Set the TERM_PROGRAM environment variable

[DRSDavidSoft]

Description Feature Request

On Linux and macOS, the TERM_PROGRAM variable is set to the terminal name (e.g. Hyper, Apple_Terminal, etc).

Would it be possible (and appropriate) for ConEmu to follow the convention and set %TERM_PROGRAM% to something like ConEmu?

Purpose

• This can be used to identify the Terminal via running shell scripts.

[TeamSpen210]

This isn't as necessary, since ConEmu already sets quite a number of unique environment variables to expose various configuration. You could simply check for the presence of those, or try executing ConEmuC /IsConEmu to make sure.

Following conventions is good though to prevent special-casing.

[Maximus5]

On Linux and macOS, the TERM_PROGRAM variable is set to the terminal name

That is not true. I've checked three terminals on Ubuntu, and only one defines this variable. And it's vscode :)

[Maximus5]

I'm not against the unification, but does it make sense?
Quick googling shows same proposals were rejected: mintty/mintty#776, alacritty/alacritty#781

BTW, many terminals set VTE_VERSION variable.

[Maximus5]

And COLORTERM

[Maximus5]

I'm in doubt, really...
On the one hand unification is good, but on the other hand neither terminal I've checked in Ubuntu sets this variable.
We may not count vscode (it's not a real terminal and it's a cross-platform application).

I decides not to spawn more environment than we have already.

But! You may add set TERM_PROGRAM=conemu in the Environment and it will answer you case.

[DRSDavidSoft]

@Maximus5 You're right. As you said, the support for this variable seems to be limited mainly to macOS and cross platform terminals (e.g. Hyper).

Terminals in support of TERM_PROGRAM

name	value	request 2
macOS Terminal	Apple_Terminal
iTerm2	iTerm.app
Hyper 3	Hyper (formerly HyperTerm)	link
Terminus 3	Terminus	link
FluentTerminal 3	FluentTerminal	link
VS Code's integrated terminal	vscode	link

¹ Until recently, Terminus set the variable Terminus=1 instead of TERM_PROGRAM=Terminus (Eugeny/tabby#702)
² Most of the terminals above did not implement the TERM_PROGRAM variable until someone asked (the request column)
³ Furthermore, FluentTerminal sets TERM=xterm variable. Hyper and Terminus sets TERM=xterm-256color.

Respectively, the macOS terminal has always used TERM_PROGRAM=Apple_Terminal in their implementation.

Benefits

• although not a standard, many terminal emulators on macOS implement this
• it's used by Yarn and neofetch to detect the terminal
• it's a quick and easy way to find the type of terminal from shell scripts (e.g. to be used here Add ConEmu-specific escape codes sindresorhus/ansi-escapes#7)

Terminals that do not provide TERM_PROGRAM

Rejections

• mintty: argue that "such variables [...] are not only set in the child shells but also in any other terminal started from them." – Support TERM_PROGRAM environment variables mintty/mintty#776 (comment)
• alacritty – dismissed as a non-standard feature

Not-implemented

• FluentTerminal – Another xterm.js-based terminal, pending discussion: Should TERM_PROGRAM be set? felixse/FluentTerminal#222

Unknown/Un-tested

• Terminator – The GNOME's terminal emulator (Ubuntu, CentOS Linux and FreeBSD)
• Terminology – Another terminal emulator for Linux and BSD
• Termite – A terminal emulator for GTK+ (Linux, *NIX)

Programs that check TERM_PROGRAM

• Yarn: uses TERM_PROGRAM to display emojis on Hyper and macOS terminals. (impl)
• neofetch: uses TERM_PROGRAM to identify the terminal emulator program (impl)
• neovim: uses TERM_PROGRAM to to address terminal emulator capabilities and bugs (impl)
• …and more

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TL;DR: This is mainly a macOS-centric variable, and seldom terminals outside macOS set it; often if the program is cross-platform and/or a user has asked for it.