# Terminal not fully functional

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737
**Category:** New to Julia
**Created:** [October 25, 2024, 7:46am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737 "2024-10-25T07:46:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/21 "2024-10-28T02:53:10Z")

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> [@Warning: Terminal not fully functional with Julia 1.0.5 on Windows](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/warning-terminal-not-fully-functional-with-julia-1-0-5-on-windows/67522/25):
>
> If I do `set TERM=` and then press enter. This sets the variable to an empty string. I clear the `TERM` environmental variable and then Julia functions as normal, allowing me to access the pkg and help modes as normal.

Did you look at: [Environment variables](https://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/howto/Environment_Variables.html) ?

And which version of Windows do you have?

The output of:

```julia
julia> get(ENV, "TERM", "")
"dumb"

```

should be empty, and not “dumb”.

Someone else wrote:

> So remove the TERM system variable from Windows 10 environment variables settings fix this issue without any further updates.
> 
> Now, type echo $TERM shown the default value: xterm-256color works for everything…

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### Author: ![sammyD5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@sammyD5](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sammyD5)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/22 "2024-10-28T03:38:41Z")

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I am on Windows 10.  
Also I tried to check environment variables are listed but was greeted with another error message.

```julia
PS C:\Users\21910478> set

cmdlet Set-Variable at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
Name[0]:
Set-Variable : Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Name' because it is an empty array.
At line:1 char:1
+ set
+ ~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Set-Variable], ParameterBindingValidationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorEmptyArrayNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetVariableCommand

```

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### Author: ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/23 "2024-10-28T03:41:51Z")

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Looks like you are using power shell. Can you try using command prompt instead?

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### Author: ![sammyD5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@sammyD5](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sammyD5)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 3:57am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/24 "2024-10-28T03:57:27Z")

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Well guys it worked someway or other. I cannot thank everyone enough for their suggestions. And of course special thanks to @ufechner7 for the finding the last piece of puzzle.

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### Author: ![Palli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/palli/32/3380_2.png) [@Palli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Palli)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 8:47am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/25 "2024-10-28T08:47:36Z")

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> [@goerz](#):
>
> While you’re at it, you might as well install an even more modern terminal, like [WezTerm](https://wezfurlong.org/wezterm/index.html)

I’m installing it as we speak (I’m NOT on Windows, it also supports Linux; and macOS):

> 1. [✓] org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default 23.08 i flathub 163,6 MB / 163,9 MB
> 2. [|] org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default 23.08-extra i flathub 22,6 MB / 163,9 MB
> 3. org.freedesktop.Platform.Locale 23.08 i flathub \< 371,6 MB (partial)
> 4. org.freedesktop.Platform.openh264 2.2.0 i flathub \< 944,3 kB
> 5. org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Mint-Y 3.22 u flathub \< 114,5 kB
> 6. org.freedesktop.Platform 23.08 i flathub \< 230,3 MB
> 7. org.wezfurlong.wezterm stable i flathub \< 46,7 MB

[It’s rather large for a terminal (only because of [open]GL seemingly, i.e. GPU, support), I guess one feature making it better.]

Since I’m not on Windows (with ok default Linux Mint terminal) I do NOT get:

> [@sammyD5](#):
>
> warning message - “Warning: Terminal not fully functional - @Base client.jl.436”

Is WezTerm really worthwhile over alternatives in Linux (or Windows)? I guess I’ll find out…

I actually could “flatpak install”, since on Mint, if on Ubuntu see:  
[https://flatpak.org/setup/Ubuntu](https://flatpak.org/setup/Ubuntu)

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### Author: ![Palli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/palli/32/3380_2.png) [@Palli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Palli)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 9:02am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/26 "2024-10-28T09:02:25Z")

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> [@nilshg](#):
>
> ```julia
> julia> j?
> 
> julia> ]
> ERROR: ParseError:
> 
> ```

@sammyD5

I suppose you were trying to go into the package mode with ], and it works in non-dumb terminal (as I guess you discovered), not in what you had, but I’m unsure what you were trying with “j?”:

For the help mode you must first press ? then type what you want help for, but something more than just “j”.

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### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/27 "2024-10-28T09:05:45Z")

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Are these terminal issues standard for Windows users? If so, Julia installation depends on first setting up an appropriate terminal. That would be bad.

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### Author: ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 9:09am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/28 "2024-10-28T09:09:49Z")

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> [@lmiq](#):
>
> Are these terminal issues standard for Windows users?

They are not. Usually the TERM variable is not set on Windows. But there are exceptions, for example an old Perl version used to set it to “dumb” when installing it.

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### Author: ![Palli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/palli/32/3380_2.png) [@Palli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Palli)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 9:44am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/29 "2024-10-28T09:44:33Z")

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You can no longer buy Windows 10 or older, and this isn’t a problem for Windows 11, I understand (that has Windows terminal, except some early first version of it).

I made a PR for [Julialang.org](http://Julialang.org) website for Windows ~~maybe clarifying this (also recommending 64-bit, which is anyway they only thing supported in Windows 11;~~ it feels unhelpful by now to mention that 32-bit version works for 32-bit and 64-bit even is strictly true).

If there are any instructions for Windows 10 or older that need to be clarified, please suggest at my PR.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![PeterSimon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petersimon/32/25193_2.png) [@PeterSimon](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PeterSimon)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2024, 4:27pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737/30 "2024-10-28T16:27:13Z")

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For easy reference, the PR is at [this address](https://github.com/JuliaLang/www.julialang.org/pull/2179).

[Previous page](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/terminal-not-fully-functional/121737.md?page=1)
