Python: console picks up virtualenv automatically but terminal does not

[nealrichardson]

Positron Version:

Positron Version: 2024.02.0 (Universal) build 1537
Code - OSS Version: 1.86.0
Commit: 9f49f1d
Date: 2024-02-16T18:29:32.651Z (2 days ago)
Electron: 27.2.3
ElectronBuildId: undefined
Chromium: 118.0.5993.159
Node.js: 18.17.1
V8: 11.8.172.18-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 23.3.0

Steps to reproduce the issue:

I opened a python project that I'd previously used with Positron, and had previously created a virtualenv from the command palette. Positron detected the virtualenv in the .venv directory and started the python console with that python.

Then I switched to the terminal tab because I needed to pip install something else. I was confused for a minute because the virtualenv was not active there. I had to type the usual . .venv/bin/activate in order to install into it.

What did you expect to happen?

Since everything else about Positron was telling me that I was using this virtualenv, I would have expected it already to have been activated in the terminal too.

Were there any error messages in the output or Developer Tools console?

I didn't look.

[seeM]

When Positron selected the virtualenv interpreter, it should also have marked the terminal as "stale" and shown a little warning sign next to the terminal icon:

Is that showing in your case? Admittedly, it's not very noticeable.

If you hover over it, it should say:

The following extensions want to relaunch the terminal to contribute to its environment:

• Positron Python: Activated environment for ~/.pyenv/versions/3.12.1/bin/python

And a clickable "Relaunch terminal" link.

[nealrichardson]

Yeah I see that now. Never would have occurred to me to click on it.

[petetronic]

Perhaps we can record an enhancement to make Terminal warnings more obvious, perhaps they print a message to the Terminal instead of just a subtle icon change?

@nealrichardson Also note that because our Console is ipython based, you should be able to pip install from the Console without switching to a terminal.

[nealrichardson]

Is there a reason not to just send . path/to/virtualenv/bin/activate to the Terminal when you activate a virtualenv?

[nealrichardson]

For what it's worth, I just opened my project in regular VS Code and the virtualenv seemed to be activated in the terminal automatically.