Python REPL prompt garbled with shell integration escape sequences (]633;C...) in virtual environments on Ubuntu 24.04

[bahiaxur]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

The Python REPL prompt is garbled and displays raw shell integration escape sequences instead of the clean prompt . The prompt looks like this:

]633;C]633;E;None]633;D;0]633;A>>> ]633;B

It happens whenever I open the Python REPL from a virtual environment. The prompt should be clean and display only the standard characters:

>>>

Disabling ms-python.python solves the problem, but I lose all the benefits of the extension.

Additional Context & Troubleshooting

• The issue only occurs when a virtual environment is active. The system Python REPL displays the prompt correctly.
• The problem is definitively caused by the ms-python.python extension, as confirmed using the Help: Start Extension Bisect command.
• The problem disappears when running VS Code with a clean profile (code --user-data-dir /tmp/vscode-test --extensions-dir /tmp/vscode-test-extensions), confirming the issue lies within the user configuration state managed by the extension.
• The following settings, which are intended to control this behavior, do not fix the issue, suggesting they are being ignored by the extension in this context:
  • "python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"]
  • "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": false

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install the latest stable versions of VS Code and the ms-python.python extension.
2. Install uv and uv-virtualenvwrapper.
3. Install python 3.8.20 (uv python install 3.8.20).
4. Create a virtual enviroment (mkvirtualenv -p 3.8 my-env).
5. Open VSCode. Open a new terminal (Terminal -> New Terminal).
6. Switch to my-env (workon my-env). Open python repl.

Diagnostic data

Extension version: 2025.14.0
VS Code version: Code 1.104.2 (e3a5acfb517a443235981655413d566533107e92, 2025-09-24T11:21:37.073Z)
OS version: Linux x64 6.14.0-33-generic
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.12.3
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): System
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

Multiroot scenario, following user settings may not apply:

languageServer: "Pylance"

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
aws-toolkit-vscode	ama	3.78.0
copilot	Git	1.372.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.31.4
dark-autumn-frost	fim	1.1.2
debugpy	ms-	2025.10.0
docker	doc	0.17.0
EditorConfig	Edi	0.17.4
emr-tools	Ama	0.7.0
gc-excelviewer	Gra	4.2.64
github-vscode-theme	Git	6.3.5
intellicode-api-usage-examples	Vis	0.2.9
isort	ms-	2025.0.0
js-debug	ms-	1.104.0
js-debug-companion	ms-	1.1.3
jupyter	ms-	2025.8.0
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.3.0
mhtml2md	dev	1.0.2
nightowl-theme	Anc	0.10.9
python	ms-	2025.14.0
rainbow-bracket	tal	1.0.2
remote-containers	ms-	0.427.0
Theme-Monokai-Midnight	ger	0.0.5
unified-glow-vscode-theme	Ikr	1.0.2
vscode-containers	ms-	2.2.0
vscode-docker	ms-	2.0.0
vscode-edit-csv	jan	0.11.7
vscode-js-profile-table	ms-	1.0.10
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.8.3
vscode-python-envs	ms-	1.8.0
vscode-yaml	red	1.19.0
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.3.2

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS with Radeon Graphics (16 x 3069)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled 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 trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: disabled_software vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	1, 1, 1
Memory (System)	30.12GB (21.91GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 5ce291ce-de6b-4aa9-b3a2-7660754e02d2
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%
DESKTOP_SESSION	ubuntu
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP	Unity
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP	ubuntu
XDG_SESSION_TYPE	wayland

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vswsl492:30256859
binariesv615:30325510
nativeloc1:31344060
dwcopilot:31170013
dwoutputs:31242946
copilot_t_ci:31333650
e5gg6876:31282496
pythonrdcb7:31342333
usemplatestapi:31297334
aj953862:31281341
cs4_fixed:31391938
b6b4d950:31327385
nes-set-on:31351930
6abeh943:31336334
0cj2b977:31352657
gendocstringt:31395207
0574c672:31362109
cloudbuttont:31379625
todos-1:31390405
multireplacestringcontrol:31393296
treatment_gpt5applypatchexclusively:31394181
3efgi100_wstrepl:31382709
trigger-command-fix:31379601
auto_model_enabled:31385282
use-responses-api:31390855
gemagent1cf:31396483
dcggh915:31397497

[bltravis]

Glad(?) I'm not the only one seeing this.

[SolalAttiasInstadeep]

Disabling the Preview setting "Python › Terminal › Shell Integration: Enabled" (python.terminal.shellIntegration.enabled) fixed this for me.

Hope this helps!

[bahiaxur]

Disabling the Preview setting "Python › Terminal › Shell Integration: Enabled" (python.terminal.shellIntegration.enabled) fixed this for me.

That worked for me. Thanks! I don't know what features I'll lose by disabling this, but at least those characters are not appearing anymore.

[davidwyld]

Disabling the Preview setting "Python › Terminal › Shell Integration: Enabled" (python.terminal.shellIntegration.enabled) fixed this for me.

That worked for me. Thanks! I don't know what features I'll lose by disabling this, but at least those characters are not appearing anymore.

This setting seems to control the ability to launch a REPL integrated into VS code, which itself seems to work. With the setting python.terminal.shellIntegration.enabled on, you get the "Ctrl click to launch VS Code Native REPL" in the Python shell, which opens the integrated REPL.

Python 3.13.3 (main, Apr  9 2025, 04:03:52) [Clang 20.1.0 ] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
Ctrl click to launch VS Code Native REPL
]633;C]633;E;None]633;D;0]633;A>>> ]633;B

[eburnette]

I am seeing these escape characters on Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 8.6 (Ootpa). Disabling python.terminal.shellIntegration.enabled cleared it up but I'd like to have shell integration.

[cj81499]

Seems related to/duplicate of #25467

[anthonykim1]

/duplicate #25467