Selected python interpreter is not used in terminal window

I have two interpreters to use, both installed in global locations

I have the Python 3.9 one selected (as it also shows in the interpreter at the bottom left).

If I create a new terminal window, it uses the 3.8 one:

D:\Source\jupyter_server>python
Python 3.8.5 (tags/v3.8.5:580fbb0, Jul 20 2020, 15:57:54) [MSC v.1924 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>          

[karthiknadig]

You are correct. People have filed bugs about this. The point of picking interpreters is to run the tools linter, formatter, debugger, intellisense, etc using the selected interpreter. The terminal represents how you have your system configured.

We do have a long term plan to solve this. It is not as straight forward as you would think. for example, pyenv using python shim, and figures out which version to run for each folder by looking at pyenv settings in that folder. People could have set an alias to python, so if we change what python means by changing just PATH that won’t work. In short we have thought about this problem, and we plan on tackling it. But for now, the terminal works like how it is configured for your machine (i.e, selecting a python is VS Code, does not change your machine configuration.)

[rchiodo]

No, we don’t control this.

Seems like a user may not understand this. What’s the point of allowing me to pick the two interpreters then?