Skip to content

Request Setting (DECRQSS)

Category: device · Baseline: rich · Tags: VT510 · Specification ↗

ESC P $ q setting ESC \\
DECRQSS (DCS $ q Pt ST) queries the current value of a terminal setting. For example, querying DECSCL returns the current conformance level. Useful for terminals that want to verify their configuration programmatically.
How this is testedautomated
Send DCS $ q " p ST to query DECSCL, check for a DCS response.

The same probe runs against headless backends (via Termless) and real terminal apps (via a daemon launched in each terminal). This lets us distinguish parser correctness from rendering correctness.

Analysis2026-04-06

Supported by 8 of 12 terminals (67%). Not supported by: Kitty, Terminal.app, Warp, vt100.js. Part of the Rich TUI baseline. Notes: Kitty: Headless mode has no output stream for DECRQSS responses; vt100.js: No output stream — pure TypeScript emulator.

Supported by 8 of 14 backends (57%)

Terminal Applications

TerminalVersionSupportNotes
iTerm23.6.9✓ yes
Ghostty1.3.1✓ yes
VS Code✓ yes
Cursor✓ yes
Warp✗ no
Terminal.app✗ no

Headless Backends

Parser correctness only — a means the parser accepts the sequence.

BackendVersionSupportNotes
vterm0.2.0✓ yes
xterm.js5.5.0✓ yes
Alacritty0.26.0~ partialHeadless mode has no output stream for DECRQSS responses
Kitty0.40.0~ partialHeadless mode has no output stream for DECRQSS responses
WezTerm0.1.0-fork.5~ partialHeadless mode has no output stream for DECRQSS responses
vt100.js0.2.1✗ noNo output stream — pure TypeScript emulator