claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix VS Code extension: terminal-mode Claude not respawned after window reload (panel returns empty)

Summary

With the extension in terminal mode (claudeCode.useTerminal: true, claudeCode.preferredLocation: "panel"), launching Claude opens a panel running the claude CLI. After Developer: Reload Window (or quitting and reopening VS Code), the panel reappears but is completely empty — there is no terminal and no claude process. Claude is never respawned.

This is distinct from #36845 / #59303, which are about conversation history not persisting. Here the problem is that Claude is never relaunched after reload — the session process is gone and nothing replaces it, leaving a blank panel.

Note: #60937 states that bottom terminal-panel sessions persist across reload. But my terminal-mode panel came back empty (right side). (#64515 is related but concerns native webview chat tabs, not terminal mode.)

Environment

• Claude Code VS Code extension: 2.1.165 (darwin-arm64)
• VS Code: 1.123.0
• OS: macOS (Darwin 25.2)
• Settings: claudeCode.useTerminal: true, claudeCode.preferredLocation: "panel"

Steps to reproduce

1. Launch Claude via the extension (terminal mode, panel location).
2. Run Developer: Reload Window (or quit + reopen VS Code).
3. Observe: the Claude panel is restored as an empty container — no terminal, no claude process.

Expected

After reload, the extension should respawn the claude process (ideally resuming the prior session) instead of leaving an empty panel.

Actual

Empty panel; Claude is not respawned.

Workaround

Launching claude in a plain editor-area terminal (a custom command running workbench.action.createTerminalEditorSide then claude) works with idea attached to it and a reload developer window reloads the claude terminal. So the gap is specifically the missing respawn in the extension's managed terminal panel, not lost history.

But there is one catch, even the reloaded terminal is afterwards not reconnected to the idea, a /idea is still required afterwards