# Start Julia directly in shell\> or pkg\> mode?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** question, shell, repl, pkg\
**Created:** [January 30, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296 "2021-01-30T20:47:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![QuantumBits](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/quantumbits/32/2917_2.png) [@QuantumBits](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/QuantumBits)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/1 "2021-01-30T20:47:45Z")

</div>

Hi! Is it possible to start a Julia REPL from the command line directly in `shell>` or `pkg>` mode without having to type `;` or `]`, respectively, after the REPL loads? For example, something like:

```julia
$ julia
julia>
$ julia --shell-mode
shell>
$ julia --pkg-mode
pkg>

```

The reason I ask is because I would like to make the Julia `shell>` prompt my default terminal in vscode, but I sometimes encounter issues when extensions (e.g. C++ debugging) try to run commands from the default `julia>` terminal, e.g. `julia> cmd /C "..."` instead of `shell> cmd /C "..."`.

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tbeason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tbeason/32/15898_2.png) [@tbeason](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/tbeason)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/2 "2021-01-30T22:15:14Z")

</div>

I think shell mode isn’t “sticky”, right? eg. if you enter REPL shell mode, execute something, it will exit shell mode. So I’m not sure how useful that would be.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mason/32/2423_2.png) [@Mason](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mason)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 10:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/3 "2021-01-30T22:16:41Z")

</div>

It is sticky in version 1.6.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tbeason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tbeason/32/15898_2.png) [@tbeason](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/tbeason)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 10:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/4 "2021-01-30T22:48:26Z")

</div>

I’m not there yet!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![QuantumBits](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/quantumbits/32/2917_2.png) [@QuantumBits](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/QuantumBits)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/5 "2021-01-30T23:00:29Z")

</div>

@tbeason ah yeah I should mention I’m using the 1.6.0 beta, so definitely sticky.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mason/32/2423_2.png) [@Mason](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mason)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/start-julia-directly-in-shell-or-pkg-mode/54296/6 "2021-01-30T23:24:29Z")

</div>

Come join the Julia of the future, it’s great!