[FEATURE] Allow opening the terminal in a brand-new (empty) Code tab session
Open 💬 0 comments Opened Jun 27, 2026 by pandhup
Problem
In the Claude Desktop app → Code tab, the terminal toggle button only appears after the session has at least one chat message. On a brand-new / empty session (before sending anything), there is no way to open or show the terminal at all.
So if I want to run a few commands myself before starting the conversation, I cannot — I have to send a message first just to make the terminal button appear.
Proposal
Show the terminal toggle (or otherwise allow opening the terminal) in a new/empty Code tab session as well, not only after the first chat message exists.
Why
- Run quick setup/inspection commands before kicking off the conversation
- Consistent behavior — the terminal already works fine once chat exists; it just is not reachable on an empty session
- One less forced step (no need to send a dummy message first)
Environment
- Claude Desktop app (macOS), Code tab
- Plan: Pro
Current workaround
Send any message first so the terminal button appears, or open a separate external terminal and cd into the folder manually.