No-config debug uses default system Python on MacOS, not the active Python in terminal

[taldcroft]

Running VS code on MacOS, for a script go.py:

import sys
print(sys.prefix)

I get the following in a VS code integrated terminal where I have activated a Python 3.12 conda environment:

$ python -V
Python 3.12.8
$ python go.py
/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/envs/ska3-flight-2025.0rc2
$ debugpy go.py
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Library/Frameworks/Python3.framework/Versions/3.9

If I use the traditional configured debug in VS code, then I get the expected results (Python 3.12.8 from my conda env). I had thought that no-config debug should just work and pick up the current environment in the terminal window.

[karthiknadig]

Duplicate of #606

Closing against #606 that has more details on the root cause.

[eleanorjboyd]

re-open because OS type is different. Thanks for pointing it out @taldcroft !

[karthiknadig]

@taldcroft Can you share the python binary names in the env you have? does it have python3 ?

[taldcroft]

@karthiknadig - here you go:

(ska3-flight-2025.0rc2) ➜  ~ which python                                                           
/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/envs/ska3-flight-2025.0rc2/bin/python
(ska3-flight-2025.0rc2) ➜  ~ cd /Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/envs/ska3-flight-2025.0rc2/bin/       
(ska3-flight-2025.0rc2) ➜  ls -l python*
lrwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff       10 Jan  3 14:13 python@ -> python3.12
lrwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff       10 Jan  3 14:13 python3@ -> python3.12
lrwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff       17 Jan  3 14:13 python3-config@ -> python3.12-config
lrwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff       10 Jan  3 14:13 python3.1@ -> python3.12
-rwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff  6576272 Jan  3 14:13 python3.12*
-rwxr-xr-x  1 aldcroft  staff     2091 Jan  3 14:13 python3.12-config*```

[eleanorjboyd]

what is your shell type for your terminal?

[taldcroft]

what is your shell type for your terminal?

zsh.

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Sorry for the delay, I am bit stuck and not sure what is going wrong here. Does updating the extension help? This is the shell script we are trying to run, what happens if you run this?

#! /bin/bash
# Bash script
export DEBUGPY_ADAPTER_ENDPOINTS=$VSCODE_DEBUGPY_ADAPTER_ENDPOINTS
python3 $BUNDLED_DEBUGPY_PATH --listen 0 --wait-for-client $@

[taldcroft]

I think the extension was up to date, but just to be sure I restarted VS code to get the latest bug-fix release. The debugpy behavior is now even more unexpected. When I run those lines above, or debugpy go.py, it changes my application focus to a different VS code window, with the following:

In fact at that point all 5 of my active VS code windows are showing that popup.

[eleanorjboyd]

Can you confirm by sending the version for the python-debugger extension? This is a similar error message to the one I fixed with version 2025.0.1. Secondly are you running any other debuggers in the other windows? No config debugging doesn't work with parallel or multiple runs so I wanted to check

[taldcroft]

Identifier ms-python.debugpy
Version 2025.1.2025022401
Last Updated 2025-02-24, 08:40:06

If I type debugpy --version I get 1.8.12.

Secondly are you running any other debuggers in the other windows? No config debugging doesn't work with parallel or multiple runs so I wanted to check.

No.

[karthiknadig]

@taldcroft Do you have the following in your user settings.json?

"python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"]

Can you share what you have for PATH env variable in the terminal where it does not work?

> echo $PATH
> whereis python

[taldcroft]

@taldcroft Do you have the following in your user settings.json?

"python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"]

No. I have these terminal settings:

➜  grep -i terminal ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code/User/settings.json
    "terminal.integrated.inheritEnv": false,
    "terminal.integrated.fontSize": 14,
    "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.osx": "zsh",
    "githubPullRequests.terminalLinksHandler": "github",
    "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": false,
    "terminal.integrated.enableMultiLinePasteWarning": "never",
    "terminal.integrated.scrollback": 5000,

I tried using "terminal.integrated.inheritEnv": true but this made no difference.

Can you share what you have for PATH env variable in the terminal where it does not work?

> echo $PATH
> whereis python

➜  echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/local/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/appleinternal/bin:/opt/X11/bin:/Library/Apple/usr/bin:/usr/texbin:/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/condabin:/Users/aldcroft/.cargo/bin:/Users/aldcroft/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.1.2025022401-darwin-arm64/bundled/scripts/noConfigScripts:/Users/aldcroft/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot-chat/debugCommand
➜  whereis python
python:
➜  which python
python not found

[eleanorjboyd]

so to clarify in your shell python doesn't alias to anything? like with which python or whereis python? What about the same but instead with python3? This is the script we attempt to run when you call no config debugging so if the python3 in your terminal aliases to the global one then that might be your problem?

#! /bin/bash
# Bash script
export DEBUGPY_ADAPTER_ENDPOINTS=$VSCODE_DEBUGPY_ADAPTER_ENDPOINTS
python3 $BUNDLED_DEBUGPY_PATH --listen 0 --wait-for-client $@

[taldcroft]

Since I opened this issue the behavior has changed. The path reported in my script is now correct:

(base) ➜  which python
/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/bin/python
(base) ➜  which python3
/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm/bin/python3
(base) ➜  grep python ~/.bash_profile
(base) ➜  grep python ~/.zshrc       
(base) ➜  cat go.py
import sys
print(sys.prefix)
(base) ➜  debugpy go.py
/Users/aldcroft/miniconda3-arm

HOWEVER, there is a new problem which I described a few days ago: #605 (comment)

To reiterate, when I run debugpy go.py in one VScode window, then the debugger is started in all 5 of my open VScode windows:

• 4 of them show a popup that the server is already being debugged.
• One of them successfully starts and runs the debugger
• This is NOT the one containing the terminal where I ran debugpy go.py.

[eleanorjboyd]

thank you for clarifying, sorry about that. In relation to your new problem, are all the vscode windows open on the same folder / workspace or on different ones?

[taldcroft]

thank you for clarifying, sorry about that. In relation to your new problem, are all the vscode windows open on the same folder / workspace or on different ones?

All different.

[eleanorjboyd]

will try and repro myself- thanks