VS Code does not use pyenv global Python version by default

[jab]

Bug description

The https://www.gitpod.io/docs/languages/python#python-versions docs explain how to use pyenv to install and use a different global version of Python from the system version, namely pyenv install x.y.z && pyenv global x.y.z. (This is particularly important because the system version of Python is 3.8, which is old enough to be in security-fix-only status, i.e. no longer receiving bugfixes.)

Even if you follow these docs, though, VS Code still starts up using Python 3.8 by default:

Either the docs should be expanded to explain how to configure VS Code to use the global version of Python that the .gitpod.yml maintainer has chosen via pyenv global x.y.z, or better yet, GitPod should automatically configure VS Code to use the version that the .gitpod.yml maintainer has chosen via pyenv global x.y.z, so that it is not necessary for each .gitpod.yml maintainer who is following these docs to repeat all this extra boilerplate.

An example can be found in:

• https://gitpod.io/#https://github.com/jab/bidict
• Ref: https://github.com/jab/bidict/blob/062ccb6a72f181295be54adb1ebdafaaad5cd2a3/.gitpod.yml#L19-L28

Steps to reproduce

1. Follow the https://www.gitpod.io/docs/languages/python#python-versions docs to use pyenv to install a different Python version and choose it as the global version in the init task, as in https://github.com/jab/bidict/blob/062ccb6a72f181295be54adb1ebdafaaad5cd2a3/.gitpod.yml#L19-L28
2. Open the resulting workspace
3. Observe that VS Code still starts up using the system Python version (3.8) rather than the configured pyenv global version.

Workspace affected

No response

Expected behavior

No response

Example repository

https://github.com/jab/bidict

Anything else?

No response

[pawlean]

👋🏼 Thanks for raising this, @jab.

It seems like a good next step is to expand the docs. Before I raise this, @akosyakov / @loujaybee I just wanted to check -- is there anything you can do here:

should automatically configure VS Code to use the version that the .gitpod.yml maintainer has chosen via pyenv global x.y.z, so that it is not necessary for each .gitpod.yml maintainer who is following these docs to repeat all this extra boilerplate.

[axonasif]

I think this has something to do with how we setup python at here:
https://github.com/gitpod-io/workspace-images/blob/main/chunks/lang-python/Dockerfile

There have been other issues with this too that a good number of users had reported.

[huweiATgithub]

I guess this might be due to the process that the pyenv global call is invoked after vscode is started.
Namely, vscode loads the version set in Dockerfile before you set the version via init.
A vscode reload (Ctrl+Shift+P -> reload or close and reopen web) will fix the version (I tested).

Another workaround is to add a Dockerfile that builds on top of the gitpod image and do the pyenv global stuff there. Then the python version is set before the vscode start.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[jab]

Issue is still present and should not be closed if there is still interest in addressing it (including even just updating the docs as a start, as @pawlean agreed should be done).