Python 3.6 interpreter - invalid file path

I am trying to use Spyder 4.2.5 with a parallel installation of Python 3.8 and 3.6. Conda is set to be added to the system path. This did work before, and I need python on my system path!

1. I use a fresh install of Anaconda including python 3.8.
2. I create an environment with conda create -n py36 python==3.6.8
3. I want to select python 3.6 within Spyder, however, I get invalid file path - there is no further error message to pin down the problem

Solutions I tried (reinstalled anaconda before each)

• install spyder-kernels via conda within the py36 env (same version as for 4.2.5: 1.10.2)
• install spyder-kernels via pip
• run conda update -all
• run conda update anaconda/conda
• update to spyder 5.0.0 in both envs

What does work:

1. install anaconda 2020.07 including Spyder 4.1.5 (with spyder-kernels 1.9.2)
2. I create an environment with conda create -n py36 python==3.6.8
3. Manually select python.exe

Why does this not work any longer? Would it be possible to give some more detailed debugging information in this case?

[skjerns]

I solved the problem!

1. I reinstalled anaconda with the latest version.
2. I uninstalled both spyder and spyder-kernels from conda base via conda remove spyder --force and conda remove spyder-kernels --force
3. I installed spyder via pip install spyder and pip install spyder-kernels in the base environment (version 5.0.5 and 2.0.5 respectively)
4. I created a plain py36 environment conda create -n py36 python pip (without spyder installed there)
5. I installed the current version of spyder-kernels==2.0.5 in the py36 environment via pip

Now everything works as expected 😃

[skjerns]

Is there any update on this? It still appears with Spyder 5.0.3

I enabled the debuglog, but there seems to be no message related to the failing of detecting the environment, or why Spyder reports that spyder-kernels is not installed in py36 environment, even if it is.