Repository navigation
Reactivating Terminal #24699
Description
When activating python extension, you see "Reactivating Terminal" in the status bar, and it does not go away.
Workaround:
- Add the following to your User
settings.json, and Reload VS Code:
"python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"]
- If that does not resolve the issue, try running this command from the command palette:
Python: Clear cache and reload. - If that does not resolve the issue, try setting
python.locatortojs.
Activity
ProgrammerInAShed commentedon Jan 31, 2025
Your workaround does technically get the "Reactivating terminals" loop to stop, but it does not solve the problem of the Python extension failing to be used.
karthiknadig commentedon Jan 31, 2025
@RMvirtual Please create a new bug and provide details on what is happening. Include logs from Output > Python, and Output > Python Locator. Include your settings as well.
LukeLIN-web commentedon Feb 5, 2025
Same problem, my python extension cannot work
I tried
This workaround does technically get the "Reactivating terminals" loop to stop, but it does not solve the problem of the Python extension failing to be used.
How to setting python.locator to js? I find it in setting dashboard.
Good, setting python.locator to js solve my problem, I can reset my env now.
5 remaining items
tommyvct commentedon May 21, 2025
This problem, however on macOS, does not appear to be happening as frequently as on Windows.
Maybe it have something to do with the difference with zsh and pwsh.
KuRRe8 commentedon May 27, 2025
Thanks! It really works. Before the solution, the python locator finds "C:\Program Files\Python39\python.exe" and failed for every new python file. That path is unavailable for many years on my computer, and I tried my best to clean up registry, vscode user database, vscode settings ... but no effect. My mistake was that I didn't immediately remember to come to the official repo issue to search for relative threads.
brian-i commentedon Jun 14, 2025
I am experiencing this same issue when connecting to a remote machine via SSH (headless). On the remote machine's VS Code itself (headed), this problem does not occur. Here, the client is macOS, the server RHEL 9 (Linux) with SELinux. I attached the logs from Output > Python and Output > Python Locator as well as my
settings.jsonfile.output.log
settings.json
kenorb commentedon Jun 21, 2025
Same issue on Ubuntu with latest version (1.101.1).
Source: Python
It's just stuck at Reactivating terminals... and Activating Extensions... and most of the things are frozen (can't edit any files using editor, only from terminal via vim).
I've tried restart editor, but the problem repeats upon restart.
I've tried Python: Clear Cache and Reload Window, but it didn't help.
I've added
pythonTerminalEnvVarActivationand reload, didn't help.I've Disabled and Re-enabled Vim extension, then I was able to write again, but I think usually happens for different other reasons and other things were still slow.
I've tried to re-enable Copilot extension, and at some point Restart extensions button appeared, and I think this helped better.
alexxmak commentedon Jun 23, 2025
Rafal W. (@kenorb)
Reinstalling Python with "Add PATH" helped me
brian-i commentedon Jun 25, 2025
I found a solution to the issue by removing the following line in my
settings.jsonfile which points to a particular Python interpreter path (which does not exist on the remote machine):If vscode-python sees a Python path in
settings.jsonbut can't access it, it fails to start the extension and give an option to choose Python interpreters. Removing any interpreter path definitions appear to fix the issue (for me at least).