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If I can't find the settings, I can't change the settings. #719

Closed EXPErdelfavero closed 2 months ago

EXPErdelfavero commented 9 months ago

This is feedback for this page and all the other adjacent settings pages:

This information is useless if you don't tell me how to access the settings file to change them. And when there's a problem with my window that means that there's no window title bar being drawn, "open the settings menu" isn't enough help on where to find the settings menu. I'm now in a state where I can't use the terminal window (can't even move it because some nimrod bound Alt+Space to something...) to open the terminal settings, and I don't know where it lives so I can open it by hand. This is a very frustrating Catch-22 to be stuck in. If you just said once, on each settings page or even just on the first settings page how to find the settings file, or what the default key is to open the settings dialog, I'd be golden. As it is, I'm frustrated enough to just go find another editor.

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DHowett commented 9 months ago

Hey there! Thanks for filing. I've got a couple thoughts, and some questions.

some nimrod bound Alt+Space

I understand that you're upset, but please do not insult the fine folks who work on this project when you ask for help.

It looks like there's a couple places where we do document how to get to the settings, but we didn't put it in some really obvious place like the getting started guide. That's our bad. Thanks!

You can access settings with...

I'm curious, though. In your other issue (#720) you noted that your window frame is broken/there's no other UI affordances. That seems to be a bigger problem than you not being able to open settings. Can you share a screenshot? It makes me question whether even the settings UI will work.

[^1]: you may be surprised to learn that Terminal binds Alt+Space to open the system menu like all other applications. If you have a systemwide hook that overrides Alt+Space, Terminal cannot control that.

EXPErdelfavero commented 9 months ago

I was stuck in Focus Mode somehow, which you barely document even once I found out what it's called from another site. (Bing "microsoft terminal no title bar"...) That other site told me the shortcut for Command Palette, and what command to type there to toggle the setting. I'd recommend that your docs do the same, as that method will work for someone who's in Focus Mode and can't find a way out. Focus mode is perhaps a bit too effective, looking at it from where I'm sitting. 😺 You do document how someone who remaps the Command Palette shortcut can disable that mapping, if a person digs around enough to find the topic that says where the config file is actually hiding, and moves/renames/deletes it.

The Alt+Space thing was indeed a system-wide hook. It came from Microsoft Power Toys, specifically Powertoys Run, which has actually rejected calls to change their default from Alt+Space to something that doesn't break accessibility and a system norm since Windows 2.0. There's simply no other way to move a window with the keyboard if Alt+Space is remapped and the title bar isn't visible. I've been a Windows user and UX designer since the earliest days of Windows 3.1; I was an FTE at Microsoft for many years; and I stand by my characterization of that decision and whoever made it. You're free to ignore my feedback, but I wish you'd look a word up before you take issue with it as something it's not.

DHowett commented 9 months ago

I wish you'd look a word up

(chiefly US, informal, derogatory) A foolish person; an idiot.

I did, if you'll excuse my emphasis.

Thank you for your feedback. We'll make the docs clearer.