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Activating an environment fails because running powershell scripts is disabled by default on Windows #2559

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Activating an environment fails because running powershell scripts is disabled by default on Windows#2559
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karrtikr
Labels
area-environmentsFeatures relating to handling interpreter environmentsarea-terminalfeature-requestRequest for new features or functionalityverification-neededVerification of issue is requestedverifiedVerification succeeded
Milestone
September 2023

Description

@qubitron
Dan Taylor (qubitron)
opened on Sep 12, 2018

Environment data

  • VS Code version: 1.27.1 (user setup)
  • Extension version (available under the Extensions sidebar): 2018.8.0
  • OS and version: Windows 10
  • Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): Python 3.7..0
  • Type of virtual environment used (N/A | venv | virtualenv | conda | ...): venv
  • Relevant/affected Python packages and their versions: N/A

Actual behavior

Creating a new terminal in a fresh Windows install results in a powershell error

PS C:\dev\loadtest> & c:/dev/loadtest/env/Scripts/activate.ps1
& : File C:\dev\loadtest\env\Scripts\activate.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system. For more information, see about_Execution_Policies at https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170.
At line:1 char:3
+ & c:/dev/loadtest/env/Scripts/activate.ps1
+   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : SecurityError: (:) [], PSSecurityException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess

Expected behavior

I don't need need to disable running scripts in able to use VS code

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Fresh install of windows
  2. install python
  3. create virtual environment
  4. try to activate it in VS Code

Activity

  1. d3r3kk commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @d3r3kk
    Derek Keeler (d3r3kk)
    on Sep 12, 2018

    Hmmm.. this feels like it might be a VSCode problem.

    To fix the issue, you can simply open a Powershell window as administrator and type the following:

    Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

    And hit enter, respond y to any prompts that appear.

  2. d3r3kk commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @d3r3kk
    Derek Keeler (d3r3kk)
    on Sep 12, 2018

    I take it back - we are running an activate.ps1 file from a .venv!

    Hmmm... not sure what we can do about this from the extension's perspective. Don Jayamanne (@DonJayamanne) can we inject some powershell code prior to running activate.ps1 when we launch a python terminal?

  3. Derek Keeler (d3r3kk)
    added
    bugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable bug
    needs PR
    area-terminal
    on Sep 12, 2018
  4. Don Jayamanne (DonJayamanne)
    added
    feature-requestRequest for new features or functionality
    and removed
    bugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable bug
    on Sep 12, 2018

  5. DonJayamanne commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @DonJayamanne
    Don Jayamanne (DonJayamanne)
    on Sep 12, 2018

    can we inject some powershell code prior to running activate.ps1 when we launch a python terminal?

    Yes we can.
    Changing the label, as this isn't a bug. we're trying to improve the UX for users of the extension.

    Derek Keeler (@d3r3kk)
    Your original suggestion works, changing the policy will work, however Dan Taylor (@qubitron) doesn't want to have to do it manually.
    Basically we should do what ever we can to remove/reduce such road blocks.

  6. Don Jayamanne (DonJayamanne)
    changed the title [-]activate.ps1 fails because running scripts is disabled by default on Windows[/-] [+]Activating an environment fails because running powershell scripts is disabled by default on Windows[/+] on Sep 12, 2018

  7. d3r3kk commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @d3r3kk
    Derek Keeler (d3r3kk)
    on Sep 12, 2018

    Yep, that's pretty standard Powershell behaviour/expected workflow on a new machine. Not sure we should usurp that is what I'm getting at.

    However, if we choose to do so, it shouldn't be too difficult to put a quick popup and ask the user if doing so will be ok with them first (much like the powershell cmdlet Set-ExecutionPolicy does).

  8. DonJayamanne commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @DonJayamanne
    Don Jayamanne (DonJayamanne)
    on Sep 12, 2018

    However, if we choose to do so, it shouldn't be too difficult to put a quick popup and ask the user if

    Agreed.
    After all, we're executing some script that we have no control over.

