$HOST environment variable is wrongly changed & missing context on .zshenv, .zshrc

[tplobo]

Type: Bug

Behaviour & Steps to reproduce

I'm using mambaforge as an environment manager and run shells with zsh.

In my understanding one of the last updates made the "Python Interpreter" setting to be remembered and automatically retrieved when a project is opened. Which means the contents

# >>> conda initialize >>>
...
# <<< conda initialize <<<

are not needed in .zshrc anymore. This is nice, but it has created a few associated problems.

The first problem: this has modified some environment variables in terminals running an environment, for example:

(myenv) user@x86_64-apple-darwin13 > echo $HOST
x86_64-apple-darwin13...

instead of being equal to the output of hostname (opening vscode instance outside project folder):

user@computer > echo $HOST
computer

This is apparently a known issue with conda.

As a potential fix, I have tried to set a .vscode/.zshenv to enforce the proper value for HOST. But this is overwritten by the activation of the mamba environment, which happens after sourcing .zshenv. Here's the code:

# Fix `hostname` for conda environments
# See: https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/7031
echo "HOST=$HOST, hostname=$(hostname)"
if [[ "$HOST" == *"darwin"* ]]; then
    export HOST=$(scutil --get HostName)
    echo "(VSCode environment) Setting HOST to HostName: $HOST" 
fi

The second problem: to remedy that situation, I have migrated the lines in .zshenv to a .../activate.d/fix_host.sh file as a mamba post-activation script. However, due to VSCode automatically loading the Python Interpreter, the mamba environment is apparently never properly activated, so the post-activation scripts are never run. In fact, after opening VSCode in the project folder:

(myenv) user@x86_64-apple-darwin13 > mamba deactivate
Run 'mamba init' to be able to run mamba activate/deactivate
and start a new shell session. Or use conda to activate/deactivate.

and

(myenv) user@x86_64-apple-darwin13 > conda deactivate
CondaError: Run 'conda init' before 'conda deactivate'

so it looks like conda/mamba init are skipped.

Extension version: 2024.7.11241010
VS Code version: Code 1.89.0 (b58957e67ee1e712cebf466b995adf4c5307b2bd, 2024-05-01T02:10:10.196Z)
OS version: Darwin x64 23.4.0
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.11.8
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Conda
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

condaPath: "<placeholder>"

languageServer: "Jedi"

testing
• pytestArgs: "<placeholder>"
• pytestEnabled: true

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
Active4D Theme	gerane.Theme-Active4D	0.0.5
Amazon Q	amazonwebservices.amazon-q-vscode	1.1.0
AWS Toolkit	amazonwebservices.aws-toolkit-vscode	3.1.0
Eva Theme	fisheva.eva-theme	2.6.1
GitHub Copilot	GitHub.copilot	1.186.0
GitHub Copilot Chat	GitHub.copilot-chat	0.15.0
GitHub Pull Requests	GitHub.vscode-pull-request-github	0.88.0
GitLens — Git supercharged	eamodio.gitlens	14.9.1
JavaScript Debugger	ms-vscode.js-debug	1.89.0
JavaScript Debugger Companion Extension	ms-vscode.js-debug-companion	1.1.2
JSON Tree View	ChaunceyKiwi.json-tree-view	2.6.0
Jupyter	ms-toolsai.jupyter	2024.4.0
Jupyter Cell Tags	ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	0.1.9
Jupyter Keymap	ms-toolsai.jupyter-keymap	1.1.2
Jupyter Notebook Renderers	ms-toolsai.jupyter-renderers	1.0.17
Jupyter Slide Show	ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-slideshow	0.1.6
Lua	sumneko.lua	3.8.3
macOS Native Copy/Paste	qt-kaneko.macos-native-copy-paste	1.2.2
Material Theme Icons	equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-icons	1.2.2
PDF Preview	analytic-signal.preview-pdf	1.0.0
Prettier - Code formatter	esbenp.prettier-vscode	10.4.0
Property List Editor	ivhernandez.vscode-plist	0.1.3
Python	ms-python.python	2024.7.11241010
Python Debugger	ms-python.debugpy	2024.6.0
python snippets	frhtylcn.pythonsnippets	1.0.2
Restore Git Branch Tabs	gkotas.restore-git-branch-tabs	0.4.1
Ruby LSP	Shopify.ruby-lsp	0.5.21
Ruby Solargraph	castwide.solargraph	0.24.1
Ruff	charliermarsh.ruff	2024.20.0
Table Visualizer for JavaScript Profiles	ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table	1.0.9
TIFF Preview	analytic-signal.preview-tiff	1.0.1
TODO Highlight	wayou.vscode-todo-highlight	1.0.5
VS Code Counter	uctakeoff.vscode-counter	3.4.0
VSCode Great Icons	emmanuelbeziat.vscode-great-icons	2.1.104

