Running a powershell script changes the console to a raster font

[agocke]

Create a simple powershell script, like the following:

echo.ps1
---------
echo "test"

and then run from within WSL, powershell.exe ./echo.ps1. The script runs successfully, but the font is changed to a raster font.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.15063]

[agocke]

@sunjoong Sorry, typo. See edited (you have to use ./echo.ps1)

[sunjoong]

@agocke - font not changed in my case

SUNJOONG-DESKTOP Desktop # /mnt/c/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell.exe ./echo.ps1
test
SUNJOONG-DESKTOP Desktop #

[agocke]

Ah. It's particular to having opened the console through a shortcut pinned to the taskbar or start menu. Probably a write/permissions issue.

[sunjoong]

@agocke - Hmm... that could be. I'm using through bash shortcut in start menu and admin account in windows side and root in linux.

[agocke]

@sunjoong Try it from the taskbar.

[sunjoong]

@agocke - same as shortcut in start menu.

[agocke]

@sunjoong 🤷‍♂️ Sounds like it's on the WSL team to sort out 😄

[sunjoong]

@agocke - Haha, no. If so am I, I should test with standard user account and normal linux account too. But, I'm doing something with this admin and root now.

This affects me as well.

[jay-tuckey]

This seems to be specifically when you try to pipe the output of the powershell command. For me:
~> powershell.exe -command 'write-host hi' - This doesn't change the font
~> powershell.exe -command 'write-host hi' | echo - This will change the font to a raster font. It also throws an error:

~> powershell.exe -command 'write-host hi' | echo

write-host : The specified network name is no longer available.
At line:1 char:1
+ write-host hi
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Host], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.IO.IOException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteHostCommand

[therealkenc]

Wasn't able to reproduce the 'raster font' behavior, which is kind of where this one has sat since May 2017. Maybe post a screencap just so there is clarity on what you are seeing. Also might be worth trying against wsltty or ttyd (or whatev) just to get a baseline versus the Windows Console.

As for the error, /bin/echo (or equivalent shell builtin) doesn't read from standard input so I can see how that might not work. Erroring out like that seems suboptimal though. Probably the input should be eaten silently, but oddly enough I've never even thought too hard about what consumes the characters if you do say a /bin/echo hello | /bin/echo goodbye in Linux. If you feel strongly about it spawn a new issue since this one is about the raster problem (such that it is). [ed] Piping cat (which is sensible) works as expected.

[jay-tuckey]

Whoops, sorry @therealkenc , my mistake using echo instead of cat.

Here's some better detail:
Windows Build

PS C:\> Get-ComputerInfo -Property WindowsBuildLabEx

WindowsBuildLabEx
-----------------
17763.1.amd64fre.rs5_release.180914-1434

Steps to reproduce error

• Run ubuntu shell from start menu
• Settings before:
  
• Execute powershell.exe -command 'Write-output hi' - no change to fonts etc.

jtuckey@jay-x1-carbon:~$ powershell.exe -command 'Write-output hi'
hi

• Execute powershell.exe -command 'Write-output hi' | cat - no error (now that I'm using cat 🙃), but fonts change to raster and console resizes. Settings after:
  

I'll give it a try now in mintty, and see if it works. [edit] Have tried in mintty and no issue there.

[therealkenc]

Okay got it. The variable between me (and others for two years) and you is that you started off on "Consolas". I started with "Lucida Console". I was able to reproduce starting with Consolas (whee). I'm on 18329, but the version isn't going to matter. Clearly the behavior has existed since the beginning of time.

Whatever is causing the font setting change, this is squarely Windows Console territory. Re-file over there and cite this issue. It is possible there is some cross-border problem and interop is pushing some weird data we can't see. But it works okay with wsltty (Consolas or otherwise), and WSL proper doesn't have any direct (or at least intended) way to cause the font to reset like that. Even if interop was subtly broken the terminal ought not do that. Bonne chance, and thank you for the persistence. This would have sat another two years without your repro.