vscode python debugger not working: connection refused

Whenever I try to debug python code, vscode gives an errror and informs me the connection of the debugger was refused. I attached the full stack trace at the bottom

I'm on CentOS8 Linux.

So far I've tried:

• SELinux is off
• firewall is disabled
• uninstall vscode
• remove /home/user/.vscode
• remove /home/user/.config/Code
• clear environment variables

Not really an idea about what might be interfering here.

The file I'm debuggin is print('test') saved as test.py :-)

/usr/bin/python /home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/ptvsd_launcher.py --default --client --host localhost --port 43259 /scratch/user/tmp/test.py 
E00000.119: Exception escaped from start_client

            Traceback (most recent call last):
              File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/log.py", line 110, in g
                return f(*args, **kwargs)
              File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/pydevd_hooks.py", line 74, in start_client
                sock, start_session = daemon.start_client((host, port))
              File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/daemon.py", line 217, in start_client
                connect(client, addr)
              File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/socket.py", line 197, in connect
                sock.connect(addr)
            ConnectionRefusedError: [Errno 111] Connection refused


Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/ptvsd_launcher.py", line 43, in <module>
    main(ptvsdArgs)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/__main__.py", line 432, in main
    run()
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/__main__.py", line 300, in run_file
    setup_connection()
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/__main__.py", line 291, in setup_connection
    daemon = ptvsd._remote.attach(addr)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/_remote.py", line 95, in attach
    patch_multiprocessing=ptvsd.options.multiprocess)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/pydevd.py", line 2179, in settrace
    wait_for_ready_to_run,
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/pydevd.py", line 2230, in _locked_settrace
    debugger.connect(host, port)  # Note: connect can raise error.
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/pydevd.py", line 1060, in connect
    s = start_client(host, port)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/pydevd_hooks.py", line 136, in _start_client
    return start_client(daemon, h, p)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/log.py", line 110, in g
    return f(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/pydevd_hooks.py", line 74, in start_client
    sock, start_session = daemon.start_client((host, port))
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/daemon.py", line 217, in start_client
    connect(client, addr)
  File "/home/user/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.1.58038/pythonFiles/lib/python/old_ptvsd/ptvsd/socket.py", line 197, in connect
    sock.connect(addr)
ConnectionRefusedError: [Errno 111] Connection refused
dmaarten