Using the default Terminal in the Flatpak Codium

[AustinMarstaller]

I am using Pop!_OS and have installed Codium using Flatpak. I want to use the default terminal instead of the sandbox terminal that Codium offers.

Following the instructions here, https://github.com/flathub/com.vscodium.codium#host-shell , I edited my settings.json file to look like this:

{
"workbench.colorTheme": "Default High Contrast",
"workbench.startupEditor": "none",
"terminal.integrated.commandsToSkipShell": [
"language-julia.interrupt"
],
"julia.symbolCacheDownload": true,
"julia.executablePath": "/home/kz-spectra/.juliaup/bin/julia",
"julia.enableTelemetry": false,
"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash",
"terminal.integrated.profiles.linux": {
"bash": {
"path": "/usr/bin/flatpak-spawn",
"args": ["--host", "--env=TERM=xterm-256color", "bash"],
"icon": "terminal-bash",
"overrideName": true
}
}
}

However, I now receive this error message

"bash: cannot set terminal process group (-1): Inappropriate ioctl for device
bash: no job control in this shell"

and do indeed have my desired terminal. What is this error message referring to and how can I fix it?

[Jeong-ilKajokaya]

Yo @AustinMarstaller 👋

Saw your post, and I ran into the same kinda mess. Here’s the lowdown and some hacks you can try:

---

What’s up

• That error:

  bash: cannot set terminal process group (-1): Inappropriate ioctl for device
  

  basically means bash can’t get a proper TTY. Job control’s busted (so fg/bg and Ctrl-Z won’t work).

• flatpak-spawn --host is cool for escaping the sandbox, but sometimes it messes with stdin/stdout, which kills job control.

---

Hacks to try

1. Force a pseudo-terminal
   Wrap the spawn so it fakes a terminal:

   flatpak-spawn --host --env=TERM=xterm-256color bash -i

   Or hit it with script, setsid, or unshare --pty to trick it.

2. Play with shell flags
   Check how Codium launches bash. Try -i or --login. Avoid --norc / --noprofile if you want job control.

3. Quick test outside Codium

   flatpak-spawn --host bash

   See if job control still freaks out. Add -i or --login and see if it behaves.

4. Use a host wrapper script
   If it’s still glitchy, make a tiny script on the host (e.g., /usr/local/bin/hostbash) that sets the terminal up right, then point Codium to that instead of bash directly.

---

[o-alquimista]

It seems to be an issue with flatpak-spawn. If you use host-spawn instead, there will be no error message.

    "terminal.integrated.profiles.linux": {
        "bash": {
            "path": "/app/bin/host-spawn",
            "args": ["bash"],
            "icon": "terminal-bash",
            "overrideName": true
        }
    }

This is currently documented in the VSCodium README.

[Luca295DEV]

I remember VSCodium itself not inheriting my bash environment, and therefore extensions who depend on runtimes and tools in your path won't work. VSCodium itself needs to be spawned from outside the sandbox in order to properly function.

I use the version from the homebrew ublue tap:
https://github.com/ublue-os/homebrew-tap

It might be worth getting attention from the maintainers to the possibility of ditching the Flatpak entirely for a cask in homebrew/core. The above tap is more a proof-of-concept even though it works for me.

[daiyam]

It might be worth getting attention from the maintainers to the possibility of ditching the Flatpak entirely for a cask in homebrew/core.

It's the purpose of Flatpak to use a sandbox. Some users want it, so they have it.
There are other ways to install it.

[Luca295DEV]

Thanks for reaching out, that was fast and not expected.

Hmm, obviously you have a point there - but is that the point of an IDE, especially if nothing else is inside that sandbox? I mean maybe but eh? Who would realistically want that? You guys are doing a pretty good job at keeping the shady stuff out of VSCode so why would I want to put your IDE into a lonely sandbox?

Most users just expect a program to work as intended regardless of packaging, so that actually speaks against even providing a Flatpak - unless you put a warning with it. Ublue actually prevents you from using your Flatpak altogether and puts up more or less of a proper warning. Especially now as immutable distros are emerging (I am using one and the IDE situation is not so great as of now).

Some programs simply work the intended way under isolation and that is what Flatpaks are good for - you have a higher amount of trust that they won't do anything shady that they are not supposed to, say if there was a supply chain attack. It's closer to what phones are doing, and maybe someday you might see more corporate third party software appearing for Linux because of that.

But you usually want an IDE to even be able to take peaks inside other sandboxes, such as OCI containers. So you can't really put it inside a distrobox either.

[daiyam]

I agree with you. Sandbox for an IDE is a bit limiting...
But there might be an use case for those who give full access to their AI. Not sure.

I have no issue that Ublue/Bazaar disable the Flatpak for their platform. VSCodium can still be installed via their homebrew or with a .rpm.