Starting or restoring a game with 'perm_invent' enabled via config file or NETHACKOPTIONS does not begin with inventory shown. When persistent inventory window is first populated, focus is given to its window (behavior might be window manager-specific; it happens with default window manager on OSX). Focus should be explicitly directed back to the main window. When persistent inventory window is displayed, an update that ought to make it grow won't do so even if there is room on the screen for that. It will add scrollbar(s) when not already there, and it can be resized manually.