command:python.interpreterPath suddenly resolving incorrectly

[breathe]

Type: Bug

I've been using the same launch.json without issue for a good while now within my project.

Suddenly command:python.interpreterPath is resolving to homebrew python rather than the .venv python associated with my project (and selected as the active python interpreter)

launch.json has configuration like this in it

"program": "${command:python.interpreterPath}/../zephyrus",

The setup here is to invoke a cli entrypoint installed by poetry into the venv's binary directory. That entrypoint is relative to the .venv python interpreter and this was working fine.

But since something in vscode updated -- this now resolves to /opt/homebrew/bin/zephyrus -- aka command:python.interpreterPath is resolving to the homebrew python NOTTTT the configured python interpreter (chosen via Python -> Select Interpreter).

VS Code version: Code 1.102.2 (Universal) (c306e94f98122556ca081f527b466015e1bc37b0, 2025-07-22T12:15:48.520Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 24.5.0
Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M4 Max (16 x 2400)
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 skia_graphite: enabled_on video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 5, 4
Memory (System)	64.00GB (0.26GB free)
Process Argv	. --crash-reporter-id 818f26eb-8295-435e-8372-61b6f975d5ea
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions (46)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
ohm	att	1.0.0
markdown-mermaid	bie	1.28.0
vscode-tailwindcss	bra	0.14.25
pgformatter	bra	1.31.0
package-json-upgrade	cod	3.2.1
systemd-unit-file	coo	1.0.8
transformer	dak	1.12.1
vscode-eslint	dba	3.0.10
docker	doc	0.13.0
gitlens	eam	17.3.2
vscode-html-css	ecm	2.0.13
prettier-vscode	esb	11.0.0
shell-format	fox	7.2.5
vscode-hcl-format	fre	1.0.0
github-linker	gim	0.2.5
vscode-github-actions	git	0.27.2
hcl	has	0.6.0
terraform	has	2.34.5
vscode-clangd	llv	0.2.0
bash-ide-vscode	mad	1.43.0
dotenv	mik	1.0.1
file-downloader	min	1.0.13
black-formatter	ms-	2025.2.0
debugpy	ms-	2025.10.0
isort	ms-	2025.0.0
mypy-type-checker	ms-	2025.2.0
python	ms-	2025.10.1
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.7.1
vscode-python-envs	ms-	1.0.0
jupyter	ms-	2025.6.0
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.3.0
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
cmake-tools	ms-	1.21.36
cpptools-extension-pack	ms-	1.3.1
vscode-js-profile-flame	ms-	1.0.9
quicktype	qui	23.0.170
vscode-yaml	red	1.18.0
fish-vscode	sky	0.2.1
vscode-open-in-github	sys	1.18.0
vscode-lldb	vad	1.11.5
react-ts-css	vii	3.2.7
quokka-vscode	Wal	1.0.734
wallaby-vscode	Wal	1.0.454
jinja	who	0.0.8

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
pythonvspyt551cf:31249601
binariesv615:30325510
h48ei257:31000450
nativeloc1:31344060
dwcopilot:31170013
6074i472:31201624
dwoutputs:31242946
9064b325:31222308
copilot_t_ci:31333650
e5gg6876:31282496
pythoneinst12:31285622
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pythonpulldiag:31343502
996jf627:31283433
pythonrdcb7:31342333
usemplatestapi:31297334
0aa6g176:31307128
747dc170:31275177
aj953862:31281341
generatesymbolt:31295002
convertfstringf:31295003
9d2cg352:31346308
convertlamdat:31350063
usemarketplace:31343026
nesew2to5:31336538
agentclaude:31335814
nes-diff-11:31337487
replacestringexc:31350595
nes-set-on:31340697
6abeh943:31336334
envsactivate1:31353494
yijiwantestdri0626-t:31336930
0927b901:31350571
ji9b5146:31348712
45650338:31354155
0cj2b977:31352657

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Likely you are seeing the rollout of our new extension. If you try setting "python.useEnvironmentsExtension" to false in your user settings this will likely revert the behavior. I am going to investigate why this is happening on the new extension so we can fix it- ill keep you updated

