fix(tui): always position cursor for IME

# Conflicts:
#	packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 ### Added
 
 - Export `keyHint`, `appKeyHint`, `editorKey`, `appKey`, `rawKeyHint` for extensions to format keybinding hints consistently
+- Added `showHardwareCursor` setting to control cursor visibility while still positioning it for IME support. ([#800](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/800) by [@ghoulr](https://github.com/ghoulr))
+- Added `ctx.compact()` and `ctx.getContextUsage()` to extension contexts for programmatic compaction and context usage checks.
 
 ## [0.48.0] - 2026-01-16
 

packages/coding-agent/README.md

@@ -789,6 +789,7 @@ Global `~/.pi/agent/settings.json` stores persistent preferences:
     "autoResize": true,
     "blockImages": false
   },
+  "showHardwareCursor": false,
   "extensions": ["/path/to/extension.ts"]
 }
 ```
@@ -816,6 +817,7 @@ Global `~/.pi/agent/settings.json` stores persistent preferences:
 | `terminal.showImages` | Render images inline (supported terminals) | `true` |
 | `images.autoResize` | Auto-resize images to 2000x2000 max for better model compatibility | `true` |
 | `images.blockImages` | Prevent images from being sent to LLM providers | `false` |
+| `showHardwareCursor` | Show terminal cursor while still positioning it for IME support | `false` |
 | `doubleEscapeAction` | Action for double-escape with empty editor: `tree` or `branch` | `tree` |
 | `editorPaddingX` | Horizontal padding for input editor (0-3) | `0` |
 | `extensions` | Additional extension file paths | `[]` |

packages/coding-agent/src/core/settings-manager.ts

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export interface Settings {
 	doubleEscapeAction?: "fork" | "tree"; // Action for double-escape with empty editor (default: "tree")
 	thinkingBudgets?: ThinkingBudgetsSettings; // Custom token budgets for thinking levels
 	editorPaddingX?: number; // Horizontal padding for input editor (default: 0)
+	showHardwareCursor?: boolean; // Show terminal cursor while still positioning it for IME
 }
 
 /** Deep merge settings: project/overrides take precedence, nested objects merge recursively */
@@ -482,6 +483,15 @@ export class SettingsManager {
 		this.save();
 	}
 
+	getShowHardwareCursor(): boolean {
+		return this.settings.showHardwareCursor ?? process.env.PI_HARDWARE_CURSOR === "1";
+	}
+
+	setShowHardwareCursor(enabled: boolean): void {
+		this.globalSettings.showHardwareCursor = enabled;
+		this.save();
+	}
+
 	getEditorPaddingX(): number {
 		return this.settings.editorPaddingX ?? 0;
 	}

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/settings-selector.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export interface SettingsConfig {
 	hideThinkingBlock: boolean;
 	collapseChangelog: boolean;
 	doubleEscapeAction: "fork" | "tree";
+	showHardwareCursor: boolean;
 	editorPaddingX: number;
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ export interface SettingsCallbacks {
 	onHideThinkingBlockChange: (hidden: boolean) => void;
 	onCollapseChangelogChange: (collapsed: boolean) => void;
 	onDoubleEscapeActionChange: (action: "fork" | "tree") => void;
+	onShowHardwareCursorChange: (enabled: boolean) => void;
 	onEditorPaddingXChange: (padding: number) => void;
 	onCancel: () => void;
 }
@@ -269,9 +271,19 @@ export class SettingsSelectorComponent extends Container {
 			values: ["true", "false"],
 		});
 
-		// Editor padding toggle (insert after skill-commands)
+		// Hardware cursor toggle (insert after skill-commands)
 		const skillCommandsIndex = items.findIndex((item) => item.id === "skill-commands");
 		items.splice(skillCommandsIndex + 1, 0, {
+			id: "show-hardware-cursor",
+			label: "Show hardware cursor",
+			description: "Show the terminal cursor while still positioning it for IME support",
+			currentValue: config.showHardwareCursor ? "true" : "false",
+			values: ["true", "false"],
+		});
+
+		// Editor padding toggle (insert after show-hardware-cursor)
+		const hardwareCursorIndex = items.findIndex((item) => item.id === "show-hardware-cursor");
+		items.splice(hardwareCursorIndex + 1, 0, {
 			id: "editor-padding",
 			label: "Editor padding",
 			description: "Horizontal padding for input editor (0-3)",
@@ -318,6 +330,9 @@ export class SettingsSelectorComponent extends Container {
 					case "double-escape-action":
 						callbacks.onDoubleEscapeActionChange(newValue as "fork" | "tree");
 						break;
+					case "show-hardware-cursor":
+						callbacks.onShowHardwareCursorChange(newValue === "true");
+						break;
 					case "editor-padding":
 						callbacks.onEditorPaddingXChange(parseInt(newValue, 10));
 						break;

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 	) {
 		this.session = session;
 		this.version = VERSION;
