quarto-dev / quarto-dev/quarto-cli

engine: should be respected globally at the _quarto.yml level

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#3,157 1 comment 10 reactions 1 assignee View on GitHub

@gordonwoodhull is already working on this.

Since Dec 3, 2025.

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Description

Bug description

In the _quarto.yml file, setting engine: knitr or any variants (jupyter: python3, etc) should apply as the default for any files unless modified in the subsequent file's YAML.

On M1 Pro Mac running MacOS Monteray.

Using RStudio Version 2022.12.0-preview+303 (2022.12.0-preview+303)

Quarto v1.2.242

Reprex:

  1. Create a project
quarto create-project test-engine
  1. Set engine: knitr in the _quarto.yml
project:
  type: website

website:
  title: "test-engine"
  navbar:
    left:
      - href: index.qmd
        text: Home
      - about.qmd

format:
  html:
    theme: cosmo
    css: styles.css
    toc: true

engine: knitr #<- this is the change
  1. Change a chunk in the index.qmd to python:
```{python}
1+1
```
  1. quarto render

The render of index.qmd is executed within a Jupyter kernel instead of knitr + reticulate even with the engine: knitr set at global/_quarto.yml level.

The correct behavior would be to use knitr since that is set at the global level.

Checklist
  • Please include a minimal, fully reproducible example in a single .qmd file? Please provide the whole file rather than the snippet you believe is causing the issue.
  • Please format your issue so it is easier for us to read the bug report.
  • Please document the RStudio IDE version you're running (if applicable), by providing the value displayed in the "About RStudio" main menu dialog?
  • Please document the operating system you're running. If on Linux, please provide the specific distribution.

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