VSCode keeps pointing to wrong executables especially PHP Executables, works perfectly in regular mac terminal

[theMyth721]

Issue Type: Bug

It seems like ever since I upgraded my macos to Big Sur 11.5.2 I have been struggling to use the terminal properly.

I have created this question on stackoverflow: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/68899144/wrong-php-version-executable-in-vscode-terminal-but-works-perfectly-in-mac-termiFatal

I have tried everything, updated the executablePath, the validate.executablePath, completely reinstalled VSCode and done everything, nothing works.

This is a very strange bug as everything works perfectly in the regular terminal.

With PHP for example I have PHP 8.0.9 installed with brew and is in /opt/homebrew/bin/php but VSCode keeps pointing to /usr/bin/php which has the old mac version of php.

When I try to do PHP commands in a symfony project I get the following error:

error: Composer detected issues in your platform: Your Composer dependencies require a PHP version ">= 8.0.0". You are running 7.3.24-(to be removed in future macOS)

When I try to do unit tests in PHPUnit I get the following error:

/usr/bin/php declares an invalid value for PHP_VERSION.
This breaks fundamental functionality such as version_compare().
Please use a different PHP interpreter.

I am banging my head against the wall for days and I am not sure how to set this up properly.
Please do not just answer something generic and close this question without discussion as i have tried everything imaginable

Any advice would be appreciated

VS Code version: Code 1.59.1 (3866c35, 2021-08-19T11:57:20.140Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 20.6.0
Restricted Mode: No

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M1 (8 x 24)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled gpu_compositing: enabled metal: disabled_off multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on oop_rasterization: enabled opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled skia_renderer: disabled_off_ok video_decode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled
Load (avg)	1, 1, 1
Memory (System)	16.00GB (2.52GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 6c7a08f1-4f6d-4085-953c-cf5555df1369
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions (25)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
node-essentials	afr	1.1.0
vscode-icontheme-nomo-dark	be5	1.3.6
vscode-intelephense-client	bme	1.7.1
node-snippets	chr	1.3.2
path-intellisense	chr	2.4.0
vscode-eslint	dba	2.1.23
es7-react-js-snippets	dsz	3.1.1
gitlens	eam	11.6.0
EditorConfig	Edi	0.16.4
vscode-pull-request-github	Git	0.29.2
twig-language	mbl	0.9.2
dotenv	mik	1.0.1
vscode-kubernetes-tools	ms-	1.3.3
vscode-typescript-tslint-plugin	ms-	1.3.3
vsliveshare	ms-	1.0.4673
debugger-for-chrome	msj	4.12.12
vscode-jest	Ort	4.1.0
vscode-thunder-client	ran	1.9.1
fabric8-analytics	red	0.3.3
vscode-commons	red	0.0.6
vscode-yaml	red	0.22.0
ejs-snippets	Tao	0.1.0
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.2.14
quokka-vscode	Wal	1.0.394
vscode-import-cost	wix	2.15.0

A/B Experiments

vsliv368cf:30146710
vsreu685:30147344
python383:30185418
pythonvspyt678:30270856
pythonvspyt602:30300191
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
pythonvspyt639:30300192
pythontb:30283811
pythonptprofiler:30281270
vshan820:30294714
vstes263cf:30335440
pythondataviewer:30285071
pythonvsuse255:30340121
vscod805cf:30301675
pythonvspyt200:30340761
vscextlangct:30333562
binariesv615:30325510
pythonvssor306:30344512
bridge0708:30335490
pygetstartedc2:30351386
vstre464:30350172
bridge0723:30353136
vsdyn321cf:30356811

[vscodebot]

(Experimental duplicate detection)
Thanks for submitting this issue. Please also check if it is already covered by an existing one, like:

• PHP executable path. (#128098)

[ajlive]

I'm having this same issue.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Homebrew PHP

% brew install php

2. Restart computer

3. Check PHP executable and version in iTerm and Terminal.app

Both have the same output:

% which php
/opt/homebrew/bin/php
% php --version
PHP 8.0.10 (cli) (built: Aug 26 2021 07:11:25) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.0.10, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.0.10, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Both apps use the Homebrew executable.

