Weird console popups

[rhalaly]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

Expected vs. Actual

Some weird console popups are open while writing python code.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open Python file
2. Two popups are shown
3. Write some text
4. While writing, more console popups will appear

Diagnostic data

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.7.10
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Conda
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

Output for Python in the Output panel (View→Output, change the drop-down the upper-right of the Output panel to Python)

User Settings

condaPath: "<placeholder>"

languageServer: "Pylance"

linting
• flake8Args: "<placeholder>"
• flake8Enabled: true

formatting
• provider: "black"

Extension version: 2022.18.2
VS Code version: Code 1.73.1 (6261075646f055b99068d3688932416f2346dd3b, 2022-11-09T04:27:29.066Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.22621
Modes:
Sandboxed: No

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core Processor (24 x 3700)
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_renderer: enabled_on video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	63.91GB (53.17GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id b578525f-5307-4005-b372-513e1466e5ed
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368cf:30146710
vsreu685:30147344
python383cf:30185419
vspor879:30202332
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pythonvspyl392:30443607
vserr242:30382549
pythontb:30283811
vsjup518:30340749
pythonptprofiler:30281270
vshan820:30294714
vstes263:30335439
vscorecescf:30445987
pythondataviewer:30285071
vscod805cf:30301675
binariesv615:30325510
bridge0708:30335490
bridge0723:30353136
cmake_vspar411:30581797
vsaa593cf:30376535
pythonvs932:30410667
cppdebug:30492333
vsclangdc:30486549
c4g48928:30535728
dsvsc012cf:30540253
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
vsccc:30610678
pyindex848:30577860
nodejswelcome1cf:30587006
2e4cg342:30602488
gswce1:30612156
iaj6b796:30613358
dbltrim-noruby:30604474
f6dab269:30613381

[brettcannon]

Do you have a screen shot or knowledge of what the pop-ups say? Anything we may show would be a notification which you could click on the bell in the lower-right corner to see and not ones that would show and then disappear.

[rhalaly]

They are console windows that open and close. Maybe related to the Python compiler or the Linter. When I turn off the Python extension they are gone. I will record the screen soon

[brettcannon]

If you got Python from python.org, that won't generate any pop-ups. As for a linter, we wouldn't control that as we simply call them on your behalf. But let's see if you can get a screenshot and then we can try and figure out what the trigger is.

[rhalaly]

I think that the VS Code Python extension uses some terminal (cmd) to run the python command lines, and they just pop up.
As mentioned, there is no issue when the Python extension is disabled, there is no such issue in other Python editors, and in other languages inside VS Code - just with VS Code and enabled Python extension.

Since the issue is gone when the Python extension is disabled, I believe that the issue is related to this specific extension.

Please note that it pops up these consoles only while typing.

Here is a screen recording:

Python.Popups.mp4

[brettcannon]

I noticed you're getting completions like Copilot or some other extension is also turned on which seem to show up when your pop-ups show up (e.g. that def test(): suggestion is not coming from us or Pylance)? Could that be the cause? Does this happen if you turn off all extensions but the Python extension?

[rhalaly]

They are not related. Only the Python extension triggers them. As mentioned, in other languages in VS Code, there is no issue.

Here is proof that it is related to the Python extension only:

Pyhton.Popups.2.mp4

[brettcannon]

What happens if you turn off your Black and flake8 integration? And what if you switch your auto-complete from Pylance to Jedi? I'm trying to narrow it down as to whether it's some tool we are running on your behalf, your Python installation itself, Pylance, or somehow us (as you're the only person to have ever reported this my guess it isn't us directly).

[rhalaly]

When I set:

    "python.linting.flake8Enabled": false,
    "python.linting.lintOnSave": false,
    "python.formatting.provider": "none",

These popups are gone. (Although there are some when I open VS Code with Python for the first time)

as you're the only person to have ever reported this my guess it isn't us directly

I think it started when I upgraded Windows to 11H2

it's some tool we are running on your behalf

I think this is the case when you try to lunch the linter/formatter it launches it in a dedicated console window

[brettcannon]

Can you try our flake8 extension at https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.flake8 and see if that solves the problem?

We do run flake8 as a separate process in the Python extension (compared to our flake8 extension which keeps a running Python process with flake8 loaded), but not in any odd way (just using Node APIs). So I still suspect this is due to the OS or some external tool and not us.

[rhalaly]

Still has these popups with flaske8.

So I still suspect this is due to the OS or some external tool and not us.

No other tool or language in VSCode has this issue. So I still suspect it is something related to this library. When I disable it, the popups are gone.

I'm wondering if there is any tool that can record what is the command running in these consoles

[brettcannon]

No other tool or language in VSCode has this issue. So I still suspect it is something related to this library.

I'm sure it's something we're running, but not something we are directly causing (i.e. it isn't because of some bug in our extension, but something we are running on your behalf). It does seem like it's flake8 for some reason. Did you have the flake8 extension use its bundled copy or did you configure it to your installed version? And do the windows pop up when you run flake8 manually at the terminal the same way we do (see your Output channel for the extension for the command)?

[rhalaly]

OK, I just figure out something. I'm using conda for managing the python environments. Each time your extension call conda run ... these popups appear. (Not sure why other IDEs don't have this issue)