[Windows] Alacritty crashed and froze when working_directory is invalid

[Karmenzind]

Hi,
I tried to set working_directory = "$env:HOMEPATH". Then the window crashed and froze like this. Have to forcely close it with Task Manager.

Navidating to the default path and prompting an error message might be better.

BTW, is there any way to use ~ as the working_directory on Windows without hardcoding the whole path?

Env

OS: Windows 11
Version: alacritty 0.13.0 (78fa4d6)

Logs

alacritty --print-events:

 pwsh  [0.128743900s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Using WGL
[0.149598900s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Running on AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT
[0.149762200s] [INFO ] [alacritty] OpenGL version 3.3.14800 Core Profile Context 22.5.2 30.0.21017.1000, shader_version 4.60
[0.149912700s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Using OpenGL 3.3 renderer
[0.211883500s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Cell size: 13 x 30
[0.212084800s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Padding: 3 x 3
[0.212224900s] [INFO ] [alacritty] Width: 800, Height: 600
[0.245618900s] [INFO ] [alacritty] PTY dimensions: 19 x 61
[0.246553800s] [INFO ] [alacritty_terminal] Using Windows API for pseudoconsole
panicked at alacritty_terminal\src\tty\windows\conpty.rs:235:5:
Unable to spawn shell: 目录名称无效。 (os error 267)

[chrisduerr]

How are you setting the working directory?

[Karmenzind]

On my Win11 a minimal alacritty.toml can reproduce this issue:

working_directory = "$env:HOMEPATH"

I also tried working_directory = "~".

My real configuration is like:

• Main alacritty.toml:

import = [
  "~/.alacritty_extra.toml",
]
live_config_reload = true

# other stuff

• .alacritty_extra.toml:

shell = "pwsh"
working_directory = "C:/Users/XXX"

[kchibisov]

we don't support env variables in config. ~ is also non-existent directory, it's a shell alias.

Setting non-existing directory will prevent alacritty from starting.

[Karmenzind]

@kchibisov
But ~ works in import = ['~/xxx.toml'] which might be confusing.
And a friendly error message (like below) is more reasonable than crashing.

[kchibisov]

@Karmenzind but the import docs explicitly say that it works there.

[Karmenzind]

@Karmenzind but the import docs explicitly say that it works there.

Fine. I also don't think the path processing is a bug.
The real problem is the program window gets stuck on Windows and sticks on top and can only be killed with Stop-Process.
I notice that on Linux it will flash and disappear, which is acceptable.

[chrisduerr]

Does the same behavior happen when you use an invalid shell?

[Karmenzind]

Yes. shell = 'xxx' led to the same result. @chrisduerr

[chrisduerr]

Seems like things just don't shut down on any error then? I'd assume it works with closing the shell properly?

@kchibisov do you know if winit does anything odd on Windows for error handling/panic hooks?

[lesleyrs]

[shell]
program = "pwsh"
args = ["-WorkingDirectory ~",]

This allows you to use ~ for home directory on Windows, but it requires the newer pwsh instead of powershell https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell