Error popup with 'unresolvable venv' that was working until 1.20.1

[Hnasar]

I upgraded 1.16 to 1.20.1 today and suddenly started getting a lot of errors

in my workspace .vscode/settings.json I have

    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python",

This is the error output from the python environments extension.

2026-02-24 18:31:37.358 [error] [pet] �[2m   4.854676138s�[0m �[33m WARN�[0m �[2mpet_telemetry�[0m�[2m:�[0m Inaccurate Python Environment Info for =>
Environment (Venv)
   Executable  : /usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python
   Version     : 3.12.7
   Prefix      : /usr/local/venvs/myvenv
   Symlinks    : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python"
               : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python3"
               : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python3.12"
.
Resolved as =>
Environment (Venv)
   Executable  : /usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python
   Version     : 3.12.7.final.0
   Prefix      : /usr/local/venvs/versioned/myvenv-1.0.51
   Architecture: x64
   Symlinks    : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python"
               : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python3"
               : "/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python3.12"
               : "/usr/local/venvs/versioned/myvenv-1.0.51/bin/python"

Incorrect information =>
Environment Some(Venv) incorrectly identified
   Prefix is incorrect

2026-02-24 18:23:28.321 [warning] [pet] Configure request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 18:23:28.321 [info] [pet] Killing hung/crashed PET process
2026-02-24 18:23:28.321 [error] [pet] configure: Configuration error Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 18:23:28.322 [warning] [pet] Request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 18:23:28.322 [error] [pet] Error refreshing Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 18:23:28.322 [warning] [pet] Restarting Python Environment Tools (attempt 1/3, waiting 1000ms)
2026-02-24 18:23:28.322 [info] Pyenv not found, turning off pyenv features. [Error: Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
	at Timeout.<anonymous> (/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/dist/extension.js:2:534062)
	at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:588:17)
	at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:523:7)]
2026-02-24 18:23:28.323 [info] [interpreterSelection] Applying initial environment selection for 1 workspace folder(s)
2026-02-24 18:23:28.324 [warning] [priorityChain] /usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5 defaultInterpreterPath '/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python' unresolvable, falling back to auto-discovery
2026-02-24 18:23:28.324 [error] [pet] Python Environment Tools exited unexpectedly with code null, signal SIGTERM
2026-02-24 18:23:29.338 [info] [pet] Starting Python Locator /usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet server
2026-02-24 18:23:29.338 [info] [pet] Python Environment Tools restarted successfully
2026-02-24 18:23:29.339 [info] [pet] configure: Sending configuration update: {"workspaceDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5"],"environmentDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5/**/.venv"],"pipenvExecutable":"pipenv","poetryExecutable":"poetry","cacheDirectory":"/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator"}
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [warning] [pet] Configure request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [info] [pet] Killing hung/crashed PET process
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [error] [pet] configure: Configuration error Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [warning] [pet] Request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [error] [pet] Error refreshing Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 18:23:59.340 [warning] [pet] Restarting Python Environment Tools (attempt 2/3, waiting 2000ms)
2026-02-24 18:23:59.542 [error] [pet] Python Environment Tools exited unexpectedly with code null, signal SIGTERM
2026-02-24 18:24:01.356 [info] [pet] Starting Python Locator /usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet server
2026-02-24 18:24:01.356 [info] [pet] Python Environment Tools restarted successfully
2026-02-24 18:24:01.356 [info] [pet] configure: Sending configuration update: {"workspaceDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5"],"environmentDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5/**/.venv"],"pipenvExecutable":"pipenv","poetryExecutable":"poetry","cacheDirectory":"/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator"}

Downgrading the extension is a workaround.

cc @eleanorjboyd — not sure if it's a regression from ee031ad7e597060abd519f43e77b05b59ab090e0

(btw is this extension going to be required at some point? I'm a bit worried, anyway, thanks for taking a look!)

[karthiknadig]

This is coming for the discovery tool that is used general for python, and this extension.

[karthiknadig]

@Hnasar Can you enable trace logging for the extension? select trace logging at global or extension level. Then trigger this issue.

