Add console commands for clearing output and history #882

Adds new console commands for clearing the screen and managing command history in the GUI RPC console.

Introduces four new commands:

• clear - clears the console output area.
• clear-all - clears both output and command history.
• history - lists stored command history.
• history-clear - clears command history only.

Provides explicit, privacy-orientd ways to clear console history and output without altering default behavior. Useful in shared or long-running sessions.

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Conflicts

Reviewers, this pull request conflicts with the following ones:

• #909 (Prevent re-execution of sensitive commands from console history by waketraindev)

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I don't think this change is practical. Clearing the console should remove the visible output, but it shouldn't also clear the command history. In most terminal environments (e.g., bash, zsh, cmd, PowerShell, etc.), using clear or Ctrl+L clears the screen while preserving command history, which remains accessible via the arrow keys. Users often rely on this history to repeat or modify previous commands, and removing it could unintentionally disrupt that workflow. I suggest keeping the command history intact when clearing the console.

Also, just a heads-up: this GUI repository is currently in maintenance mode and primarily focused on bugfixes — new feature additions are unlikely to be considered or prioritized unless they're closely tied to functionality in Bitcoin Core. If you're interested in contributing new features or improvements, I encourage you to take a look at bitcoin-core/gui-qml, which is the new GUI project under active development. Your contributions would be very welcome there.

I don't think this change is practical. Clearing the console should remove the visible output, but it shouldn't also clear the command history. In most terminal environments (e.g., bash, zsh, cmd, PowerShell, etc.), using clear or Ctrl+L clears the screen while preserving command history, which remains accessible via the arrow keys. Users often rely on this history to repeat or modify previous commands, and removing it could unintentionally disrupt that workflow. I suggest keeping the command history intact when clearing the console.

Also, just a heads-up: this GUI repository is currently in maintenance mode and primarily focused on bugfixes — new feature additions are unlikely to be considered or prioritized unless they're closely tied to functionality in Bitcoin Core. If you're interested in contributing new features or improvements, I encourage you to take a look at bitcoin-core/gui-qml, which is the new GUI project under active development. Your contributions would be very welcome there.

Thanks for the feedback. I understand the comparison to typical terminal behavior, but I think the context here is different.

In the RPC console, the command history is never cleared unless you shut down Bitcoin Qt. It stays even after using the "Clear" button, closing the console, or even closing the wallet. This means any sensitive or debug-related commands remain accessible via the arrow keys across sessions. Clearing only the output gives a false impression that the console was fully reset.

This change makes the "Clear" button behave more like a full reset, which helps with privacy and general cleanup during debugging. It also aligns with what some users expect from a GUI console.

I understand the repo is in maintenance mode, but I still think this is a relevant and useful change. If needed, I'm open to submitting it to gui-qml instead.

If there is concern about preserving history by default, a compromise could be to clear command history only when holding Shift while clicking the "Clear" button, similar to how modifier keys are used in other GUIs for alternate actions. But personally, my expectation as a user is that "Clear" fully resets the console, including input history.

I'm still not very convinced with this change but let's see what others think. Thank you!

Concept NACK, agree we should match expected behaviour here (not clearing command history). Maybe some way can be added, but I'm not sure there's an obvious right way.

Updated the patch to only clear input when Shift is held; also added Ctrl+Shift+L as a secondary shortcut.

Thanks for the update, but I don’t think relying on a hidden keyboard combination (Shift modifier and Ctrl+Shift+L) is a good long-term solution. Most users will never discover it, and without documentation, it risks becoming an obscure feature that only a handful of people know about. It also deviates from common terminal behavior, where clearing the output and clearing history are separate, explicit actions. On top of that, shortcut bindings can be difficult to maintain long-term — they may conflict with other shortcuts, differ across platforms, or get broken by Qt or OS changes.

I think that a more user-friendly and discoverable approach would be to support terminal-style commands in the console, so users can interact in a way they already understand from bash, zsh, cmd, PowerShell, etc. For example:

history               # list cached commands
help history          # show usage info for the history command
history -c            # clear command history
clear                 # clear visible console output only
help clear            # explain clear options (e.g. 'clear history')
clear history         # clear command history

This way, clearing history becomes an intentional action the user explicitly types, and it can be documented alongside other commands in the console’s help output. It’s discoverable, consistent with terminal norms but mainly with the current rpc console behaviour, and extensible if more sub-commands are needed in the future.

