Grok keys in VS Code

Short answer

Free Ctrl+Space (and other Grok chords) only in Luna Grok shells — Yes — extension unbinds conflicting VS Code defaults while that terminal is focused
Make VS Code “implement” every Grok shortcut — No — keys must reach the terminal; Grok handles them
Remap Grok’s own keys — No — Grok TUI bindings are fixed

Spurious characters (`[M…`, weird glyphs after Grok)

Those are almost always xterm mouse-tracking escape sequences, not corruption of your project. Grok’s TUI enables mouse mode; if it stays on after the TUI exits (or during focus glitches), clicks/scrolls get injected as text into the shell — and if you paste that into chat, the agent sees garbage.

Immediate fix (run in the affected terminal)

bash / Git Bash / macOS / Linux:

printf '\033[?1000l\033[?1002l\033[?1003l\033[?1006l\033[?1015l\033[?1005l\033[?2004l'

pwsh:

$e = [char]27; [Console]::Out.Write("$e[?1000l$e[?1002l$e[?1003l$e[?1006l$e[?1015l$e[?1005l$e[?2004l")

Then Terminal: Clear (or open a new Luna Grok terminal).

Habits that reduce it

Prefer Luna: Create Grok Build (…) terminals (Luna clears mouse modes after grok exits).
Do not select/copy the garbled line into chat — discard and retype.
After Grok exits to a normal prompt, if you see garbage on click, run the printf / pwsh line above.
Optional VS Code: leave mouse wheel for scroll; avoid relying on terminal mouse while Grok is mid-exit.

Product fix (extension)

Grok Build startup scripts (pwsh + bash) now disable mouse tracking after the TUI process ends (?1000l / ?1002l / ?1003l / ?1006l / bracketed paste off). Rebuild/reload multiagent to pick this up.

What VS Code was doing with Ctrl+Space

Trigger Suggest (editor.action.triggerSuggest) — IntelliSense / autocomplete. That is why Grok voice never saw the chord in the integrated terminal.

Official Grok voice keys: /voice or Ctrl+Space (not F8). Esc leaves voice.

What the Luna extension does

Sets context luna.grokTerminalFocus when the active terminal name is a Luna Grok profile (Grok Build …, Grok (pwsh|bash), etc.).
Contributes negative keybindings (unbinds) so VS Code does not steal those chords while that terminal is focused (see matrix below).
Setting (default on):

lunaFoundry.preferGrokKeybindingsInTerminal: true

Status bar is a toggle (not display-only):
Focus a Luna Grok terminal → Grok keys (on) or Grok keys off appears.
Click the item → flips the setting (User scope) and refreshes pass-through.
Command Palette: Luna: Toggle Grok Keys (pass-through in Luna terminals) (luna.toggleGrokKeybindings).
When off, the bar uses a warning background so you notice VS Code may steal chords.

Grok vs VS Code — conflict matrix (VS Code family)

Grok already rebinds some things on VS Code family terminals (docs): e.g. Ctrl+L = mid-turn interject, Ctrl+D = quit (not Ctrl+Q), plugins via /plugins. Still, the workbench can steal chords before they reach the PTY.

