ERROR: Debugger.jl requires a LineEditREPL type of REPL

PS K:\uc24> julia
               _
   _       _ _(_)_     |  Documentation: https://docs.julialang.org
  (_)     | (_) (_)    |
   _ _   _| |_  __ _   |  Type "?" for help, "]?" for Pkg help.
  | | | | | | |/ _` |  |
  | | |_| | | | (_| |  |  Version 1.11.4 (2025-03-10)
 _/ |\__'_|_|_|\__'_|  |  Official https://julialang.org/ release
|__/                   |
julia> using Debugger

julia> function foo(n)
           x = n+1
           ((BigInt[1 1; 1 0])^x)[2,1]
           end
foo (generic function with 1 method)

julia> @enter foo(20)
ERROR: Debugger.jl requires a LineEditREPL type of REPL
Stacktrace:
 [1] error(s::String)
   @ Base .\error.jl:35
 [2] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame, repl::Nothing, terminal::Nothing; initial_continue::Bool)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot1114\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:20
 [3] RunDebugger
   @ K:\judepot1114\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12 [inlined]
 [4] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot1114\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12
 [5] macro expansion
   @ K:\judepot1114\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\Debugger.jl:127 [inlined]
 [6] top-level scope
   @ REPL[3]:1

This error occurs when I’m trying to use Debugger.jl, what does it suggest?

1 Like

I can’t reproduce your error with Julia 1.11.5. Can you please upgrade to 1.11.5 and try again?
What is your Debugger version? Mine is:

(@v1.11) pkg> status Debugger
Status `~/.julia/environments/v1.11/Project.toml`
  [31a5f54b] Debugger v0.7.11
1 Like

I’ve upgraded. But the issue persists.

PS K:\uc24> julia
               _
   _       _ _(_)_     |  Documentation: https://docs.julialang.org
  (_)     | (_) (_)    |
   _ _   _| |_  __ _   |  Type "?" for help, "]?" for Pkg help.
  | | | | | | |/ _` |  |
  | | |_| | | | (_| |  |  Version 1.11.5 (2025-04-14)
 _/ |\__'_|_|_|\__'_|  |  Official https://julialang.org/ release
|__/                   |
(uc24) pkg> st
Status `K:\uc24\Project.toml`
  [31a5f54b] Debugger v0.7.12

julia> using Debugger

julia> function foo(n)
           x = n+1
           ((BigInt[1 1; 1 0])^x)[2,1]
           end
foo (generic function with 1 method)

julia> @enter foo(20)
ERROR: Debugger.jl requires a LineEditREPL type of REPL
Stacktrace:
 [1] error(s::String)
   @ Base .\error.jl:35
 [2] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame, repl::Nothing, terminal::Nothing; initial_continue::Bool)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot1115\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:20
 [3] RunDebugger
   @ K:\judepot1115\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12 [inlined]
 [4] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot1115\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12
 [5] macro expansion
   @ K:\judepot1115\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\Debugger.jl:127 [inlined]
 [6] top-level scope
   @ REPL[4]:1

Here is a related open issue. I have no idea what to do. (I remember that I could use this package properly around 2 years ago.)

Can you reproduce the error with julia --startup-file=no?

1 Like

Yes, it persists.

PS K:\uc24> julia --startup-file=no 
               _
   _       _ _(_)_     |  Documentation: https://docs.julialang.org
  (_)     | (_) (_)    |
   _ _   _| |_  __ _   |  Type "?" for help, "]?" for Pkg help.
  | | | | | | |/ _` |  |
  | | |_| | | | (_| |  |  Version 1.11.5 (2025-04-14)
# omit lines... (the same ERROR)

Just to be sure: That’s happening in a newly opened REPL without executing anything else before, correctly? And you are in a REPL outside of e.g. VS Code?

Which OS are you using? This is Windows, isn’t it?

Your environment looks strange (uc24). Can you try it in the default environment? How does your environment uc24 look like?

Yes.

I do it in PowerShell, which I open inside VScode.
I use the portable version for win11.

I guess it’s nothing wrong with VScode. Because I’ve used this package 2 years ago (with the same setting). At that time I can use this package properly (e.g. step into a function, executing a line etc.)

It is merely a folder in windows.

windows cmd

windows powershell

Therefore I guess it’s not owing to VScode.
@kristoffer.carlsson Could you please take a look? Thanks.

PS is there anyone know how to paste code in cmd and powershell (win11)? I tried ctrl+v, ctrl+shift+v, or right click, they almost don’t work! I don’t know why are they so difficult for users.

Thanks for al the tests. I asked about VS Code, because it has its own Debugger integration so it’s good that we could rule this out.

I am really at a loss here. Do you have the possibility to try the non-portable version and install it via juliaup?

