Aider ignores Ctrl-C? Check the terminal and child process.

When Ctrl-C appears ineffective, determine whether Aider, a child command, or the terminal UI is still active. Preserve the diff before stopping a process.

Do this first: Send one interrupt and wait for a clear prompt or process exit. If the terminal stays busy, capture the current diff and inspect the active Aider or child process before force-quitting.

What the failure looks like.

The terminal does not return to a prompt after Ctrl-C, or Aider appears to continue while a lint, test, or other child process remains active. These are different states and should be checked separately.

Why it happens.

Aider issue #945 is a user report, not proof that every Ctrl-C failure has the same cause. Identify the terminal surface and whether a child process owns the foreground before choosing a stop action.

Fix it without losing the task.

Save open files and capture git status and git diff before ending the terminal session.

Press Ctrl-C once and note whether Aider returns to its prompt, prints a cancellation, or leaves a child command in the foreground.

Inspect the terminal process and child command separately. Stop only the confirmed active process using the controls for that terminal and OS.

Reopen Aider only after checking the worktree. Verify whether the interrupted command changed files before rerunning it.

What the next AI should receive.

Aider version, OS and terminal, exact command before the hang, whether Ctrl-C changed the prompt, child-process state, current diff, and any output that existed only in the terminal.

First safe action

Try one interrupt, wait for the prompt, then check whether a child command is still running. Do not close the terminal until you have saved or recorded the working-tree state.

Evidence boundary

Issue #945 documents one reported case. It does not establish a general Aider defect or guarantee that terminating the process preserves unsaved terminal input.

Diagnostic checkpoint

A visible terminal hang is not enough to identify the process at fault; record process state and the exact interrupt outcome.

How ShardStitch helps.

ShardStitch can package the accessible repository state and the last action for a new session. It cannot deliver Ctrl-C to a process, recover terminal-only output, or preserve unsaved editor buffers.

Source trail.

Aider issue #945 and Aider usage documentation.

FAQ.

Should I keep pressing Ctrl-C when Aider does not respond?

No. Send one interrupt, wait for observable feedback, and inspect whether a child process still owns the terminal. Repeated keypresses do not prove the process stopped.

Will closing the terminal discard Aider changes?

Changes already written to files usually remain, but terminal-only output and unsaved editor buffers may not. Check the worktree and save accessible buffers first.

Scope note: This guide covers diagnosing an ineffective interrupt in a local Aider terminal. The linked issue is one report; terminal, shell, subprocess, and OS behavior can differ.