microsoft / microsoft/vscode-python-debugger
Issue with Python Debug: Dependency on WMIC for pickProcess
Nobody has claimed this yet.
- Dominant language
- TypeScript
- Stars
- 181
- Forks
- 126
- Avg merge
- 2d 3h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 3
Description
Hi,
When using Python Debug, the pickprocess utility (in launch.json => "processId": "${command:pickProcess}") requires the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) service to be installed and available on the system.
However, WMIC is not installed by default on recent versions of Windows. This dependency can cause failures or unexpected behavior when attempting to launch pickprocess on systems where WMIC is absent.
We can add it manually but it's important to note that WMIC is now deprecated by Microsoft and is considered obsolete. Microsoft has officially announced that WMIC is being removed from Windows distributions and recommends using PowerShell cmdlets as alternatives for system management tasks.
Best regards
Christophe
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start at the pickprocess utility used by launch.json's processId: "${command:pickProcess}" and trace how it discovers Windows processes. Validate the behavior on a recent Windows system without WMIC; done means Python Debug can launch process selection without requiring the deprecated utility.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- powershell, python, typescript
- Domain
- devtools, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100