Visual Studio Code – VSCode Python: Error while enumerating installed packages

My long-successful VSCode Python setup broke inexplicably.

Please, what does the error below mean?
First the recommended Python 3.12 can’t find _tkinter. I try an older installed version and get this. I can’t use pip either, it says "externally managed environment". I’m lost.

%  cd /Users/ken/Teaching/Python2024 ; /usr/bin/env /opt/local/bin/python3.9 /Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher 64660 -- /Users/ken/Teaching/Python2024/turtle1.py 
E+00000.193: Error while enumerating installed packages.
             
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/common/log.py", line 361, in get_environment_description
     report("    {0}=={1}n", pkg.name, pkg.version)
 AttributeError: 'PathDistribution' object has no attribute 'name'

             
 Stack where logged:
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 197, in _run_module_as_main
     return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
     exec(code, run_globals)
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/__main__.py", line 91, in <module>
     main()
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/__main__.py", line 21, in main
     log.describe_environment("debugpy.launcher startup environment:")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/common/log.py", line 369, in describe_environment
     info("{0}", get_environment_description(header))
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/common/log.py", line 363, in get_environment_description
     swallow_exception("Error while enumerating installed packages.")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/common/log.py", line 215, in swallow_exception
     _exception(format_string, *args, **kwargs)

E+00000.030: Error while enumerating installed packages.
             
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 361, in get_environment_description
     report("    {0}=={1}n", pkg.name, pkg.version)
 AttributeError: 'PathDistribution' object has no attribute 'name'
             
 Stack where logged:
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 197, in _run_module_as_main
     return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
     exec(code, run_globals)
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/__main__.py", line 39, in <module>
     cli.main()
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/cli.py", line 415, in main
     api.ensure_logging()
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/api.py", line 61, in ensure_logging
     log.describe_environment("Initial environment:")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 369, in describe_environment
     info("{0}", get_environment_description(header))
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 363, in get_environment_description
     swallow_exception("Error while enumerating installed packages.")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 215, in swallow_exception
     _exception(format_string, *args, **kwargs)

             

E+00000.225: Error while enumerating installed packages.
             
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 361, in get_environment_description
     report("    {0}=={1}n", pkg.name, pkg.version)
 AttributeError: 'PathDistribution' object has no attribute 'name'
             
 Stack where logged:
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 197, in _run_module_as_main
     return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
   File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
     exec(code, run_globals)
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/__main__.py", line 39, in <module>
     cli.main()
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/cli.py", line 430, in main
     run()
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/server/cli.py", line 281, in run_file
     log.describe_environment("Pre-launch environment:")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 369, in describe_environment
     info("{0}", get_environment_description(header))
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 363, in get_environment_description
     swallow_exception("Error while enumerating installed packages.")
   File "/Users/ken/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.debugpy-2023.3.13341006-darwin-x64/bundled/libs/debugpy/adapter/../../debugpy/launcher/../../debugpy/../debugpy/common/log.py", line 215, in swallow_exception
     _exception(format_string, *args, **kwargs)