Hitting a breakpoint in symlinked file opens a new instance of the file

[dasz-odoo]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

Expected vs. Actual

I develop addons for an open source project, in order to have all standard files + my customised addons files I open the project repository and have a symlink to my custom addons directory. Using breakpoints in those files always open a new tab.
When I open the file for working, the path is /dev/my_custom_addon/.../file.py
which is a symlink to
my_home/work/dev/...
which is also the path that my debugger opens when hitting the breakpoint i.e. not the short symlink path but the absolute path

Steps to reproduce:

1. put a breakpoint in a symlinked file
2. run your program and hit that breakpoint
3. vscode will open the same file but from the absolute path, not the symlinked path

Expected Behavior:

Do not open the same file from the symlinked path. Stop the debugger in the same file where I put my breakpoint.

Diagnostic data

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.8.10
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Global
• 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)

XXX

User Settings

languageServer: "Pylance"

VS Code version: Code 1.85.1 (0ee08df0cf4527e40edc9aa28f4b5bd38bbff2b2, 2023-12-13T09:47:11.635Z)
OS version: Linux x64 5.15.0-91-generic snap
Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8365U CPU @ 1.60GHz (8 x 2390)
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 video_decode: enabled video_encode: disabled_software vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 2, 2
Memory (System)	15.43GB (6.64GB free)
Process Argv	--no-sandbox --force-user-env --unity-launch --crash-reporter-id 7eaf83cf-f98c-4cc8-8689-c053473e589c
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%
DESKTOP_SESSION	cinnamon
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP	X-Cinnamon
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP	cinnamon
XDG_SESSION_TYPE	x11

Extensions (32)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
comment-tagged-templates	bie	0.3.2
es7-react-js-snippets	dsz	4.4.3
gitlens	eam	14.6.1
restore-terminals	Eth	1.1.8
auto-rename-tag	for	0.1.10
copilot	Git	1.147.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.11.1
better-cpp-syntax	jef	1.17.2
OdooSnippets	jig	1.5.0
vscode-redux-devtools	jin	1.0.2
cmake-language-support-vscode	jos	0.0.9
rainbow-csv	mec	3.11.0
vscode-scss	mrm	0.10.0
language-gettext	mro	0.2.2
vscode-docker	ms-	1.28.0
csharp	ms-	2.14.8
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-	2.0.0
flake8	ms-	2023.10.0
isort	ms-	2023.10.1
python	ms-	2023.22.1
vscode-pylance	ms-	2023.12.1
cmake-tools	ms-	1.16.32
cpptools	ms-	1.18.5
cpptools-extension-pack	ms-	1.3.0
hexeditor	ms-	1.9.12
jinja-snippets	nox	1.0.0
vscode-xml	red	0.26.1
LiveServer	rit	5.7.9
jinjahtml	sam	0.20.0
cmake	twx	0.0.17
gitblame	wad	10.6.0
jinja	who	0.0.8

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

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[dasz-odoo]

this is the same as microsoft/ptvsd#2094 which also links 3 other issues of the same nature

[gigberg]

as this thread mentioned Symbolic links to folders can lead to the same file opened in two tabs #100533, you could add pathMapping option in you debugpy launch.json.

for me example:
true path /usr/local/yourname
symlinked path /home/yourname

i add pathMapping option in my launch.json, and when remote on port 5678, vscode can be:

        {
            "name": "Python: Remote Attach",
            // python -m debugpy --listen 5678 --wait-for-client train.py --arg1 ARG1
            // then run the code whih this launch.json
            "type": "debugpy",
            // attach
            "request": "attach",
            "justMyCode": false,
	    "connect": {
		    "host": "localhost",
		    "port": 5678
	    },
            "pathMappings": [
                {
                    "localRoot": "/home/yourname", // your project prefered path, usually symlinked path
                    "remoteRoot": "/usr/local/yourname" //  another path
                }
            ]
          },

however, i have only test when remote debug client and server is on the same machine. and this only work in debugpy situation, not for search return two results, or run bash command: code xxxfile open two tab.

A guess, everytime debugpy request for symlinked file (this always happen), then it change to request for true file according to the pathMapping. As a consequence, vscode get file open request against true file( the key is that the request path should be as same as the project path in vscode).

[yajo]

I don't think path mappings should be needed when there's no container or remote connections involved. If you're just debugging local code which happens to be symlinked, VSCode should be smart enough to follow the symlink if needed, no matter if you set the stop point in the symlinked or original files.