Voice — Ctrl+Space · Trigger Suggest · P0 · Yes
Command palette — Ctrl+P · Quick Open · P0 · Yes
Background command — Ctrl+B · Toggle Sidebar · P0 · Yes
Tasks pane — Ctrl+G · Go to Line · P1 · Yes
Mid-turn interject (VS Code family) — Ctrl+L · Chat open / terminal clear · P0 · Yes (chat variants)
Model / multiline — Ctrl+M · Tab focus mode · P1 · Yes
Always-approve — Ctrl+O · Open File · P1 · Yes
Prompt queue — Ctrl+; / Ctrl+' · Terminal focus tabs (varies) · P2 · Partial (ctrl+;)
Todos — Ctrl+T · (often free) · P2 · Optional
Session picker — Ctrl+S · Save · P1 — careful · No (save is sacred; use /resume)
New session — Ctrl+N · New window/file · P2 · Optional
Shortcuts help — Ctrl+. / Ctrl+X · (Ctrl+X cut in editor; terminal OK) · P2 · Prefer Ctrl+X in VS Code
Settings — F2 / Ctrl+, · Rename symbol / settings · P2 · Prefer F2 in TUI or /settings
Send now mid-turn — Ctrl+L (VS Code) · same as interject · P0 · covered with Ctrl+L unbinds
Expand thinking — Ctrl+E · Focus Open Editors · P2 · Yes
Fullscreen block — Ctrl+F · Find · P2 · Optional (Find is useful in editor; only when Grok terminal focused)
Half-page down — Ctrl+D → Shift+D in VS Code · (Grok already rebinds) · n/a · Grok-side
Quit — Ctrl+Q → Ctrl+D in VS Code · (Grok already rebinds) · n/a · Grok-side
Image paste (Windows) — Alt+V · rarely stolen · n/a · Document only
Shell mode — ! on empty prompt · free · n/a · —

Do not unbind lightly: Ctrl+C (copy/cancel), Ctrl+V (paste), Ctrl+S (save when not terminal-focused — our when clause already scopes to Grok terminal).

Recommended next unbinds (if still stolen)

Ctrl+F — -actions.find when luna.grokTerminalFocus
Ctrl+T — -workbench.action.showAllSymbols / terminal tabs (build-dependent)
Ctrl+N — -workbench.action.files.newUntitledFile when Grok terminal focused
Ctrl+L — also -workbench.action.terminal.clear if terminal profile maps Clear

Shell conveniences to add (Luna product)

Beyond keybinds — what makes “Grok inside VS Code” feel first-class for release closeout.

Already have (good)

Grok Build terminals (auto-start TUI) pwsh/bash — Yes
Grok clean shells (PATH only) — Yes
Tab color by shell (pwsh blue / bash yellow) — Yes
Icons rocket vs terminal — Yes
Install / verify Grok CLI hub — Yes
Install Luna Grok plugin — Yes
Setup → shell $HOME/etc — Yes
Profile heal on activation — Yes

High value (status for 1.0.26243)

1 — Grok keybind pack (this doc + package.json unbinds) · Voice + palette + interject work in-IDE · Shipped
2 — Status: “Grok keys” when luna.grokTerminalFocus · Operator knows chords will pass through · Shipped
3 — One-click dual pane — Build + clean shell + Join Terminals recipe in Setup success · Documented trail; automate if API allows
4 — Env banner in Build terminal — one line after launch: shell-env version, grok --version, plugin hint · Base Camp confidence without typing
5 — Secrets discipline hint — “use clean shell for PAT CLIs, not TUI paste” · AI-safe
6 — /voice fallback toast if we detect voice toggle failures (hard) — else docs · Reliability
7 — Windows: Alt+V image paste note in Grok shell welcome · Windows-specific
8 — Doctor shortcut from status bar: run grok doctor in clean shell · Support
9 — Optional: send text to active Grok terminal command (extension → PTY) · Power users; careful with focus
10 — WSL removed · No Luna WSL terminals/installers — native pwsh/bash only

Explicitly later (not first release)

Full 3D orbit / Deep Zoom productized in extension webview
Remappable Grok keymap (needs xAI)
Capture all Cursor/VS Code Insiders experimental chords forever

How to use (after rebuild)

Reload window / reinstall multiagent with new keybindings + context.
Open Grok Build (pwsh) or Grok Build (bash) (Luna profile name).
Focus that terminal tab (luna.grokTerminalFocus).
Ctrl+Space for voice, or /voice.

Immediate user override (no rebuild)

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+space",
    "command": "-editor.action.triggerSuggest",
    "when": "terminalFocus"
  }
]

Broader than Luna-only. Prefer extension path for Grok shells only.

Sources

Grok Build user guide: 03-keyboard-shortcuts.md, 21-terminal-support.md (voice: /voice or Ctrl+Space)
Extension: package.json keybindings + registerGrokTerminalKeybindingContext