Codex CLI in an Eclipse IDE terminal doesn't allow backward scrolling (also with --no-alt-screen option)

Codex CLI in an Eclipse IDE terminal window doesn't allow backward scrolling. Also, running Codex with the --no-alt-screen option doesn't change anything.
I know the Eclipse terminal is scrollable and Codex CLI running in Windows cmd or powershell is scrollable.
So there must be some problem between Codex CLI and Eclipse terminal.

Steps to reproduce

Open a terminal in eclipse IDE
Start Codex CLI with or without --no-alt-screen (even setting "set TERM=dumb" before calling codex doesn't help)
Give Codex the following prompt : write 50 rows (a enter b enter c etc...)
Try scrolling backward and see if it appears

Tested under this environment:

Windows Server 2019
Eclipse IDE/Platform version Version: 2026-03 (4.39.0) Build id: 20260305-0817
Codex Cli version 135

Workarounds

Use the internal Codex transcript directrly in the Eclipse terminal running Codex TUI, activable with Ctrl+T
Tricks Codex to think it's running inside Zwellij:
For linux:

ZELLIJ=1 codex --no-alt-screen -c tui.raw_output_mode=true

For windows:

set ZELLIJ=1
codex --no-alt-screen -c tui.raw_output_mode=true

Because the cause is Codex Cli only when used with Eclipse terminal (and vice-versa), I open also this: openai/codex#25412

I would have extremely low expectations with respect to someone else doing something to fix whatever problem there might be here. Whomever wants this to work will most likely need to invest the effort needed to do whatever is necessary to make it work themselves.

@stefano-1973

@stefano-1973 What does Codex CLI say about a fix in this repo?

eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.swt#3350

eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.swt#3350

I guess you meant to link tab reordering to a different issue.

The problem is present also if I start linux elipse in WSL2 ubuntu. Eclipse installed in wsl2 with "sudo snap install eclipse --classic"

@stefano-1973

@stefano-1973 I do not have the option to use Codex CLI (with --no-alt-screen).

Can you enable a trace option so that we can see which sequence is send?

To see what --no-alt-screen actually does, please capture a terminal trace:

Create a file named .options beside eclipse.exe with this one line:

org.eclipse.terminal.control/debug/log/char=true

Start Eclipse from that folder with -debug (it reads .options from the current directory):

eclipse.exe -debug

In the Eclipse terminal, run codex --no-alt-screen, print 50 rows (a, b, c, ...), and try scrolling back.
Attach the log from:

.metadata.plugins\org.eclipse.terminal.control\tmterminal.log

If it contains \x1b[?1049h, then --no-alt-screen did not take effect (also useful to know); if that sequence is absent, it's exactly the trace we need.

Codex analisys

Even with --no-alt-screen, Codex is still a raw-mode TUI application and does not emit output as simple line-by-line stdout. It uses terminal control sequences to redraw and insert history into the normal screen buffer. Eclipse Terminal may not be recording those screen-buffer updates into scrollback the same way other terminals do.

So this could potentially be addressed either by:

Codex adding a fallback/raw output mode for Eclipse Terminal, similar to the Zellij raw path; or
Eclipse Terminal improving scrollback handling for raw-mode/fullscreen-style terminal applications that do not use the alternate screen buffer.

I have a patch ready which works for Claude CLI, only awaiting your input from the log.

Btw. I tried to suggest that you clone this repo and ask Codex to analyse what can be done in Eclipse to fix it. This is not necessary anymore as I already have a local patch.

Maybe once I have published my patch, you can ask Codex for feedback.

@stefano-1973 I do not have the option to use Codex CLI (with --no-alt-screen).

Can you enable a trace option so that we can see which sequence is send?

To see what --no-alt-screen actually does, please capture a terminal trace:

Create a file named .options beside eclipse.exe with this one line:

org.eclipse.terminal.control/debug/log/char=true

Start Eclipse from that folder with -debug (it reads .options from the current directory):

eclipse.exe -debug

In the Eclipse terminal, run codex --no-alt-screen, print 50 rows (a, b, c, ...), and try scrolling back.

Attach the log from:

.metadata.plugins\org.eclipse.terminal.control\tmterminal.log

If it contains \x1b[?1049h, then --no-alt-screen did not take effect (also useful to know); if that sequence is absent, it's exactly the trace we need.

With eclipse in ubuntu/wsl2 (snap installation):

$  more .options
org.eclipse.terminal.control/debug/log/char=true
$ eclipse -debug ~/.options > ~/eclipse_debug.log 2>&1

in eclipse_debug.log I see only this:

...................................
Debug options:
    file:.options loaded
Time to load bundles: 3
Jun 02, 2026 10:34:56 AM org.apache.aries.spifly.BaseActivator log
INFO: Registered provider ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.LogbackServiceProvider of service org.slf4j.spi.SLF4JServiceProvider in bundle ch.qos.logback.classic
10:35:01.574 [Start Level: Equinox Container: b2e9d576-aa82-407f-86eb-7c83d4b3be01] DEBUG org.eclipse.jgit.internal.util.ShutdownHook -- register org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS$FileStoreAttributes$$Lambda/0x0000796c0c225500@1c40cd22 with shutdown hook
10:35:01.574 [Start Level: Equinox Container: b2e9d576-aa82-407f-86eb-7c83d4b3be01] DEBUG org.eclipse.jgit.internal.util.ShutdownHook -- register org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS$FileStoreAttributes$$Lambda/0x0000796c0c225500@1c40cd22 with shutdown hook
Starting application: 643

P.S.: the scrollbar doesn't appear

In tmterminal.log i see:

tmterminal.log

Ah, sorry did not see that. Thanks

Did you try to use your mouse wheel during the test in the console? The log does not seem to contain mouse events.

Did you try to use your mouse wheel during the test in the console? The log does not seem to contain mouse events.

As you can see here, the right scrollbar doesn't even appear: the scrollback memory of the eclipse terminal is completly empty. So no need to scrollback with the mouse wheel.

Please use the mouse wheel and upload the trace. If possible I want also support mouse scrolling.

Add characterization tests for terminal scrolling behavior

Please use the mouse wheel and upload the trace. If possible I want also support mouse scrolling.

When I use/scroll the mouse wheel, nothing is added to the tmterminal.log. The wheel movement make the windows scroll in the correct way BUT are not shown the old rows previously printed by codex but the rows in the scroll buffer that was present before I start codex:

If previous rows written by codex was correctly scrolled, in my image you would have seen 12, 11, 10......
So I imagine that the old no more visible rows printed by codex are not saved/put in the scroll buffer of the eclipse terminal.

Codex CLI uses terminal control sequences to redraw and insert history into the normal screen buffer. Eclipse Terminal may not be recording those screen-buffer updates into scrollback the same way other terminals do

stefano-1973 can you test PR #2764?

Move displaced line of top-anchored scroll region into scroll-back

stefano-1973 can you test PR #2764?

I've tested it. It seems to scroll correctly

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Codex CLI in an Eclipse IDE terminal doesn't allow backward scrolling (also with --no-alt-screen option) #2680

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Codex CLI in an Eclipse IDE terminal doesn't allow backward scrolling (also with --no-alt-screen option) #2680

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stefano-1973 commented on May 31, 2026

merks commented on May 31, 2026

vogella commented on May 31, 2026

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merks commented on May 31, 2026

stefano-1973 commented on Jun 1, 2026

vogella commented on Jun 1, 2026

stefano-1973 commented on Jun 1, 2026

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