-		this.ui = new TUI(new ProcessTerminal());
+		this.ui = new TUI(new ProcessTerminal(), this.settingsManager.getShowHardwareCursor());
 		this.chatContainer = new Container();
 		this.pendingMessagesContainer = new Container();
 		this.statusContainer = new Container();
@@ -689,6 +689,18 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 				shutdown: () => {
 					this.shutdownRequested = true;
 				},
+				getContextUsage: () => this.session.getContextUsage(),
+				compact: (options) => {
+					void (async () => {
+						try {
+							const result = await this.session.compact(options?.customInstructions);
+							options?.onComplete?.(result);
+						} catch (error) {
+							const err = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error));
+							options?.onError?.(err);
+						}
+					})();
+				},
 			},
 			// ExtensionCommandContextActions - for ctx.* in command handlers
 			{
@@ -813,6 +825,18 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			shutdown: () => {
 				this.shutdownRequested = true;
 			},
+			getContextUsage: () => this.session.getContextUsage(),
+			compact: (options) => {
+				void (async () => {
+					try {
+						const result = await this.session.compact(options?.customInstructions);
+						options?.onComplete?.(result);
+					} catch (error) {
+						const err = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error));
+						options?.onError?.(err);
+					}
+				})();
+			},
 		});
 
 		// Set up the extension shortcut handler on the default editor
@@ -2521,6 +2545,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 					hideThinkingBlock: this.hideThinkingBlock,
 					collapseChangelog: this.settingsManager.getCollapseChangelog(),
 					doubleEscapeAction: this.settingsManager.getDoubleEscapeAction(),
+					showHardwareCursor: this.settingsManager.getShowHardwareCursor(),
 					editorPaddingX: this.settingsManager.getEditorPaddingX(),
 				},
 				{
@@ -2589,6 +2614,10 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 					onDoubleEscapeActionChange: (action) => {
 						this.settingsManager.setDoubleEscapeAction(action);
 					},
+					onShowHardwareCursorChange: (enabled) => {
+						this.settingsManager.setShowHardwareCursor(enabled);
+						this.ui.setShowHardwareCursor(enabled);
+					},
 					onEditorPaddingXChange: (padding) => {
 						this.settingsManager.setEditorPaddingX(padding);
 						this.defaultEditor.setPaddingX(padding);

packages/tui/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- Added `showHardwareCursor` getter and setter to control cursor visibility while keeping IME positioning active. ([#800](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/800) by [@ghoulr](https://github.com/ghoulr))
+
 ## [0.48.0] - 2026-01-16
 
 ### Added

packages/tui/src/tui.ts

@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ export class TUI extends Container {
 	private hardwareCursorRow = 0; // Actual terminal cursor row (may differ due to IME positioning)
 	private inputBuffer = ""; // Buffer for parsing terminal responses
 	private cellSizeQueryPending = false;
-	private useHardwareCursor = process.env.PI_HARDWARE_CURSOR === "1";
+	private showHardwareCursor = process.env.PI_HARDWARE_CURSOR === "1";
 
 	// Overlay stack for modal components rendered on top of base content
 	private overlayStack: {
@@ -218,9 +218,25 @@ export class TUI extends Container {
 		hidden: boolean;
 	}[] = [];
 
-	constructor(terminal: Terminal) {
+	constructor(terminal: Terminal, showHardwareCursor?: boolean) {
 		super();
 		this.terminal = terminal;
+		if (showHardwareCursor !== undefined) {
+			this.showHardwareCursor = showHardwareCursor;
+		}
+	}
+
+	getShowHardwareCursor(): boolean {
+		return this.showHardwareCursor;
+	}
+
+	setShowHardwareCursor(enabled: boolean): void {
+		if (this.showHardwareCursor === enabled) return;
+		this.showHardwareCursor = enabled;
+		if (!enabled) {
+			this.terminal.hideCursor();
+		}
+		this.requestRender();
 	}
 
 	setFocus(component: Component | null): void {
@@ -982,12 +998,6 @@ export class TUI extends Container {
 	 * @param totalLines Total number of rendered lines
 	 */
 	private positionHardwareCursor(cursorPos: { row: number; col: number } | null, totalLines: number): void {
-		// PI_HARDWARE_CURSOR=1 enables hardware cursor (disabled by default due to terminal compatibility issues)
-		if (!this.useHardwareCursor) {
-			this.terminal.hideCursor();
-			return;
-		}
-
 		if (!cursorPos || totalLines <= 0) {
 			this.terminal.hideCursor();
 			return;
@@ -1013,6 +1023,10 @@ export class TUI extends Container {
 		}
 
 		this.hardwareCursorRow = targetRow;
-		this.terminal.showCursor();
+		if (this.showHardwareCursor) {
+			this.terminal.showCursor();
+		} else {
+			this.terminal.hideCursor();
+		}
 	}
 }