Cannot select/copy terminal output once it has scrolled out of the current viewport
Description
Once new output is printed in the Claude Code CLI session (running inside VS Code's integrated terminal), earlier output that has scrolled up is no longer selectable/copyable. Only the most recently printed content can be copied.
Steps to reproduce
- Start a Claude Code session in VS Code's integrated terminal.
- Have the assistant print a multi-line block of text (e.g. a drafted email, a code snippet).
- Continue the conversation so additional output is printed below it.
- Try to select/copy the earlier block by scrolling up and dragging to select, or via right-click Select All + copy.
Expected behavior
Earlier terminal output should remain selectable and copyable via the terminal's normal scrollback, the same as any other terminal content.
Actual behavior
The earlier content cannot be selected/copied once it has scrolled out of the current viewport. This reproduced consistently across multiple attempts in the same session, including after:
- Scrolling up before attempting to select
- Right-click "Select All" then copy
- Resizing/maximizing the terminal panel
None of these worked around the issue. Writing the content to a file and opening it in the editor is the only workaround found, which is not a substitute for normal terminal copy behavior.
Environment
- Claude Code CLI running inside VS Code's integrated terminal
- Platform: Linux
Impact
Any text the assistant outputs that isn't the very last thing printed becomes effectively uncopyable from the terminal, which is a significant usability regression for a CLI tool whose primary interaction is producing text (code, drafts, commands) meant to be copied elsewhere.