Auto Terminal on Startup

A simple VS Code extension that automatically opens a terminal in the editor area when VS Code starts without a folder.

Features

Automatically opens a terminal when VS Code launches without a workspace/folder
Terminal opens in the editor area (based on your terminal.integrated.defaultLocation setting)
Configurable: Can be enabled/disabled via settings
Option to control whether it only opens when no folder is present

VS Code 1.84.0 or higher
Your VS Code settings should have: "terminal.integrated.defaultLocation": "editor"

Install from the VS Code Marketplace:

Or install via command line:

code --install-extension lixiaolai.auto-terminal-on-startup

This extension contributes the following settings:

autoTerminal.enabled: Enable/disable the auto-open terminal feature (default: true)
autoTerminal.onlyWhenNoFolder: Only open terminal when no folder is open (default: true)

To configure, add to your settings.json:

{
  "autoTerminal.enabled": true,
  "autoTerminal.onlyWhenNoFolder": true
}

Extension activates on onStartupFinished event
Checks if no folder/workspace is open (if onlyWhenNoFolder is true)
Waits 500ms for VS Code UI to fully initialize
Executes workbench.action.terminal.new command
Terminal opens in editor area (based on your terminal.integrated.defaultLocation setting)

Make sure your VS Code settings include:

{
  "terminal.integrated.defaultLocation": "editor"
}

Check that the extension is enabled:
- Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
- Type "Extensions: Show Installed Extensions"
- Look for "Auto Terminal on Startup"
Check the extension settings:
```
{
  "autoTerminal.enabled": true
}
```
Check the Developer Console for errors:
- Help > Toggle Developer Tools
- Look in Console tab for any error messages

Set in your settings.json:

{
  "autoTerminal.enabled": false
}

Or disable the extension completely:

Via VS Code:

Or via command line:

code --uninstall-extension lixiaolai.auto-terminal-on-startup

cd /path/to/open-terminal-at-vscode-without-folder-specified
npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package

The extension cannot detect if a terminal already exists in the editor area, so it will always create a new one on startup
500ms delay is hardcoded (may need adjustment for slower systems)

Initial release:

MIT

Xiaolai