Selected python interpreter is not used in terminal window

[rchiodo]

I have two interpreters to use, both installed in global locations

I have the Python 3.9 one selected (as it also shows in the interpreter at the bottom left).

If I create a new terminal window, it uses the 3.8 one:

D:\Source\jupyter_server>python
Python 3.8.5 (tags/v3.8.5:580fbb0, Jul 20 2020, 15:57:54) [MSC v.1924 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>          

[karthiknadig]

Check your PATH variable. If the path to WindowsApps shows up first then the terminal will use that. This has nothing to do with python extension.

[rchiodo]

Isn't the interpreter picker supposed to force it to use that one?

[karthiknadig]

No, we don't control this. These are globally installed python interpreters. which one is accessed purely depends on which one comes first in PATH.

If you have a activatable environment, and that environment was activated in the terminal. Then as a part of activation, usually the activation script (again not provided by the extension) will add the right path to the front of PATH. This is how most activations work. So, if you use python from an activated environment it will pick the right one.

[rchiodo]

No, we don't control this.

Seems like a user may not understand this. What's the point of allowing me to pick the two interpreters then?

[karthiknadig]

You are correct. People have filed bugs about this. The point of picking interpreters is to run the tools linter, formatter, debugger, intellisense, etc using the selected interpreter. The terminal represents how you have your system configured.

We do have a long term plan to solve this. It is not as straight forward as you would think. for example, pyenv using python shim, and figures out which version to run for each folder by looking at pyenv settings in that folder. People could have set an alias to python, so if we change what python means by changing just PATH that won't work. In short we have thought about this problem, and we plan on tackling it. But for now, the terminal works like how it is configured for your machine (i.e, selecting a python is VS Code, does not change your machine configuration.)

[karthiknadig]

Duplicate of #4581
Related #13327