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8700B CPU @ 3.20GHz (12 x 3200)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: disabled_off 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: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled
Load (avg)	2, 2, 3
Memory (System)	64.00GB (4.39GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id f2c256c7-7349-4739-8da9-43c6de0bfa57
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
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vspor363:30204092
vswsl492:30256859
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
vsaa593cf:30376535
py29gd2263:31024239
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
962ge761:30959799
pythongtdpath:30769146
welcomedialogc:30910334
pythonidxpt:30866567
pythonnoceb:30805159
asynctok:30898717
pythontestfixt:30902429
pythonregdiag2:30936856
pyreplss1:30897532
pythonmypyd1:30879173
pythoncet0:30885854
2e7ec940:31000449
pythontbext0:30879054
accentitlementsc:30995553
dsvsc016:30899300
dsvsc017:30899301
dsvsc018:30899302
cppperfnew:31000557
ccp2r3:30993541
dsvsc020:30976470
pythonait:31006305
dsvsc021:30996838
0ee40948:31013168
pythoncenvpt:31022790
dwnewjupytercf:31035177

[tplobo]

Edited the description to include more information on the commands in the shell scripts used to try to fix host variable.

[anthonykim1]

Hello @tplobo, thanks for filing the issue.
Can you try opting out of the terminal env var experiment by adding following code in your settings.json?

"python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"],

See if you can still repro the behavior afterwards.

[tplobo]

Hello @tplobo, thanks for filing the issue.

hey @anthonykim1, thanks for the reply

Can you try opting out of the terminal env var experiment by adding following code in your settings.json?

"python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"],

See if you can still repro the behavior afterwards.

Indeed, after adding your suggestion to the project .vscode/settings.json file, new terminals start with:

source /Users/user/mambaforge/bin/activate myenv
WARNING: overwriting environment variables set in the machine
overwriting variable ['LANG']
(my env) user@computer >

so the host in my prompt is corrected to the output of hostname. However, these commands return:

(my env) user@computer > echo $HOST
x86_64-apple-darwin13.4.0

(my env) user@computer > hostname
computer

so $HOST is still being overwritten by the environment activation, which seems to me that is the issue with conda that I reported previously. Not sure if this needs any fix, though.

Now, if to that setup I add a (project folder)/.vscode/.zshenv file, new terminals do not display any message echoed in that file (first lines in Terminal are the same as above), so it is apparently not being loaded. But if I instead add a ~/.vscode/.zshenv, messages from this file are echoed in new Terminal windows, i.e. it is being sourced; however $HOST and hostname are identical to the above.

Finally, if I remove both .zshenv files and add a myenv/.../activate.d/fix_host.sh file to my mambaforge directory, this file is clearly sourced because its messages are echoed in new Terminal windows. Buuut, $HOST and hostname are again identical to the above.

[anthonykim1]

Apologies for late response but I think this may be related to Python ext. not having context over zshenv or zshrc, zprofile, etc files.

I think you should stick to

remove both .zshenv files and add a myenv/.../activate.d/fix_host.sh file to my mambaforge directory, this file is clearly sourced because its messages are echoed in new Terminal windows

But for missing context of $HOST in your zshrc, its probably because combination of: extension has no context of what is inside your shell initialization file AND conda specific issue that you mentioned.

For the first case, you might notice other environment variables that are missing here as well.

We are planning to remove the terminal env var experiment for better experience where we WOULD have context of what is inside your zshrc, though but I can't guarantee you the timeline. Related: microsoft/vscode#227467

As far as:

last updates made the "Python Interpreter" setting to be remembered and automatically retrieved when a project is opened. Which means the contents

Python interpreter would be remembered, but Im not sure if this really means that you wont need conda init related in your zshrc file.
Also given: conda/conda#7031 its hard to define really say that this is really coming from Python extension itself.
But with microsoft/vscode#227467 and Python extension eventually having better context of user's environment variables, we would be better off for sure in terms of respecting environment variables inside your shell init files. - just not sure if it will solve your $HOST variable case since it seems conda specific. Let me know how issue with the conda goes in regards to $HOST variable, or if you experience any other missing environment variables.

Otherwise, I will continue to work on the VS Code API so that extensions (such as Python extension) have better understanding of user's environment in shell specific way.