posit-dev / posit-dev/positron

debug doesn't open source file when used on renv installed packages

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area: debugger lang: r
Dominant language
TypeScript
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Description

System details:

Positron and OS details:

Positron Version: 2025.09.0 build 139
Code - OSS Version: 1.103.0
Commit: 30e3d0a74e09a0f6640929822cb57a326671360e
Date: 2025-08-29T18:34:16.368Z
Electron: 37.2.3
Chromium: 138.0.7204.100
Node.js: 22.17.0
V8: 13.8.500258-electron.0
OS: Linux x64 6.12.10-76061203-generic

Session details:

R 4.4.1

Describe the issue:

When debuging a function, I get a file opened, with the debugger enabled, on functions installed in the base system library. When I try the same thing on a function from a library managed by renv, the file "can't be opened".

I've tried updating to the latest version of renv, and re-installing the dplyr package (rebuild = TRUE) in the example below, and I still get the error.

Steps to reproduce the issue:

  1. Use renv to manage packages.
  2. Install dplyr.
  3. Try to debug a mutate call.

Expected or desired behavior:

The file is opened, and debugger runs properly.

I am attaching two screencasts, one where I am performing the debug using a non-renv managed session, and one where I am.

Works:

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/39774416-536b-49c7-89e3-8edbdfee08b0

Fails:

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d67111df-4ec2-4aa3-a150-5bcc0274557a

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

Image

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

Start by reproducing the issue with an renv-managed dplyr installation and compare it with debugging the same mutate call outside renv. Trace the source-file opening path for the debug session and use the reported UI error as the failure signal; done means the package source file opens and the debugger runs properly.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
r
Domain
developer-experience, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
68/100

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