| # node-pty | |
| [](https://dev.azure.com/vscode/node-pty/_build/latest?definitionId=11) | |
| `forkpty(3)` bindings for node.js. This allows you to fork processes with pseudoterminal file descriptors. It returns a terminal object which allows reads and writes. | |
| This is useful for: | |
| - Writing a terminal emulator (eg. via [xterm.js](https://github.com/sourcelair/xterm.js)). | |
| - Getting certain programs to *think* you're a terminal, such as when you need a program to send you control sequences. | |
| `node-pty` supports Linux, macOS and Windows. Windows support is possible by utilizing the [Windows conpty API](https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/08/02/windows-command-line-introducing-the-windows-pseudo-console-conpty/) on Windows 1809+ and the [winpty](https://github.com/rprichard/winpty) library in older version. | |
| ## Real-world Uses | |
| `node-pty` powers many different terminal emulators, including: | |
| - [Microsoft Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) | |
| - [Hyper](https://hyper.is/) | |
| - [Upterm](https://github.com/railsware/upterm) | |
| - [Script Runner](https://github.com/ioquatix/script-runner) for Atom. | |
| - [Theia](https://github.com/theia-ide/theia) | |
| - [FreeMAN](https://github.com/matthew-matvei/freeman) file manager | |
| - [atom-xterm](https://atom.io/packages/atom-xterm) - Atom plugin for providing terminals inside your Atom workspace. | |
| - [Termination](https://atom.io/packages/termination) - Another Atom plugin that provides terminals inside your Atom workspace. | |
| - [electerm](https://github.com/electerm/electerm) Terminal/ssh/sftp client(linux, mac, win). | |
| - [Extraterm](http://extraterm.org/) | |
| - [Wetty](https://github.com/krishnasrinivas/wetty) Browser based Terminal over HTTP and HTTPS | |
| Do you use node-pty in your application as well? Please open a [Pull Request](https://github.com/Tyriar/node-pty/pulls) to include it here. We would love to have it in our list. | |
| ## Example Usage | |
| ```js | |
| var os = require('os'); | |
| var pty = require('node-pty'); | |
| var shell = os.platform() === 'win32' ? 'powershell.exe' : 'bash'; | |
| var ptyProcess = pty.spawn(shell, [], { | |
| name: 'xterm-color', | |
| cols: 80, | |
| rows: 30, | |
| cwd: process.env.HOME, | |
| env: process.env | |
| }); | |
| ptyProcess.on('data', function(data) { | |
| process.stdout.write(data); | |
| }); | |
| ptyProcess.write('ls\r'); | |
| ptyProcess.resize(100, 40); | |
| ptyProcess.write('ls\r'); | |
| ``` | |
| ## Building | |
| ```bash | |
| # Install dependencies and build C++ | |
| npm install | |
| # Compile TypeScript -> JavaScript | |
| npm run tsc | |
| ``` | |
| ## Dependencies | |
| ### Linux/Ubuntu | |
| ``` | |
| sudo apt install -y make python build-essential | |
| ``` | |
| The following are also needed: | |
| - Node.JS 10+ | |
| ### Windows | |
| `npm install` requires some tools to be present in the system like Python and C++ compiler. Windows users can easily install them by running the following command in PowerShell as administrator. For more information see https://github.com/felixrieseberg/windows-build-tools: | |
| ```sh | |
| npm install --global --production windows-build-tools | |
| ``` | |
| The following are also needed: | |
| - [Windows SDK](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk) - only the "Desktop C++ Apps" components are needed to be installed | |
| - Node.JS 10+ | |
| ## Debugging | |
| [The wiki](https://github.com/Microsoft/node-pty/wiki/Debugging) contains instructions for debugging node-pty. | |
| ## Security | |
| All processes launched from node-pty will launch at the same permission level of the parent process. Take care particularly when using node-pty inside a server that's accessible on the internet. We recommend launching the pty inside a container to protect your host machine. | |
| ## Thread Safety | |
| Note that node-pty is not thread safe so running it across multiple worker threads in node.js could cause issues. | |
| ## Flow Control | |
| Automatic flow control can be enabled by either providing `handleFlowControl = true` in the constructor options or setting it later on: | |
| ```js | |
| const PAUSE = '\x13'; // XOFF | |
| const RESUME = '\x11'; // XON | |
| const ptyProcess = pty.spawn(shell, [], {handleFlowControl: true}); | |
| // flow control in action | |
| ptyProcess.write(PAUSE); // pty will block and pause the slave program | |
| ... | |
| ptyProcess.write(RESUME); // pty will enter flow mode and resume the slave program | |
| // temporarily disable/re-enable flow control | |
| ptyProcess.handleFlowControl = false; | |
| ... | |
| ptyProcess.handleFlowControl = true; | |
| ``` | |
| By default `PAUSE` and `RESUME` are XON/XOFF control codes (as shown above). To avoid conflicts in environments that use these control codes for different purposes the messages can be customized as `flowControlPause: string` and `flowControlResume: string` in the constructor options. `PAUSE` and `RESUME` are not passed to the underlying pseudoterminal if flow control is enabled. | |
| ## Troubleshooting | |
| ### Powershell gives error 8009001d | |
| > Internal Windows PowerShell error. Loading managed Windows PowerShell failed with error 8009001d. | |
| This happens when PowerShell is launched with no `SystemRoot` environment variable present. | |
| ### ConnectNamedPipe failed: Windows error 232 | |
| This error can occur due to anti-virus software intercepting winpty from creating a pty. To workaround this you can exclude this file from your anti-virus scanning `node-pty\build\Release\winpty-agent.exe` | |
| ## pty.js | |
| This project is forked from [chjj/pty.js](https://github.com/chjj/pty.js) with the primary goals being to provide better support for later Node.JS versions and Windows. | |
| ## License | |
| Copyright (c) 2012-2015, Christopher Jeffrey (MIT License).<br> | |
| Copyright (c) 2016, Daniel Imms (MIT License).<br> | |
| Copyright (c) 2018, Microsoft Corporation (MIT License). | |