Yes I can have a try. (I haven’t try this ever before. Because the portable version can be put in a non-system disk.) I’ll update later.

I’ve followed the recommended way (i.e. juliaup) and re-installed. But the issue persists.
The following are not the previous portable version, since I had deleted it in the PATH of ENV variables.

PS C:\Users\34682> julia
               _
   _       _ _(_)_     |  Documentation: https://docs.julialang.org
  (_)     | (_) (_)    |
   _ _   _| |_  __ _   |  Type "?" for help, "]?" for Pkg help.
  | | | | | | |/ _` |  |
  | | |_| | | | (_| |  |  Version 1.11.5 (2025-04-14)
 _/ |\__'_|_|_|\__'_|  |  Official https://julialang.org/ release
|__/                   |
julia> import Debugger
 β”‚ Package Debugger not found, but a package named Debugger is available from a registry.
 β”‚ Install package?
 β”‚   (uc24) pkg> add Debugger
 β”” (y/n/o) [y]: y
    Updating registry at `K:\judepot\registries\General.toml`
   Resolving package versions...
   Installed Debugger ──────────── v0.7.12
   Installed CodeTracking ──────── v1.3.9
   Installed Crayons ───────────── v4.1.1
   Installed JuliaInterpreter ──── v0.10.3
   Installed DocStringExtensions ─ v0.9.4
   Installed Highlights ────────── v0.5.3
    Updating `K:\uc24\Project.toml`
  [31a5f54b] + Debugger v0.7.12
    Updating `K:\uc24\Manifest.toml`
  [da1fd8a2] + CodeTracking v1.3.9
  [a8cc5b0e] + Crayons v4.1.1
  [31a5f54b] + Debugger v0.7.12
  [ffbed154] + DocStringExtensions v0.9.4
  [eafb193a] + Highlights v0.5.3
  [aa1ae85d] + JuliaInterpreter v0.10.3
  [2a0f44e3] + Base64 v1.11.0
  [b77e0a4c] + InteractiveUtils v1.11.0
  [d6f4376e] + Markdown v1.11.0
  [3fa0cd96] + REPL v1.11.0
  [9a3f8284] + Random v1.11.0
  [ea8e919c] + SHA v0.7.0
  [6462fe0b] + Sockets v1.11.0
  [f489334b] + StyledStrings v1.11.0
  [cf7118a7] + UUIDs v1.11.0
  [4ec0a83e] + Unicode v1.11.0
Precompiling Debugger...
  13 dependencies successfully precompiled in 71 seconds

(uc24) pkg> st
Status `K:\uc24\Project.toml`
  [31a5f54b] Debugger v0.7.12

julia> using Debugger

julia> using Debugger

julia> 

julia> function foo(n)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
           x = n+1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
           ((BigInt[1 1; 1 0])^x)[2,1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
           end
foo (generic function with 1 method)

julia> 

julia> @enter foo(20)
ERROR: Debugger.jl requires a LineEditREPL type of REPL
Stacktrace:
 [1] error(s::String)
   @ Base .\error.jl:35
 [2] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame, repl::Nothing, terminal::Nothing; initial_continue::Bool)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:20
 [3] RunDebugger
   @ K:\judepot\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12 [inlined]
 [4] RunDebugger(frame::JuliaInterpreter.Frame)
   @ Debugger K:\judepot\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\repl.jl:12
 [5] macro expansion
   @ K:\judepot\packages\Debugger\kuAYs\src\Debugger.jl:127 [inlined]
 [6] top-level scope
   @ REPL[5]:1

Thanks for the additional test. Again no luck. :-/

You still seem to use the uc24 environment, however. Could you open your package manager and just enter activate or start it in a different directory? If it still shows uc24 it’s probably still the portable version and the path is still somewhere (maybe only in RAM and a restart could change it).
If you open a command line and start the julia command from juliaup with its full path, you could also override path variables.

Is my operation correct?

Yes, thanks, we now know that it affects both portable and non-portable Julia and both your custom and the default environment. Unfortunately, I don’t have further ideas. I think we are at the point where you should report an issue in the Debugger.jl package.

I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can jump in and help you out. If not, the next step I would think of were to debug the Debugger package. I am fully aware of the irony. You could either try Rebugger or you could add some print statements. The call stack of your error is not that deep, so there is a chance to find something useful quite soon, but I am not sure whether you want to go down this rabbit hole.

1 Like

Thanks you. There is already a (spot on) open issue there.
Maybe there are some updates that violate things, not sure whether it comes from win11, or julia packages.
I’m not an expert at computer programming. The ironic fact might be that I could use this package properly 2 years ago. :innocent: I don’t use it continuously because I find that for the most of the time it suffices to use @info etc. to debug. However, for those code that are not written by me and involve a deep hierarchy of calls, I do need a tool like Debugger.jl.