Python interpreter path overwritten in console w/external interpreter on the MacOS standalone version if the `Spyder.app` name is changed

Issue Report Checklist

• Searched the issues page for similar reports
• Tried basic troubleshooting (if a bug/error)
  • Restarted Spyder
  • Reset preferences with spyder --reset

Problem Description

I am using Spyder 5.3.0, installed in mac from the distributed .dmg, but need to use an external Python interpreter to debug with packages not present in the “spyder” Python. When the external Python is started, the path has been reset to that of the Python interpreter running Spyder.

What steps reproduce the problem?

1. Change interpreter setting for Python interpreter
2. restart console
3. display sys.path

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?

Python should run normally and packages should load properly. But, this does not happen.

Paste Traceback/Error Below (if applicable)

Output in console

Python 3.9.12 (main, Apr  5 2022, 01:53:17)
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

IPython 7.31.1 -- An enhanced Interactive Python.

Fatal Python error: init_import_site: Failed to import the site module
Python runtime state: initialized
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "site.pyc", line 32, in <module>
  File "site.pyc", line 29, in _import_os
  File "os.pyc", line 29, in <module>
  File "_collections_abc.pyc", line 416, in <module>
TypeError: type 'types.GenericAlias' is not an acceptable base type
0.00s - Debugger warning: The os.path.realpath.__code__.co_filename (posixpath.pyc)
0.00s - is not absolute, which may make the debugger miss breakpoints.
0.00s - Note: Debugging will proceed. Set PYDEVD_DISABLE_FILE_VALIDATION=1 to disable this validation.

In[1]: import sys

In[2]: sys.executable
Out[2]: '/Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/bin/python'

In[3]: sys.path
Out[3]: 
['/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python39.zip',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python3.9',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python3.9/site-packages.zip',
 '',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python3.9/site-packages',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder530.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python3.9/IPython/extensions',
 '/Users/toby/Applications/Spyder501.app/Contents/Resources/sn_0_22672798',
 '/Users/toby/.ipython']

Note that the Python image I am running is in ~/conda39/envs/spyder530/bin but the path is referencing locations in ~/Applications/Spyder530.app, where the latter is where Spyder is installed.

When ~/conda39/envs/spyder530/bin/python is run directly:

(spyder530) conda39 dev % /Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/bin/python 
Python 3.9.12 (main, Apr  5 2022, 01:53:17) 
[Clang 12.0.0 ] :: Anaconda, Inc. on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/lib/python39.zip', 
'/Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/lib/python3.9', 
'/Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload', 
'/Users/toby/conda39/envs/spyder530/lib/python3.9/site-packages']
>>> 

Versions

• Spyder version: 5.3.0
• Python version: 3.9.5
• Qt version: 5.15.2
• PyQt version: 5.15.6
• Operating System name/version: MacOS 10.15.7

Dependencies

# Mandatory:
applaunchservices >=0.1.7            :  0.2.1 (OK)
atomicwrites >=1.2.0                 :  1.4.0 (OK)
chardet >=2.0.0                      :  4.0.0 (OK)
cloudpickle >=0.5.0                  :  2.0.0 (OK)
cookiecutter >=1.6.0                 :  1.7.3 (OK)
diff_match_patch >=20181111          :  20200713 (OK)
intervaltree >=3.0.2                 :  3.1.0 (OK)
IPython >=7.31.1;<8.0.0              :  7.32.0 (OK)
jedi >=0.17.2;<0.19.0                :  0.18.1 (OK)
jellyfish >=0.7                      :  0.9.0 (OK)
jsonschema >=3.2.0                   :  4.4.0 (OK)
keyring >=17.0.0                     :  23.5.0 (OK)
nbconvert >=4.0                      :  6.4.5 (OK)
numpydoc >=0.6.0                     :  1.2.1 (OK)
parso >=0.7.0;<0.9.0                 :  0.8.3 (OK)
pexpect >=4.4.0                      :  4.8.0 (OK)
pickleshare >=0.4                    :  0.7.5 (OK)
psutil >=5.3                         :  5.9.0 (OK)
pygments >=2.0                       :  2.11.2 (OK)
pylint >=2.5.0                       :  2.13.3 (OK)
pyls_spyder >=0.4.0                  :  0.4.0 (OK)
pylsp >=1.4.1;<1.5.0                 :  1.4.1 (OK)
pylsp_black >=1.2.0                  :  1.2.0 (OK)
qdarkstyle >=3.0.2;<3.1.0            :  3.0.3 (OK)
qstylizer >=0.1.10                   :  0.2.1 (OK)
qtawesome >=1.0.2                    :  1.1.1 (OK)
qtconsole >=5.3.0;<5.4.0             :  5.3.0 (OK)
qtpy >=2.0.1                         :  2.0.1 (OK)
rtree >=0.9.7                        :  0.9.7 (OK)
setuptools >=49.6.0                  :  60.10.0 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6                       :  4.5.0 (OK)
spyder_kernels >=2.3.0;<2.4.0        :  2.3.0 (OK)
textdistance >=4.2.0                 :  4.2.2 (OK)
three_merge >=0.1.1                  :  0.1.1 (OK)
watchdog >=0.10.3                    :  2.1.7 (OK)
zmq >=17                             :  22.3.0 (OK)

# Optional:
cython >=0.21                        :  0.29.28 (OK)
matplotlib >=3.0.0                   :  3.5.1 (OK)
numpy >=1.7                          :  1.22.3 (OK)
pandas >=1.1.1                       :  1.4.1 (OK)
scipy >=0.17.0                       :  1.8.0 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3                        :  1.10.1 (OK)

# Spyder plugins:
spyder_terminal.terminalplugin 1.2.2 :  1.2.2 (OK)

[briantoby]

@mrclary is completely correct! Changing the app name back to spyder.app fixes this. If Spyder can’t be made robust against silly users renaming it, perhaps a warning can be added.

Thanks for the quick fix!

[mrclary]

I’d like to keep the issue open at least util I can investigate robustifying Spyder