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Correct answer: C. It opens the default browser for account authentication, and stores the credentials locally once the flow completes.
Explanation
The principle — The CLI login is a browser flow, so it depends on a browser being able to open.
Why the key is correct — The login command opens your default browser and prompts you to authenticate with your Cursor account, then stores the credentials locally. On a headless box there is no browser to open, which is why the command looks stuck rather than failing.
Why the others are wrong — No email and password are collected at the terminal prompt, so waiting for typed credentials misreads the situation. The command also does not mint an API key or edit your shell profile, since keys are made by hand. And it does not borrow the editor's session, because the CLI stores its own credentials.
Remember this — Over SSH, print the login URL rather than waiting, or authenticate with an API key.
Sources — Cursor's CLI Authentication documentation.
Sources
“The login command opens your default browser and prompts you to authenticate with your Cursor account.”
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