    Dan Taylor (@qubitron) thoughts

  9. qubitron commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @qubitron
    Dan Taylor (qubitron)
    on Sep 12, 2018
    Author
    1. This will require elevation to set the execution policy correct? Not all users have admin rights on the system
    2. What if the user doesn't want this execution policy set for security reasons, it's off by default for a reason?

    Why do we even need powershell cmdlet to do this, why can't we run a batch file or something else that doesn't require admin privileges/execution policies to be set?

  10. brettcannon commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @brettcannon
    Brett Cannon (brettcannon)
    on Sep 12, 2018
    Member

    It's a PowerShell script because that's how you get the prompt updated to list the virtual environment's name: https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/master/Lib/venv/scripts/nt/Activate.ps1

  11. brettcannon commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @brettcannon
    Brett Cannon (brettcannon)
    on Sep 12, 2018
    Member

    The other option any notification could have is offer to switch off the automatic activation on top of providing instructions on how to change the policy.

  12. qubitron commented on Sep 12, 2018

    @qubitron
    Dan Taylor (qubitron)
    on Sep 12, 2018
    Author

    OK, so really this is an issue because we're using a powershell cmd prompt instead of CMD (which is what I use outside of VS Code and just lets me activate without having to set any policies).

    Since I assume we can't change the default from powershell to cmd, detecting the issue and prompting users to set the execution policy (with a button) seems like the right solution.

  13. 70 remaining items

  14. mkoohafkan commented on Aug 18, 2023

    @mkoohafkan
    Michael Koohafkan (mkoohafkan)
    on Aug 18, 2023

    I think this may actually be a working solution via a terminal profile, since it mimics the specifications of the Anaconda PowerShell Prompt shortcut that gets placed in the start menu when Anaconda is installed. Here I've made a "Conda" profile, but you could also add the "args" entry to your default PowerShell profile.

            "Conda": {
            "source": "PowerShell",
            "icon": "terminal-powershell",
            "overrideName": true,            
            "args": ["-ExecutionPolicy",  "ByPass", "-NoExit", "-Command",  "& 'C:\\Anaconda3\\shell\\condabin\\conda-hook.ps1' ; conda activate 'C:\\Anaconda3' "]
        }

    EDIT We can create a new configuration setting "python.condaHome" : "C:\\Anaconda3" and insert it into the Conda terminal profile arguments via ${config:python.condaHome}.

    This appears to work for non-admin users with "restricted" execution policy.

  15. karrtikr commented on Sep 11, 2023

    @karrtikr
    Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    on Sep 11, 2023

    We have a new activation mechanism #11039 which does not require executing any script, hence does not run into this issue, give it a try:

    • Use latest version of VS Code and Python extension
    • Add the following to User settings and reload window: 
      "python.experiments.optInto": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"]
  16. Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    added
    info-neededIssue requires more information from poster
    triage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team
    on Sep 11, 2023
  17. Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    closed this as completedon Sep 12, 2023
  18. github-actions
    removed
    needs PRReady to be worked on
    on Sep 12, 2023
  19. Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    added
    verification-neededVerification of issue is requested
    needs PRReady to be worked on
    and removed
    info-neededIssue requires more information from poster
    triage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team
    on Sep 12, 2023
  20. Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    added this to the September 2023 milestone on Sep 12, 2023
  21. Kartik Raj (karrtikr)
    removed
    needs PRReady to be worked on
    on Sep 12, 2023

  22. Tyriar commented on Sep 26, 2023

    @Tyriar
    Daniel Imms (Tyriar)
    on Sep 26, 2023

    Verification covered by #11039 TPI

  23. Daniel Imms (Tyriar)
    added
    verifiedVerification succeeded
    on Sep 26, 2023
  24. github-actions
    locked as resolved and limited conversation to collaborators on Oct 27, 2023
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