Unable to launch a debug session through WSL 2 bash and "terminalKind" set to "integrated" or "external"

[marius-nicolae]

When trying to launch a debug session through WSL 2 bash it fails with an error message like:

C:\Users\Redacted\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code> cd . && wsl.exe bash -c "cd ""/mnt/d/Users/Redacted/Work/Toys/Go/SystemdTestService""; while [[ ^! -p ""/tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572"" ]]; do sleep 0.25; done; ""bash"" ""/mnt/c/Users/Redacted/.vscode/extensions/rogalmic.bash-debug-0.3.9/bashdb_dir/bashdb"" --quiet --tty ""/tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572"" --tty_in ""/tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572_in"" --library ""/mnt/c/Users/Redacted/.vscode/extensions/rogalmic.bash-debug-0.3.9/bashdb_dir"" -- ""/mnt/d/Users/Redacted/Work/Toys/Go/SystemdTestService/scripts/deployService.sh""  " 
bash: -c: line 1: conditional binary operator expected
bash: -c: line 1: syntax error near `-p'
bash: -c: line 1: `cd /mnt/d/Users/Redacted/Work/Toys/Go/SystemdTestService; while [[ ^! -p /tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572 ]]; do sleep 0.25; done; bash /mnt/c/Users/Redacted/.vscode/extensions/rogalmic.bash-debug-0.3.9/bashdb_dir/bashdb --quiet --tty /tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572 --tty_in /tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572_in --library /mnt/c/Users/Redacted/.vscode/extensions/rogalmic.bash-debug-0.3.9/bashdb_dir -- /mnt/d/Users/Redacted/Work/Toys/Go/SystemdTestService/scripts/deployService.sh  '

As may be seen, the troubling part is the while [[ ^! -p /tmp/vscode-bash-debug-fifo-12572 ]]; - it adds an "unwelcommed" ^ char berfore -p negation. When connection through the vscode's WSL extension, the debug extension launch correctly (the ^ is missing; as it should, according to debugBash.ts:155).

My setup is:

• Windows 11 25H2 (WSL2)

• vscode 1.131.0 (user setup)
  Commit: e4c7e7b1d6d060162f4aa7f8225271b67ce1df75
  Date: 2026-07-28T10:51:25Z
  Electron: 42.7.0
  ElectronBuildId: 14710161
  Chromium: 148.0.7778.280
  Node.js: 24.18.0
  V8: 14.8.178.38-electron.0
  OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200

• rogalmic.bash-debug 0.3.9