posit-dev / posit-dev/positron

Python: Cannot exit `ipdb` `interact` mode

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area: debugger bug lang: python
Dominant language
TypeScript
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Description

System details:

Positron and OS details:

Positron Version: 2025.07.0 build 999
Code - OSS Version: 1.100.3
Commit: 5d0a419a120cd6f951d3656a7e02d3ff15c75007
Date: 2025-06-28T11:01:41.371Z
Electron: 34.5.1
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.19.0
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.5.0

Session details:

Python 3.12.5.

Describe the issue:

I can't exit interactive mode in an ipdb debug session.

Steps to reproduce the issue:

  1. Run %debug in the console.
  2. Run interact in the ipdb activity prompt.
  3. Try to exit with Ctrl+D, Ctrl+C, exit(), quit(), none of which work. Only force quitting works.

Expected or desired behavior:

In IPython, in interact mode:

  • Ctrl+D once shows an exit confirmation message (related to https://github.com/posit-dev/positron/issues/2073), and Ctrl+D a second time exits to the ipdb prompt.
  • Ctrl+C does nothing in ipdb or interact.
  • exit, exit(), quit, and quit() all exit to the ipdb prompt.

Were there any error messages in the UI, Output panel, or Developer Tools console?

No.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the issue by running %debug, entering interact at the ipdb activity prompt, and trying Ctrl+D, Ctrl+C, exit(), and quit(). Compare the behavior with the expected IPython interaction described in the issue, including the two-step Ctrl+D confirmation. Done means each exit command reaches the ipdb prompt without force quitting.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
developer-experience, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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