Fix incompatibility error with --pdb despite using -n0

changelog/937.bugfix

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix a bug where plugin would raise an incompatibility error with ``--pdb`` despite using ``-n0``.

src/xdist/plugin.py

@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
 
     # Create the distributed session in case we have a valid distribution
     # mode and test environments.
-    if config.getoption("dist") != "no" and config.getoption("tx"):
+    if _is_distribution_mode(config):
         from xdist.dsession import DSession
 
         session = DSession(config)
@@ -252,8 +252,19 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
         config.issue_config_time_warning(warning, 2)
 
 
+def _is_distribution_mode(config):
+    """Return `True` if distribution mode is on, `False` otherwise.
+
+    :param config: the `pytest` `config` object
+    """
+    return config.getoption("dist") != "no" and config.getoption("tx")
+
+
 @pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True)
 def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
+    if config.option.distload:
+        config.option.dist = "load"
+
     usepdb = config.getoption("usepdb", False)  # a core option
     if config.option.numprocesses in ("auto", "logical"):
         if usepdb:
@@ -270,10 +281,13 @@ def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
         if config.option.maxprocesses:
             numprocesses = min(numprocesses, config.option.maxprocesses)
         config.option.tx = ["popen"] * numprocesses
-    if config.option.distload:
-        config.option.dist = "load"
+
+    if config.option.numprocesses == 0:
+        config.option.dist = "no"
+        config.option.tx = []
+
     val = config.getvalue
-    if not val("collectonly") and val("dist") != "no" and usepdb:
+    if not val("collectonly") and _is_distribution_mode(config) and usepdb:
         raise pytest.UsageError(
             "--pdb is incompatible with distributing tests; try using -n0 or -nauto."
         )  # noqa: E501

testing/test_plugin.py

@@ -48,6 +48,23 @@ def test_dist_options(pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None:
     check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
 
+    config = pytester.parseconfigure("--numprocesses", "0")
+    check_options(config)
+    assert config.option.dist == "no"
+    assert config.option.tx == []
+
+    config = pytester.parseconfigure("--numprocesses", "0", "-d")
+    check_options(config)
+    assert config.option.dist == "no"
+    assert config.option.tx == []
+
+    config = pytester.parseconfigure(
+        "--numprocesses", "0", "--dist", "each", "--tx", "2*popen"
+    )
+    check_options(config)
+    assert config.option.dist == "no"
+    assert config.option.tx == []
+
 
 def test_auto_detect_cpus(
     pytester: pytest.Pytester, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
@@ -77,17 +94,12 @@ def test_auto_detect_cpus(
     check_options(config)
     assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 99
 
-    config = pytester.parseconfigure("-nauto", "--pdb")
-    check_options(config)
-    assert config.getoption("usepdb")
-    assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 0
-    assert config.getoption("dist") == "no"
-
-    config = pytester.parseconfigure("-nlogical", "--pdb")
-    check_options(config)
-    assert config.getoption("usepdb")
-    assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 0
-    assert config.getoption("dist") == "no"
+    for numprocesses in (0, "auto", "logical"):
+        config = pytester.parseconfigure(f"-n{numprocesses}", "--pdb")
+        check_options(config)
+        assert config.getoption("usepdb")
+        assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 0
+        assert config.getoption("dist") == "no"
 
     monkeypatch.delattr(os, "sched_getaffinity", raising=False)
     monkeypatch.setenv("TRAVIS", "true")