[eleanorjboyd]

tried to reproduce your setup and try this myself but I did not get the same result. For me I saw the correct path for the interpreter get inserted during run as you can see in this screenshot. I included a zip of this workspace so you can see if I setup anything wrong. One other item to check is go over the panel with the python logo in the sidebar and see if everything there looks right with the project you are in the interpreter you want selected

645-launch-interpreter-path.zip

[breathe]

@eleanorjboyd -- first off -- wanted to just share that your comments strikes me as amazingly high level of support quality. I read your response in an email notification and asap went to my computer to followup (under the belief that this will lead to a solution to my problem!). I feel compelled to offer kudos right off the bat (as someone who has been on the user and the producer side of the user-feedback/support game) as I immediately recognize your response as a damn fine example of the craft and just want to call it out as much appreciated!

try setting "python.useEnvironmentsExtension" to false in your user settings this will likely revert the behavior

• I first open my codebase and verified that the problem still exists where originally observed (it does).
• Then I added python.useEnvironmentsExtension: false to the .vscode/settings.json in situ -- this fixes the issue as I'm observing it and things work just fine for me once again.

tried to reproduce your setup and try this myself but I did not get the same result
645-launch-interpreter-path.zip

Awesome thanks for sharing your reproducer -- this makes it very easy for me! Looks like you are using some smart tools to construct reproducers -- but you are doing it in a great way!

When I test inside your reproducer -- the problem doesn't manifest for me ... Because of how easy you made it for me -- I will do some poking to see if I can find what changes are needed to reproduce the problem in that context and report back shortly

[breathe]

I will do some poking to see if I can find what changes are needed to reproduce the problem here and report back shortly

I've been able to modify your reproducer so that the issue reproduces there for me.

replace "type": "python" with "type": "debugpy" in your launch.json file

launch.json

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Run CLI Entrypoint",
      "type": "debugpy",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${command:python.interpreterPath}/../zephyrus",
      "console": "integratedTerminal"
    }
  ]
}

The problem then manifests.

I should note that the only reason I use "type": "debugpy" instead of "type": "python" in my project is because of the deprecation warning vscode shows for "type": "python"

With configured to use "type": "debugpy" as shown above -- I see error log like below in debugger terminal output when I launch the debugger. Switching the type: option between the two values switches between working and non-working states for me.

Welcome to fish, the friendly interactive shell
Type help for instructions on how to use fish
ncohen@m4-max-toast ~/D/645-launch-interpreter-path 2>  /usr/bin/env /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 /
Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/ad
apter/../../debugpy/launcher 58564 -- /opt/homebrew/bin/python3/../zephyrus 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/python@3.13/3.13.4/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/lib/python3.13/runpy.py", line 198, in _run_module_as_main
    return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
                     "__main__", mod_spec)
  File "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/python@3.13/3.13.4/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/lib/python3.13/runpy.py", line 88, in _run_code
    exec(code, run_globals)
    ~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/__main__.py", line 71, in <module>
    cli.main()
    ~~~~~~~~^^
  File "/Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/cli.py", line 501, in main
    run()
    ~~~^^
  File "/Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/cli.py", line 351, in run_file
    runpy.run_path(target, run_name="__main__")
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_runpy.py", line 309, in run_path
    code, fname = _get_code_from_file(run_name, path_name)
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/Users/ncohen/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2025.10.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/libs/debugpy/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_runpy.py", line 278, in _get_code_from_file
    with io_open_code(decoded_path) as f:
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/opt/homebrew/bin/zephyrus'
ncohen@m4-max-toast ~/D/645-launch-interpreter-path 2 [1]> 

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi @breathe, thank you so much for your kind words! It is easy to provide support to nice and helpful users like you!

Glad you spotted that! Yes, "type": "python" is deprecated (which both me and my smart tools should know but it was overlooked). I switched to "type": "debugpy" and am able to reproduce your error! Going to track down where it is happening and will update here when I have a fix!