Install Command Line Developer Tools -pop up keeps appearing

[HenriManninen]

Type: Bug

I'm running MacOS 12.6.2 on a 2021 MacBook Pro. The Python extension version is v2022.20.1.

Steps to reproduce (installing Python and VS Code on a new system):

1. Download the latest version of Python for Mac from Python website.
2. Run the installation. It should work normally.
3. Download Visual Studio Code from the official website.
4. Install it. Should install normally.
5. Open VS Code. Create new Python file (or open an existing Python file).
6. Try to run the file. The program requires to install a Python extension.
7. Install the recommended extension.
8. An "Install Command Line Developer Tools" pop up appears stating 'The "python3" command requires the command line developer tools. Would you like to install the tools now?' I haven't tried to install these, as it shouldn't be necessary.

The pop up appears every time the VS Code is launched and sometimes seemingly irregularly while the app is running. It is worth noting, that the pop up doesn't appear when the Python extension is not installed. Also, it doesn't appear when using other IDE, like PyCharm. Otherwise Python seems to be working on the computer and even on VS Code.

Screenshot of the pop up (in Finnish)

Extension version: 2022.20.1
VS Code version: Code 1.74.2 (Universal) (e8a3071ea4344d9d48ef8a4df2c097372b0c5161, 2022-12-20T10:26:09.430Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 21.6.0
Modes:
Sandboxed: No

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M1 Pro (10 x 24)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: disabled_off direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled metal: disabled_off multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_renderer: enabled_on video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 4, 3
Memory (System)	16.00GB (0.09GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 77c5d171-a0da-47b5-a64e-5093a204dd79
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vsreu685:30147344
python383:30185418
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vslsvsres303:30308271
pythonvspyl392:30443607
vserr242:30382549
pythontb:30283811
vsjup518:30340749
pythonptprofiler:30281270
vshan820:30294714
vstes263cf:30335440
vscoreces:30445986
pythondataviewer:30285071
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
bridge0708:30335490
bridge0723:30353136
cmake_vspar411:30581797
vsaa593:30376534
pythonvs932:30410667
cppdebug:30492333
vscaac:30438847
vsclangdf:30486550
c4g48928:30535728
dsvsc012:30540252
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
vsccc:30610678
pyindex848cf:30577861
nodejswelcome1:30587005
2e4cg342:30602488
iaj6b796:30613358
89544117:30613380
fim-prod:30623723

[maurosilber]

I have a similar issue, with the "install developer tools" pop-up appearing the first time I open a Python file or Jupyter notebook:

I have installed Python through mambaforge (the miniconda variant from conda-forge),
and tried adding the base environment's path to the PATH variable in:

• ~/.zshrc
• ~/.zprofile
• /etc/paths

among other tests.

A "placeholder" python3 binary exists in /usr/bin/python3, which triggers the "install developers tools" message.
May this be due to a hardcoded path to that file, instead of looking for python3 in PATH?
That path appears to be hardcoded in al least 5 files in the codebase: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/search?q=%2Fusr%2Fbin%2Fpython3

[karrtikr]

Can you please provide the logs? Set python.logging.level to debug in User settings, reload window, then perform the steps to reproduce before providing the logs.

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

XXX

[HenriManninen]

I hope I followed the steps correctly. After following them I restarted VS Code and some logs were printed in the output.

Here is the Python output right after opening VS Code again:

Python_output_after_opening.pdf

[karrtikr]

Thanks. I think it's because running /usr/bin/python3 directly requires this option. Try running it in a terminal outside VSCode, I suspect you'll still that issue. Unfortunately the extension cannot do anything here, as this is due to faulty python itself.

Also, it doesn't appear when using other IDE, like PyCharm.

It's likely using some other python to run your files.

[karrtikr]

sometimes seemingly irregularly while the app is running

Once microsoft/vscode-jupyter#12719 is taken care of, this should stop happening automatically.

Please choose a different interpreter via Python: Select Interpreter command to avoid this issue.

[HenriManninen]

Thanks for the reply. I tried running Python in the terminal and it works fine (no pop-ups appear).

Also, I checked that PyCharm should be using the same interpreter (Python 3.11 /usr/local/bin/python3.11).

[karrtikr]

Try running using the full path: /usr/bin/python3.

[HenriManninen]

Ok, that brings up the pop-up. So what might be the issue here?

[romanrev]

sometimes seemingly irregularly while the app is running

Once microsoft/vscode-jupyter#12719 is taken care of, this should stop happening automatically.

Please choose a different interpreter via Python: Select Interpreter command to avoid this issue.

I'm also experiencing this issue. I've set the Python: Default Interpreter Path but the prompt keeps popping up still. I could not find the Python: Select Interpreter setting as advised.

Update: Disabling Jupyter extension seems to have solved the issue. Die Jupyter.

[karrtikr]

Ok, that brings up the pop-up. So what might be the issue here?

The issue is to due to python itself, so please either install developer tools as it says, or disable the Jupyter extension for now.

More context, python extension looks for python envs in the system, one of which it finds is /usr/bin/python3. To check if it's a valid path or not, the extension runs a simple script using that interpreter, which leads to the popup. Closing this as there's not much to do be done here from extension's side.

[HenriManninen]

Indeed, after disabling Jupyter extension, the pop up hasn't appeared. Thanks for the tip!