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type TerminalSettingsProps = HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> & {
 	terminalZshOhMy?: boolean
 	terminalZshP10k?: boolean
 	terminalZdotdir?: boolean
+	terminalAutoShow?: boolean
 	setCachedStateField: SetCachedStateField<
 		| "terminalOutputPreviewSize"
 		| "terminalShellIntegrationTimeout"
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ type TerminalSettingsProps = HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> & {
 		| "terminalZshOhMy"
 		| "terminalZshP10k"
 		| "terminalZdotdir"
+		| "terminalAutoShow"
 	>
 }
 
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ export const TerminalSettings = ({
 	terminalZshOhMy,
 	terminalZshP10k,
 	terminalZdotdir,
+	terminalAutoShow,
 	setCachedStateField,
 	className,
 	...props
@@ -124,6 +127,21 @@ export const TerminalSettings = ({
 								{t("settings:terminal.outputPreviewSize.description")}
 							</div>
 						</SearchableSetting>
+
+						<SearchableSetting
+							settingId="terminal-auto-show"
+							section="terminal"
+							label={t("settings:terminal.autoShow.label")}>
+							<VSCodeCheckbox
+								checked={terminalAutoShow ?? false}
+								onChange={(e: any) => setCachedStateField("terminalAutoShow", e.target.checked)}
+								data-testid="terminal-auto-show-checkbox">
+								<span className="font-medium">{t("settings:terminal.autoShow.label")}</span>
+							</VSCodeCheckbox>
+							<div className="text-vscode-descriptionForeground text-sm mt-1">
+								{t("settings:terminal.autoShow.description")}
+							</div>
+						</SearchableSetting>
 					</div>
 				</div>
 

webview-ui/src/context/ExtensionStateContext.tsx

@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ export interface ExtensionStateContextType extends ExtensionState {
 	setTerminalShellIntegrationTimeout: (value: number) => void
 	terminalShellIntegrationDisabled?: boolean
 	setTerminalShellIntegrationDisabled: (value: boolean) => void
+	terminalAutoShow?: boolean
+	setTerminalAutoShow: (value: boolean) => void
 	terminalZdotdir?: boolean
 	setTerminalZdotdir: (value: boolean) => void
 	setTtsEnabled: (value: boolean) => void
@@ -544,6 +546,7 @@ export const ExtensionStateContextProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode
 			setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, terminalShellIntegrationTimeout: value })),
 		setTerminalShellIntegrationDisabled: (value) =>
 			setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, terminalShellIntegrationDisabled: value })),
+		setTerminalAutoShow: (value) => setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, terminalAutoShow: value })),
 		setTerminalZdotdir: (value) => setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, terminalZdotdir: value })),
 		setMcpEnabled: (value) => setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, mcpEnabled: value })),
 		setTaskSyncEnabled: (value) => setState((prevState) => ({ ...prevState, taskSyncEnabled: value }) as any),

webview-ui/src/i18n/locales/en/settings.json

@@ -754,6 +754,10 @@
 			"label": "Terminal character limit",
 			"description": "Overrides the line limit to prevent memory issues by enforcing a hard cap on output size. If exceeded, keeps the beginning and end and shows a placeholder to Roo where content is skipped. <0>Learn more</0>"
 		},
+		"autoShow": {
+			"label": "Auto-show terminal on command execution",
+			"description": "Automatically reveal the terminal panel when Roo runs a command. When using the VS Code terminal (shell integration enabled), the terminal panel is shown. When using the Inline Terminal, command output in chat is auto-expanded instead."
+		},
 		"outputPreviewSize": {
 			"label": "Command output preview size",
 			"description": "Controls how much command output Roo sees directly. Full output is always saved and accessible when needed.",