VS Code nRF Connect build output corrupted / overwritten in integrated terminal after recent updates (Windows)

[loicg]

Hi,

I’m running into a terminal output issue with nRF Connect for VS Code on Windows that seems to have appeared after recent updates. I did not have this problem in 2025 with older versions.

Problem description

When building an application using the nRF Connect VS Code extension (Build button / build task), the build output in the VS Code integrated terminal becomes unreadable:

• characters are misaligned

• lines appear to be partially overwritten

• Ninja progress lines ([x/y]) and compiler errors get mixed together

• error messages are very hard to read or truncated

This looks like carriage-return (\r) redraw handling going wrong in the terminal.

Example symptoms (simplified):

[39/213] Building C object ...
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.modbus_peripheral_t *peripheral)
...

What works reliably

If I do not use the VS Code integrated terminal, but instead:

1. Launch an external toolchain shell:

nrfutil toolchain-manager launch --terminal powershell --ncs-version v3.1.0

2. Then run the exact same west build command manually:

west build --build-dir c:/Users/loicg/work/in-terra/wip/embedded/logr-logic-workspace/logr-logic/app/build_dev `
c:/Users/loicg/work/in-terra/wip/embedded/logr-logic-workspace/logr-logic/app `
--pristine `
--board [email protected]/nrf52840 `
--no-sysbuild `
-- `
-DCONFIG_DEBUG_OPTIMIZATIONS=y `
-DCONFIG_DEBUG_THREAD_INFO=y `
-DCONF_FILE="prj.conf" `
-DEXTRA_CONF_FILE="overlay-bt.conf;overlay-gpio-expander.conf;overlay-lora.conf;overlay-measurement.conf;overlay-modbus-wpre.conf;overlay-modbus.conf;overlay-nus-console.conf;overlay-nus-shell.conf;overlay-powerboard.conf;overlay-uart-dynpincontrol.conf;overlay-settings.conf" `
-DDTC_OVERLAY_FILE="dts-bme280.overlay;dts-gpio-hogs.overlay;dts-modbus.overlay;dts-nus-console.overlay;dts-uart0-dynpinctrl.overlay"

️ The output is perfectly readable in that case.

So this appears to be specific to how the VS Code integrated terminal / tasks handle the build output, not a toolchain or project issue.

Things I’ve already tried (no success)

• Disabling terminal GPU acceleration

• Restarting VS Code after changing settings

• Switching shells for nRF Connect tasks:

  • PowerShell 7 (pwsh)

  • cmd.exe

• Disabling ConPTY

• Disabling shell integration

• Increasing terminal scrollback

• Verifying that the correct toolchain and environment are used

None of these resolved the mixed / overwritten output when the build is launched from nRF Connect inside VS Code.

Environment

• OS: Windows

• nRF Connect for VS Code: recent version (problem appeared after recent updates)

• NCS: v3.1.0

• Build system: west / CMake / Ninja

• Board: [email protected]/nrf52840

Question

• Is this a known issue with recent nRF Connect VS Code releases or VS Code terminal integration?

• Is there a recommended way to force non-redrawing / line-based output for builds launched from the extension?

• Or a way to make nRF Connect run builds in an external terminal instead of the integrated one?

Thanks for any pointers — happy to provide logs or try test builds if needed.

[GoncaloS]

Hi, 

I have exatcly the same problem with build/flash logs.

Regards,
GoncaloS