Environment variables persisted

[stevenh]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

I switched virtual environment tools for a project from venv to conda but extensions which used python such as ruff continued to reference the old environment. After hours of digging I found a envVar.txt in the extensions directory which contained environment variables referencing the old and now deleted venv directory. This was resulting in virtual environment configuration for ruff to fail due to the removed venv directory.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install Python and Ruff extensions and conda
2. Create a python workspace and configure ruff (see config below)
3. Setup a venv in the shell for the project under VS Code python -m venv venv
4. Activate the environment source venv/bin/activate
5. Change Default Env Manager manager for the workspace to ms-python.python:conda
6. Select a conda environment

A basic pyproject.toml which enables ruff:

[tool.ruff]
required-version = ">=0.9.9"
line-length = 100

[tool.ruff.lint]
select = ["ALL"]

The fix was to remove the old deactivate directory, but this was very hard to find as it wasn't associated with workspace in any way.

Diagnostic data

No relavent information from python, error was in the Ruff log, failing to configure python extension as it was trying to run the activate from the old environment.

Extension version: 2025.2.0
VS Code version: Code 1.98.0 (Universal) (6609ac3d66f4eade5cf376d1cb76f13985724bcb, 2025-03-04T21:06:18.612Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 24.3.0
Modes:
Remote OS version: Linux arm64 6.10.14-linuxkit

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.12.7
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Conda
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

languageServer: "Pylance"

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
autopep8	ms-	2025.2.0
black-formatter	ms-	2025.2.0
cmake-tools	ms-	1.20.53
code-spell-checker	str	4.0.40
copilot	Git	1.277.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.25.0
cpptools	ms-	1.23.6
cpptools-extension-pack	ms-	1.3.1
cpptools-themes	ms-	2.0.0
csdevkit	ms-	1.16.6
csharp	ms-	2.63.32
debugpy	ms-	2025.4.0
EditorConfig	Edi	0.17.1
even-better-toml	tam	0.21.2
gitblame	wad	11.1.2
github-markdown-preview	bie	0.3.0
go	gol	0.46.1
html-preview-vscode	geo	0.2.5
intellicode-api-usage-examples	Vis	0.2.9
isort	ms-	2023.10.1
java	red	1.40.0
jenkins-doc	Maa	1.7.0
jenkins-extension-pack	Don	0.1.1
js-debug	ms-	1.97.1
js-debug-companion	ms-	1.1.3
jupyter	ms-	2025.2.0
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.1.0
kotlin	fwc	0.2.36
Kotlin	mat	1.7.1
makefile-tools	ms-	0.12.17
markdown-all-in-one	yzh	3.6.2
markdown-checkbox	bie	0.4.0
markdown-emoji	bie	0.3.1
markdown-footnotes	bie	0.1.1
markdown-mermaid	bie	1.27.0
markdown-preview-github-styles	bie	2.1.0
markdown-yaml-preamble	bie	0.1.0
materialdesignicons-intellisense	luk	4.1.0
md-link-checker	dly	0.4.0
powershell	ms-	2025.0.0
prettier-vscode	esb	11.0.0
python	ms-	2025.2.0
rainbow-csv	mec	3.17.0
remote-containers	ms-	0.401.0
remote-wsl	ms-	0.88.5
rest-client	hum	0.25.1
ruff	cha	2025.14.0
rust-analyzer	rus	0.3.2330
selected-lines-count	gur	1.4.0
test-adapter-converter	ms-	0.2.1
vacuum	pb3	0.0.7
vs-code-runner	Har	2.2.5
vscode-buf	buf	0.7.0
vscode-conventional-commits	viv	1.26.0
vscode-docker	ms-	1.29.4
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-	2.2.8
vscode-eslint	dba	3.0.10
vscode-github-actions	git	0.27.1
vscode-gradle	vsc	3.16.4
vscode-home-assistant	kee	1.43.0
vscode-java-debug	vsc	0.58.1
vscode-java-dependency	vsc	0.24.1
vscode-java-pack	vsc	0.29.0
vscode-java-test	vsc	0.43.0
vscode-js-profile-table	ms-	1.0.10
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
vscode-just-syntax	nef	0.8.0
vscode-markdownlint	Dav	0.59.0
vscode-maven	vsc	0.44.0
vscode-mocha-test-adapter	hbe	2.14.1
vscode-proto3	zxh	0.5.5
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.2.1
vscode-python-envs	ms-	0.3.10561010
vscode-test-explorer	hbe	2.22.1
vscode-thunder-client	ran	2.34.2
vscode-xml	red	0.28.0
vscode-yaml	red	1.16.0
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.3.2
vscodeintellicode-csharp	ms-	2.2.3
vstuc	vis	1.1.0

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M3 Max (16 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on 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 webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 2, 2
Memory (System)	48.00GB (0.36GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id bdc08fa1-0c7a-47e2-b1e5-75fcd9508d56
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Item	Value
Remote	Dev Container: Home Assistant Dev @ desktop-linux
OS	Linux arm64 6.10.14-linuxkit
CPUs	unknown (11 x 0)
Memory (System)	17.54GB (13.14GB free)
VM	0%

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