fix(terminal): start WSL local shells from Linux home

electron/bridges/terminalBridge.cjs

@@ -851,6 +851,45 @@ function getLocalShellArgs(shellPath) {
   return [];
 }
 
+function isWslExecutable(shellPath) {
+  if (process.platform !== "win32" || typeof shellPath !== "string") return false;
+  return /(?:^|[\\/])wsl(?:\.exe)?$/i.test(shellPath.trim());
+}
+
+function getWslLaunchArgs(shellPath, shellArgs, hasExplicitCwd) {
+  const args = Array.isArray(shellArgs) ? [...shellArgs] : [];
+  // Without --cd, wsl.exe translates the parent Windows cwd. That can fail
+  // before the Linux shell starts (for example, when the Windows home is not
+  // mounted or accessible to the selected distro). Start at Linux $HOME unless
+  // the caller deliberately supplied a working directory or --cd option.
+  if (
+    !isWslExecutable(shellPath) ||
+    hasExplicitCwd ||
+    args.some((arg) => arg === "--cd" || arg.startsWith("--cd="))
+  ) {
+    return args;
+  }
+
+  // The tokens following --exec/-e, or the first bare command, are passed to
+  // Linux verbatim. Account for WSL options with a separate value before
+  // locating that boundary, then insert --cd before it rather than accidentally
+  // passing --cd to the shell or command.
+  let commandIndex = -1;
+  for (let index = 0; index < args.length; index += 1) {
+    const arg = args[index];
+    if (arg === "--exec" || arg === "-e" || !arg.startsWith("-")) {
+      commandIndex = index;
+      break;
+    }
+    if (arg === "--distribution" || arg === "-d" || arg === "--user" || arg === "-u") {
+      index += 1;
+    }
+  }
+  const insertAt = commandIndex === -1 ? args.length : commandIndex;
+  args.splice(insertAt, 0, "--cd", "~");
+  return args;
+}
+
 const isUtf8Locale = (value) => typeof value === "string" && /utf-?8/i.test(value);
 
 const isEmptyLocale = (value) => {
@@ -896,7 +935,12 @@ function startLocalSession(event, payload) {
     }
   }
   const shell = normalizeExecutablePath(resolvedShell) || defaultShell;
-  const shellArgs = resolvedArgs ?? getLocalShellArgs(shell);
+  const requestedCwd = typeof payload?.cwd === "string" && payload.cwd.trim().length > 0;
+  const shellArgs = getWslLaunchArgs(
+    shell,
+    resolvedArgs ?? getLocalShellArgs(shell),
+    requestedCwd,
+  );
   const shellKind = detectShellKind(shell);
   const { buildTerminalProcessEnv } = require("./httpNetworkProxyBridge.cjs");
   const env = applyLocaleDefaults({
@@ -2536,6 +2580,7 @@ module.exports = {
   registerHandlers,
   findExecutable,
   getDefaultLocalShell,
+  getWslLaunchArgs,
   startLocalSession,
   startTelnetSession,
   startMoshSession,

electron/bridges/terminalBridge.outputFlood.test.cjs

@@ -99,6 +99,33 @@ function loadBridgeWithFakes(spawns, sentries) {
   }
 }
 
+test("WSL launch arguments use Linux home unless a working directory is explicit", () => {
+  const bridge = loadBridgeWithFakes([], []);
+  const platformDescriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "platform");
+
+  try {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { ...platformDescriptor, value: "win32" });
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      bridge.getWslLaunchArgs("C:\\Windows\\System32\\wsl.exe", ["-d", "Ubuntu"], false),
+      ["-d", "Ubuntu", "--cd", "~"],
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      bridge.getWslLaunchArgs("C:\\Windows\\System32\\wsl.exe", ["-d", "Ubuntu"], true),
+      ["-d", "Ubuntu"],
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      bridge.getWslLaunchArgs(
+        "C:\\Windows\\System32\\wsl.exe",
+        ["-d", "Ubuntu", "--exec", "zsh", "-l"],
+        false,
+      ),
+      ["-d", "Ubuntu", "--cd", "~", "--exec", "zsh", "-l"],
+    );
+  } finally {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", platformDescriptor);
+  }
+});
+
 test("Windows local terminals enable the bundled ConPTY implementation required for clear", () => {
   const spawns = [];
   const sentries = [];