Thanks for the update, but I don’t think relying on a hidden keyboard combination (Shift modifier and Ctrl+Shift+L) is a good long-term solution. Most users will never discover it, and without documentation, it risks becoming an obscure feature that only a handful of people know about. It also deviates from common terminal behavior, where clearing the output and clearing history are separate, explicit actions. On top of that, shortcut bindings can be difficult to maintain long-term — they may conflict with other shortcuts, differ across platforms, or get broken by Qt or OS changes.

I think that a more user-friendly and discoverable approach would be to support terminal-style commands in the console, so users can interact in a way they already understand from bash, zsh, cmd, PowerShell, etc. For example:

history               # list cached commands
help history          # show usage info for the history command
history -c            # clear command history
clear                 # clear visible console output only
help clear            # explain clear options (e.g. 'clear history')
clear history         # clear command history

This way, clearing history becomes an intentional action the user explicitly types, and it can be documented alongside other commands in the console’s help output. It’s discoverable, consistent with terminal norms but mainly with the current rpc console behaviour, and extensible if more sub-commands are needed in the future.

Thanks for the feedback, I agree that discoverability is important, and this is addressed in the latest update.

The patch now adds explicit console commands in addition to the button and shortcut:

• clear -> clears output
• history-clear -> clears output and history
• history -> prints command history

These commands are listed in the help-console output and also documented in the welcome message shown when the console is cleared, so they are easy to discover. This covers the terminal-style interaction you suggested, while still providing a UI button and shortcut for convenience.

The Ctrl+Shift+L shortcut remains as an extra option for users who prefer a quick key combo, but it is no longer the only way to perform the action.

Sorry I haven't had the chance to check the PR earlier.

<details> <summary>For the shortcut perhaps you can document it in the welcome message of the console.</summary>

<img width="828" height="519" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0209a08c-0807-499b-9938-0ea6e6e5cb7d" />

</details>

Replacing this line: Use up and down arrows to navigate history, and Ctrl+L to clear screen. By: Use up and down arrows to navigate history, Ctrl+L to clear screen and Ctrl+L to clear screen and Ctrl+Shift+L to clear the command history.

For the new console commands...

• clear -> clears output
• history-clear -> clears output and history
• history -> prints command history

I find them useful but I'd split the clear screen from the clear history (history-clear) and if you want to clear both perhaps a "clear-all".

Same for the button, I'd add a different button for clearing the history.

Please keep in mind that new features like this may not be merged and help would be also much appreciated in the new QML GUI.

Thanks a lot for the review!

The shortcut is already documented as "Use %9 to clear both the screen and the command history.\n", but I can update it to match the exact wording you suggested.

About splitting the clear functionality: since the output history already includes the input commands, I’m not sure there’s much benefit in clearing just the commands while keeping the output. But if you think it’s more useful that way, I’m happy to adjust and split them.

On the QML side, I don’t see a mockup of the RPC console yet, and I feel like starting it from scratch on my own might not be the best approach. These are features I use myself right now, so I think they add value in the current console even before the experimental QML GUI is ready.

Rebased on current master. Simplified to console commands only, dropped the keyboard shortcut and clear button (no new buttons added). Added the clear-all command for completness and ease of use.

Tested all commands (clear, clear-all, history, history-clear) on Ubuntu 24.04 and Windows 11 -- all work as expected.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on discoverability of these console commands.

Added release notes file.

From #897 (comment), it appears that this PR is intended to address #897.

Is this right?

If so, is this change still necessary given that #897 has since been closed?

From #897 (comment), it appears that this PR is intended to address #897.

Is this right?

If so, is this change still necessary given that #897 has since been closed?

Hey,

I closed the issue because I have this PR open. I find the ability to clear input history necessary and I use it all the time in my builds. Even with the historyFilter updates I still use this for accidental inputs or sensitive commands that are not filtered out.

Tought a few screenshots might support this PR:

<img width="835" height="585" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7305ed09-bb02-40d4-a2db-33f9adade4c1" />

<img width="826" height="581" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/505cec38-2a65-472e-ad0a-79758caed25e" />

#882#issue-3276693433:

Provides explicit, privacy-orientd ways to clear console history and output without altering default behavior. Useful in shared or long-running sessions.

I’m not convinced that building a privacy-focused feature around the idea of a “shared session” is sound. I’m not even sure what exactly qualifies as a "shared session" in this context, and if privacy is the aim, preventing such scenarios altogether seems the more appropriate approach.

Concept NACK.

You can clear your shell history, you can disable it. Yet if you type anything in RPC console it's going to be there until that history gets overwritten or the node gets restarted.

If I knew "shared session" would be such a sticky point, never would I have used it.

Closed.