Auto-reload shell environment instead of requiring Ctrl-Alt-R

[domenkozar]

Summary

• Shell environment now auto-reloads at the next prompt via PROMPT_COMMAND instead of requiring the user to press Ctrl-Alt-R
• Status bar shows "reloaded" after the environment is applied, instead of prompting with a keybind hint
• Ctrl-Alt-R keybind still works for immediate reload, just no longer advertised

Fixes #2595.

Test plan

• Run devenv shell, edit devenv.nix, verify environment reloads automatically at next prompt
• Verify status bar shows "building..." then "ready" then "reloaded" transitions
• Verify Ctrl-Alt-R still works for immediate reload
• cargo nextest run -p devenv-shell passes (131 tests, snapshot updated)

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[github-actions]

🔍 Suggested Reviewers

Based on git blame analysis of the changed lines, the following contributors have significant experience with the modified code:

• @sandydoo - 100.0% of changed lines (3 lines)

Please consider reviewing this PR as you have authored significant portions of the code being modified. Your expertise would be valuable! 🙏

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Last updated: 2026-04-08T08:51:25.421Z

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View logs

[AmentumStudio]

Changing .name in devenv.nix triggers rebuild, but one needs to exit shell and enter shell again to see changes.
(I see ready, but never reloaded).

EDIT: This happens with https://github.com/mcdonc/devenv-zsh turned on (it actually does use zsh with devenv shell v2 now).

[AmentumStudio]

Adding random package:
packages = [ pkgs.gost ];
Triggers rebuild, there is ready, never reloaded, which gost results in gost not found.
I need to exit shell and run nix run github:cachix/devenv/auto-reload-shell shell for which gost to return the path.

EDIT: This happens with https://github.com/mcdonc/devenv-zsh turned on (it actually does use zsh with devenv shell v2 now).

[AmentumStudio]

If I don't use devenv-zsh (and use bash as result), I need to press ENTER once there appears ready in the bottom of TUI, then it changes to reloaded.
But once it is rebuilt and relodaded, changing anything else in devenv.nix does not trigger any rebuilds.
It behaves as if it only listens for first change, then stops listenging.

[euphemism]

Is it possible to support both auto-reload and manual triggering? i.e. introducing a config option for the manual keybind?

[domenkozar]

Is it possible to support both auto-reload and manual triggering? i.e. introducing a config option for the manual keybind?

You'd prefer manual reload?

[euphemism]

Is it possible to support both auto-reload and manual triggering? i.e. introducing a config option for the manual keybind?

You'd prefer manual reload?

In some scenarios, possibly. My main issue is that as currently implemented I simply can't use the feature.

[domenkozar]

Changing .name in devenv.nix triggers rebuild, but one needs to exit shell and enter shell again to see changes. (I see ready, but never reloaded).

EDIT: This happens with https://github.com/mcdonc/devenv-zsh turned on (it actually does use zsh with devenv shell v2 now).

It should reload if you press enter. Can you try again?

[domenkozar]

I've tested and this works now, addressing the issue of manually reloading the shell. We can still introduce possibility to bind it to a key later on, as this matches how direnv worked.