4. Check PHP executable and version in vscode integrated terminal

% which php
/usr/bin/php
% php --version
WARNING: PHP is not recommended
PHP is included in macOS for compatibility with legacy software.
Future versions of macOS will not include PHP.
PHP 7.3.24-(to be removed in future macOS) (cli) (built: Jun 17 2021 21:41:13) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.3.24, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies

vscode is using the system PHP.

System

CPUs	Apple M1 (8 x 24)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled gpu_compositing: enabled metal: disabled_off multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on oop_rasterization: enabled opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled skia_renderer: disabled_off_ok video_decode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled
Load (avg)	13, 40, 22
Memory (System)	16.00GB (0.20GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 69fea1f3-4a27-4e25-a295-e14beaa5fe30
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
github-markdown-preview	bie	0.0.2
markdown-checkbox	bie	0.1.3
markdown-emoji	bie	0.1.0
markdown-preview-github-styles	bie	0.2.0
markdown-yaml-preamble	bie	0.0.4
vscode-intelephense-client	bme	1.7.1
go	gol	0.27.1
vscode-graphql	Gra	0.3.18
python	ms-	2021.9.1160333636-dev
vscode-pylance	ms-	2021.8.4-pre.1
jupyter	ms-	2021.8.2031190714
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.0.0
fish-vscode	sky	0.2.1
vim	vsc	1.21.7
markdown-all-in-one	yzh	3.4.0

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

vsliv695:30137379
vsins829:30139715
vsliv368cf:30146710
vsreu685:30147344
python383:30185418
pythonvspyt602:30291494
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
pythonvspyt639:30291487
pythontb:30258533
pythonvspyt551cf:30291413
pythonptprofiler:30281269
vshan820:30294714
pythondataviewer:30285072
pythonvsuse255:30319630
vscod805:30301674
pythonvspyt200:30323110
vsccppwt:30312692
pythonvssor306:30340298
bridge0708:30335490
pygetstartedt2:30353727
dockerwalkthru:30348713
bridge0723:30353136
pythonrunftest32cf:30353182
pythonf5test824:30353183
javagetstartedt:30350119
pythonvspyt187cf:30356035
pydsgsc2:30356658

[nlenkowski]

I'm also having this issue on a fresh install of MacOS 11.5.2 and VSCode 1.59.0 (Universal) on an M1 Mac Mini.

I have various versions of PHP installed via Homebrew and I'm switching between them (linking/unlinking) with the Laravel Valet valet use command.

In the Mac terminal and iTerm2 the currently linked version of PHP is respected, but in the VSCode terminal it is not, it always loads the bundled MacOS PHP instead.

To fix this I am manually exporting the path to the correct PHP in ~/.zshrc, like so:

export PATH=/opt/homebrew/opt/php@7.4/bin:$PATH

This works, but obviously it's a pain as I have to update this path whenever I switch the PHP version.

Anyone have a more permanent fix!?

[theMyth721]

Yes I have managed to fix it by adding PHP to the path. But this does not seem like a clean solution as you suggested, because whenever we update PHP this needs to be done manually.

VSCode seems to pickup the OpenJDK I have added with Homebrew but somehow not PHP

There should be a cleaner way to tell VSCode to point to the right executable

Why is executablePath & validate.executablePath not working I have no idea

[Tyriar]

See https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/integrated-terminal#_why-are-there-duplicate-paths-in-the-terminals-path-environment-variable-andor-why-are-they-reversed for an explanation and how to fix this issue

[nlenkowski]

Thanks a ton @Tyriar. Setting "terminal.integrated.inheritEnv": false in VSCode indeed fixed the issue. Sorry for the fuss!