vscode-python: Terminal no longer activates virtual environment for csh/tcsh shell

Type: Bug

Behaviour

Expected vs. Actual

At work, we’ve been using VS Code for a while with python virtual environments. The previous behavior was that when you opened a terminal (while a virtual environment was activated) it would run the activate script in that virtual environment. For example for me, usually venv/bin/activate.csh. This script has become an important part of our workflow, since it allows us to customize the environment python will run in, register aliases, etc.

Ever since a few months ago, VS code no longer runs this activation script. It says “Python virtual environment was successfully activated, even though “(venv)” indicator may not be present in the terminal prompt.”, Which seems to indicate that it is triggering the virtual environment, but none of the environment is actually being configured in the terminal. All environment variables and aliases are absent.

Steps to reproduce:

Create a python virtual environment.
Modify the activate script
select the virtual environment from thepython version dropdown in VS Code
Open a terminal

Diagnostic data

Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.11.4
Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Venv
Value of the python.languageServer setting: Pylance

Output for Python in the Output panel (View→Output, change the drop-down the upper-right of the Output panel to Python)

XXX

User Settings


languageServer: "Pylance"

testing
• pytestEnabled: true

Extension version: 2023.22.1 VS Code version: Code 1.85.2 (Universal) (8b3775030ed1a69b13e4f4c628c612102e30a681, 2024-01-18T06:40:32.531Z) OS version: Darwin arm64 22.6.0 Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M1 Max (10 x 24)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled
Load (avg)	3, 2, 2
Memory (System)	32.00GB (0.08GB free)
Process Argv	–crash-reporter-id 00815bc4-2696-4c23-866e-19b398c1bc9b
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vscoreces:30445986
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
vsaa593cf:30376535
py29gd2263:30899288
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
a9j8j154:30646983
962ge761:30951796
pythongtdpath:30769146
welcomedialog:30910333
pythonidxpt:30866567
pythonnoceb:30805159
asynctok:30898717
pythontestfixt:30902429
pythonregdiag2:30936856
pyreplss1:30897532
pythonmypyd1:30879173
pythoncet0:30885854
pythontbext0:30879054
dsvsc016:30899300
dsvsc017:30899301
dsvsc018:30899302
dsvsc019bcf:30953938
3ef8e399:30949928

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 5 months ago
Reactions: 4
Comments: 45

Commits related to this issue

Fix venv activation for cshell (#22852) Closes https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/22822 Use current shell to figure out whether shell integration is working, even when using fallba... — committed to microsoft/vscode-python by deleted user 5 months ago
Fix venv activation for cshell (#22852) Closes https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/22822 Use current shell to figure out whether shell integration is working, even when using fallba... — committed to microsoft/vscode-python by deleted user 5 months ago

Most upvoted comments

Actually this problem applies to all shells (not just csh), bash and zsh work with which python but do not actually contain the environment variables from the activate scripts like they used to.

It looks like the plugin isn’t actually loading the environment, it’s only modifying PATH?

austinwitherspoon on Feb 14, 2024

@rhizodigital I’ve created a new issue on your behalf, as we’re dealing with different causes here.

karrtikr on Feb 5, 2024

im using zsh and have same issue

rhizodigital on Feb 5, 2024

I’m wondering if it’s a csh shell issue. Could you try changing the default shell (Select default profile command) to bash/zsh/fish and see if the issue happens?

Interesting! Switching my default terminal to bash works fine! tcsh and csh both don’t work, but bash works.

austinwitherspoon on Feb 1, 2024

I have same problems and I use vscode on windows 10

invas3 on Feb 1, 2024