az login doesn't use the default browser on Linux and prefers microsoft-edge

[Glandos]

Describe the bug

When using az login, Microsoft Edge is preferred over my default browser. I've installed microsoft-edge-beta from Microsoft APT repository.

According to the documentation, az should use my default browser: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/get-started-with-azure-cli?view=azure-cli-latest#:~:text=if%20azure%20cli%20can%20open%20your%20default%20browser

Related command

az login

Errors

No error

Issue script & Debug output

N/A

Expected behavior

It should open the login page with xdg-open https://login.microsoftonline.com/organizations/oauth2/v2.0/authorize which should then open my default browser.

Environment Summary

azure-cli 2.84.0

core 2.84.0
telemetry 1.1.0

Extensions:
interactive 1.0.0b1

Dependencies:
msal 1.35.1
azure-mgmt-resource 25.0.0

Python location '/usr/bin/python3'
Config directory '/home/glandos/.azure'
Extensions directory '/home/glandos/.azure/cliextensions'

Python (Linux) 3.13.12 (main, Feb 4 2026, 15:06:39) [GCC 15.2.0]

Legal docs and information: aka.ms/AzureCliLegal

Your CLI is up-to-date.

Additional context

No response

[yonzhan]

Thank you for opening this issue, we will look into it.

[github-actions]

Here are some similar issues that might help you. Please check if they can solve your problem.

• az login WSL 2 Ubuntu 18.04 does not open browser: Detect no GUI is available, so fall back to device code #14656

---

Possible solution (Extracted from existing issue, might be incorrect; please verify carefully)

Solution 1:

Just use below - its Display issue

DISPLAY=:0 az login

Reference:

• az login WSL 2 Ubuntu 18.04 does not open browser: Detect no GUI is available, so fall back to device code #14656 (comment)

Solution 2:

Setting DISPLAY=:0 is basically hacking into this line

azure-cli/src/azure-cli-core/azure/cli/core/util.py

Line 692 in 25912fd

gui_env_vars = ['DESKTOP_SESSION', 'XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP', 'DISPLAY']

to force env var DISPLAY to exist and trick Azure CLI that it is run in a Linux desktop environment.

Not only :0 works, but anything works, like DISPLAY=foo az login.

However, it will trigger a warning:

tcgetpgrp failed: Not a tty

⚠ This is not the supported way to launch browser in WSL 2.

Reference:

• az login WSL 2 Ubuntu 18.04 does not open browser: Detect no GUI is available, so fall back to device code #14656 (comment)

Powered by issue-sentinel

[Glandos]

OK, this is clearly linked to https://github.com/AzureAD/microsoft-authentication-library-for-python/blob/dev/msal/application.py#L137 that hack my environment without consent.

I understand that only Edge have Conditional Access implementation, but in my case, my default browser has the password manager + OTP integration, and Edge is only a debug tool.

MS Edge shouldn't be forced.

[Glandos]

Workaround:
env BROWSER="" az login