# Julia: Start REPL

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025>\
**Category:** VS Code\
**Tags:** repl\
**Created:** [August 21, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025 "2023-08-21T12:20:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gsinha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gsinha](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gsinha)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025/1 "2023-08-21T12:20:00Z")

</div>

Why does this happen after you’ve selected the python interpreter from a conda env?

```julia
Julia> C:/ProgramData/anaconda3/Scripts/activate
ERROR: syntax: "/" is not a unary operator
Stacktrace:
 [1] top-level scope
   @ none:1

julia> conda activate juliaenv
ERROR: syntax: extra token "activate" after end of expression
Stacktrace:
 [1] top-level scope
   @ none:1

julia> 

```

The terminal properly activates the env but why does the activate script try to run from the julia REPL?

VSCode Info:  
Version: 1.81.1 (user setup)  
Commit: 6c3e3dba23e8fadc360aed75ce363ba185c49794  
Date: 2023-08-09T22:22:42.175Z  
Electron: 22.3.18  
ElectronBuildId: 22689846  
Chromium: 108.0.5359.215  
Node.js: 16.17.1  
V8: 10.8.168.25-electron.0  
OS: Windows\_NT x64 10.0.19044

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Palli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/palli/32/3380_2.png) [@Palli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Palli)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 12:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025/2 "2023-08-21T12:37:24Z")

</div>

That doesn’t belong at the REPL (default) prompt:

```julia
julia> conda activate juliaenv
ERROR: syntax: extra token "activate" after end of expression

```

Julia doesn’t use conda, or anaconda, so this doesn’t apply in any of its prompts. Julia has its own package manager, and Pkg prompt for it. You can use Julia without (conda or those) other package managers, that’s the default. Depending on what you want to do, you can use conda with PythonCall.jl (or directly with CondaPkg.jl), but not in that way, nor that exact command.

`C:/ProgramData/anaconda3/Scripts/activate` is just a path to a file, and doesn’t belong in Julia’s, or any REPL, even Python’s. It’s very likely you want to run it, then from the shell, or what you would call command-line, console in Windows. And I guess the same for your conda command.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gsinha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gsinha](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gsinha)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025/3 "2023-08-21T12:43:57Z")

</div>

I do understand that these are not julia commands - my question is when you start the Julia REPL from within VSCode (after having selected a specific conda environment), why do these activation commands get sent to the REPL at all?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xgdgsc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/xgdgsc/32/608_2.png) [@xgdgsc](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/xgdgsc)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 12:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-start-repl/103025/4 "2023-08-21T12:48:22Z")

</div>

> <https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/11963#issuecomment-634885773>
>
> Hello,
> 
> An \[R extension\](https://github.com/Ikuyadeu/vscode-R/) has a command …to create an R console. If the Python extension is also active and using a virtualenv/conda/etc. environment then text like 'source .../env/bin/activate' is sent to the already running R console. This is confusing because it looks like an R bug. Is there a way to avoid sending Python environment activation commands to terminals created by other extensions?
> 
> Related but not the same: #4959
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> \## Environment data
> 
> \- VS Code version: 1.45.0
> \- Extension version (available under the Extensions sidebar): 2020.5.80290
> \- OS and version: Ubuntu 18.04
> \- Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): Python 3.6.9
> \- Type of virtual environment used (N/A | venv | virtualenv | conda | ...): venv (but same issue has been observed with conda)
> \- Relevant/affected Python packages and their versions: None
> \- Relevant/affected Python-related VS Code extensions and their versions: R (Yuki Ueda) 1.3.0
> \- Jedi or Language Server? (i.e. what is \`"python.jediEnabled"\` set to; more info #3977): Enabled
> \- Value of the \`python.languageServer\` setting: Microsoft
> 
> \## Expected behaviour
> 
> New R console does not contain text like
> 
> \`\`\`
> \> source \[LOCATION\]/python-R-test/env/bin/activate
> Error: object 'home' not found'
> \`\`\`
> 
> \## Actual behaviour
> 
> New R console contains text like
> 
> \`\`\`
> \> source \[LOCATION\]/python-R-test/env/bin/activate
> Error: object 'home' not found'
> \`\`\`
> 
> \## Steps to reproduce:
> 
> \[\*\*NOTE\*\*: Self-contained, minimal reproducing code samples are \*\*extremely\*\* helpful and will expedite addressing your issue\]
> 
> 1. Install VS Code extension 'R' by Yuki Ueda
> 2. Create a folder 'python-R-test' containing empty files 'temp.R' and 'temp.py'.
> 3. Create a virtual environment in this folder:
> 
> \`\`\`
> python3 -m venv env
> \`\`\`
> 
> 4. File -\> Open Folder..., select 'python-R-test'
> 5. Make sure selected Python interpreter is 'env': venv
> 6. Use command \`R: Create R terminal\`
> 7. Observe new R terminal contains text ending in
> 
> \`\`\`
> Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
> 'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
> Type 'q()' to quit R.
> 
> \[1\] TRUE
> \> source \[LOCATION\]/python-R-test/env/bin/activate
> Error: object 'home' not found
> \> 
> \`\`\`
> 
> 
> \<!--
> Note: If you think a GIF of what is happening would be helpful, consider tools like https://www.cockos.com/licecap/, https://github.com/phw/peek or https://www.screentogif.com/ .
> \--\>
> 
> \## Logs
> 
> \<details\>
> 
> \<summary\>Output for \<code\>Python\</code\> in the \<code\>Output\</code\> panel (\<code\>View\</code\>→\<code\>Output\</code\>, change the drop-down the upper-right of the \<code\>Output\</code\> panel to \<code\>Python\</code\>)
> \</summary\>
> 
> \<p\>
> 
> \[output.txt\](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/files/4671273/output.txt)
> 
> \</p\>
> \</details\>
> 
> \<br /\>
> 
> \<details\>
> 
> \<summary\>
> Output from \<code\>Console\</code\> under the \<code\>Developer Tools\</code\> panel (toggle Developer Tools on under \<code\>Help\</code\>; turn on source maps to make any tracebacks be useful by running \<code\>Enable source map support for extension debugging\</code\>)
> \</summary\>
> 
> \<p\>
> 
> \[console.log\](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/files/4671272/console.log)
> 
> 
> \</p\>
> \</details\>