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VSCode Debugger always uses wrong Python interpreter despite selecting correct one when debug current python file. #855

Closed as not planned
Closed as not planned
VSCode Debugger always uses wrong Python interpreter despite selecting correct one when debug current python file.#855
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rchiodo
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info-neededIssue requires more information from postertriage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team

Description

@cuiluyi
Luyi Cui (cuiluyi)
opened on Nov 1, 2025

Description

As shown in the attached screenshot, my active terminal is using the base environment (highlighted in the bottom-left corner).
I selected base as the project interpreter via Ctrl + Shift + P → Python: Select Interpreter (highlighted in the bottom-right corner).

However, when I use the debugpy extension to debug the current Python file, the debugger always launches using the openr1 environment instead (note: this is the first Conda environment name that appears in the Python: Select Interpreter command palette), therefore cause import error: no module found.

Image Image

Even after executing the following commands, the issue persists:

  • Python: Clear Workspace Interpreter Settings
  • Python Debugger: Clear Cache and Reload Window
  • Python: Clear Cache and Reload Window

Root Cause

After extensive troubleshooting, I discovered that the issue is caused by the Python Environment Manager VSCode extension.
Once I uninstalled that extension, everything worked correctly — the debugger began using the selected interpreter as expected.

Note

The VSCode extension Python Environment Manager (deprecated) doesn't have this problem.

Expected Behavior

The debugger should respect the interpreter selected via Python: Select Interpreter.

Actual Behavior

The debugger ignores the selected interpreter and always uses the first Conda environment (openr1).

Environment

  • VSCode version:

    Version: 1.105.1 (Universal)
Commit: 7d842fb85a0275a4a8e4d7e040d2625abbf7f084
Date: 2025-10-14T22:33:36.618Z (2 wks ago)
Electron: 37.6.0
ElectronBuildId: 12502201
Chromium: 138.0.7204.251
Node.js: 22.19.0
V8: 13.8.258.32-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.0.0

  • Python Environment Manager version: 1.10.0

  • Python Debugger version: 2025.14.1

  • Remote - SSH version: 0.120.0

  • OS version: MacOS 26.0.1 (25A362)

Activity

  1. github-actions
    added
    triage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team
    on Nov 1, 2025

  2. eleanorjboyd commented on Nov 5, 2025

    @eleanorjboyd
    Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    on Nov 5, 2025
    Member

    Hi! I have just made changes here which are out on the latest version of the debugger extension pre-release. Are you able to try this on the pre-release version and see if that helps? If not can you add this setting python.useEnvironmentsExtension and try again? This will also change the behavior to use our new extension for handling and selecting python environments

  3. Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    added
    info-neededIssue requires more information from poster
    on Nov 5, 2025
  4. Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    self-assigned this
    on Nov 5, 2025

  5. cuiluyi commented on Nov 10, 2025

    @cuiluyi
    Luyi Cui (cuiluyi)
    on Nov 10, 2025
    Author

    Eleanor Boyd (@eleanorjboyd) Thank you for the recent updates! I have just tested with the latest version of the Python Environment Manager VSCode extension, and the issue described above no longer occurs — the debugger now uses the same Python environment as the one selected via the Python extension's Select Interpreter option.

    However, I noticed that the latest version of Python Environment Manager also provides a Select a Python Environment option in the lower right corner of the window. This functionality seems to significantly overlap with the Select Interpreter option provided by the Python extension.

    When the interpreter selected via the Python extension and the one selected via Python Environment Manager are different, the environment from the Python extension is activated first, followed by the environment from Python Environment Manager. Moreover, when using the debugpy extension to debug the current Python file, the environment that gets activated is still the one selected via the Python extension's Select Interpreter option.

    In summary, it seems that the Select a Python Environment feature in Python Environment Manager may be redundant.

    Image

  6. eleanorjboyd commented on Nov 14, 2025

    @eleanorjboyd
    Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    on Nov 14, 2025
    Member

    huh that is wild, it is supposed to replace the python extension menu bar item not be a duplicate one. Can you uninstall and re-install the python extension and see if that does anything? I think something very strange happened where the extensions aren't communicating right together

    glad to hear the interpreter is now right tho!

  7. vs-code-engineering commented on Nov 22, 2025

    @vs-code-engineering
    vs-code-engineeringbot
    on Nov 22, 2025 – with VS Code Engineering

    This issue has been closed as it has been labeled with info-needed and has not received the additional information that was requested from the issue author. It has been labeled as info-needed for 7 days.

  8. vs-code-engineering
    closed this as not plannedon Nov 22, 2025

  9. aurelienfalco commented on Feb 19, 2026

    @aurelienfalco
    aurelienfalco
    on Feb 19, 2026

    I have a similar issue. I select an environment (3.11) but I get a message
    "3.11" is already selected as the environment ..."
    but the selected environment below (lower right corner) still shows "base (3.13.11)"

  10. shakez0901 commented on Feb 23, 2026

    @shakez0901
    shakez0901
    on Feb 23, 2026

    aurelienfalco Same here. For me, the new "Python Environments" extension caused this, disabling the extension solved it

  11. Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    assigned
    Rich Chiodo (rchiodo)
    and unassigned
    Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)
    on Feb 23, 2026

  12. liyiersan commented on Mar 26, 2026

    @liyiersan
    liyiersan
    on Mar 26, 2026

    @aurelienfalco Same here. For me, the new "Python Environments" extension caused this, disabling the extension solved it

    Thanks, it works for me.

  13. alectutin-qut commented on Jul 28, 2026

    @alectutin-qut
    Alec Tutin (alectutin-qut)
    on Jul 28, 2026

    @aurelienfalco Same here. For me, the new "Python Environments" extension caused this, disabling the extension solved it

    Same for me today

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