Re: Bug: iTerm.app and iTerm2.app terminfo files trigger false macOS app icons

Thomas Dickey <[email protected]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:33 -0400

Newsgroups	gmane.comp.lib.ncurses.bugs
Message-ID	<[email protected]>

On Tue, Apr 28, 2026 at 06:38:42PM +0800, 王浩宇 wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am reporting a UX issue on macOS caused by two specific terminfo files in
> the ncurses package.
> 
> The Problem:
> When ncurses is installed on macOS, the compiled terminfo database creates
> two actual files named exactly iTerm.app and iTerm2.app (located in
> share/terminfo/69/).
> 
> Because macOS uses .app as the exclusive extension for native applications,
> the system’s Spotlight indexer automatically detects these files and
> displays them as executable apps in the macOS Launchpad. Clicking these
> “ghost” icons does nothing, as they are just plain-text terminal database
> files, not real applications.
> 
> The Fix:
> Since .app is a reserved extension on macOS, could the terminal type names
> be changed (for example, to iterm_app and iterm2_app) to prevent this
> naming conflict?

That's something that a packager (Macports or brew) would do,
e.g., simply not install files that they found to be a nuisance.

Both of those have aliases,

iTerm.app|iterm|iTerm.app terminal emulator for Mac OS X,
iTerm2.app|iterm2|terminal emulator for Mac OS X,

so just a
	sed -e 's/^[^.]*\.app|//'

in the install script would eliminate that issue.

Renaming things impacts any existing users, and since "iTerm.app"
dates back to 2009 (and exists in Apple's copy...), and as you
say, doesn't actually _do_ anything, it seems a little late.

-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <[email protected]>
https://invisible-island.net

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