[Hnasar]

@karthiknadig here you go…

2026-02-24 20:42:57.431 [info] Poetry version output: Poetry (version 2.2.1)
2026-02-24 20:42:57.432 [info] Poetry found at /usr/local/bin/poetry, version: 2.2.1
2026-02-24 20:42:57.432 [debug] Using cached extension ID for caller: ms-python.python
2026-02-24 20:42:57.432 [debug] Using cached extension ID for caller: ms-python.python
2026-02-24 20:42:58.297 [debug] [Finder] Refreshing all environments
2026-02-24 20:42:59.219 [debug] Checking venv (ms-python.python:venv) for /usr/local/hrt-localcoding/bin/bat_python/bat_python.py
2026-02-24 20:42:59.220 [debug] Environment search directories: 1 paths
2026-02-24 20:42:59.220 [debug] [pet] configure: No changes detected, skipping configuration update.
2026-02-24 20:43:00.295 [info] Resolved Python Environment /usr/scratch/batvenv/00fcfbe1d0e872b2f0c429deca83b994.a2cf7025-4fab-493d-b8bf-58b6c23cdf03/bin/python
2026-02-24 20:43:00.950 [debug] Using venv (ms-python.python:venv) to handle /usr/local/hrt-localcoding/bin/bat_python/bat_python.py
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [warning] [pet] Configure request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [info] [pet] Killing hung/crashed PET process
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [error] [pet] configure: Configuration error Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [warning] [pet] Request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [error] [pet] Error refreshing Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [warning] [pet] Restarting Python Environment Tools (attempt 1/3, waiting 1000ms)
2026-02-24 20:43:27.312 [debug] [pet] Shutting down Python Locator server
2026-02-24 20:43:27.313 [info] Pyenv not found, turning off pyenv features. [Error: Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
	at Timeout.<anonymous> (/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/dist/extension.js:2:534062)
	at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:588:17)
	at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:523:7)]
2026-02-24 20:43:27.314 [info] [interpreterSelection] Applying initial environment selection for 1 workspace folder(s)
2026-02-24 20:43:27.314 [debug] [tryResolveInterpreterPath] Resolution failed for '/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python': Error: Python Environment Tools (PET) is currently restarting. Please try again.
2026-02-24 20:43:27.314 [warning] [priorityChain] /usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5 defaultInterpreterPath '/usr/local/venvs/myvenv/bin/python' unresolvable, falling back to auto-discovery
2026-02-24 20:43:27.314 [error] [pet] Python Environment Tools exited unexpectedly with code null, signal SIGTERM
2026-02-24 20:43:28.328 [info] [pet] Starting Python Locator /usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet server
2026-02-24 20:43:28.328 [info] [pet] Python Environment Tools restarted successfully
2026-02-24 20:43:28.329 [debug] Environment search directories: 1 paths
2026-02-24 20:43:28.329 [info] [pet] configure: Sending configuration update: {"workspaceDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5"],"environmentDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5/**/.venv"],"pipenvExecutable":"pipenv","poetryExecutable":"poetry","cacheDirectory":"/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator"}
2026-02-24 20:43:58.330 [warning] [pet] Configure request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 20:43:58.331 [info] [pet] Killing hung/crashed PET process
2026-02-24 20:43:58.331 [error] [pet] configure: Configuration error Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 20:43:58.331 [warning] [pet] Request timed out, killing hung process for restart
2026-02-24 20:43:58.331 [error] [pet] Error refreshing Request 'configure' timed out after 30000ms
2026-02-24 20:43:58.333 [debug] [Finder] Refreshing all environments
2026-02-24 20:43:58.333 [warning] [pet] Restarting Python Environment Tools (attempt 2/3, waiting 2000ms)
2026-02-24 20:43:58.333 [debug] [pet] Shutting down Python Locator server
2026-02-24 20:43:58.599 [error] [pet] Python Environment Tools exited unexpectedly with code null, signal SIGTERM
2026-02-24 20:44:00.344 [info] [pet] Starting Python Locator /usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet server
2026-02-24 20:44:00.345 [info] [pet] Python Environment Tools restarted successfully
2026-02-24 20:44:00.345 [debug] Environment search directories: 1 paths
2026-02-24 20:44:00.345 [info] [pet] configure: Sending configuration update: {"workspaceDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5"],"environmentDirectories":["/usr/scratch/username/checkouts/dev5/**/.venv"],"pipenvExecutable":"pipenv","poetryExecutable":"poetry","cacheDirectory":"/usr/scratch/username/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator"}

[karthiknadig]

I am suspecting that the **/.venv searches we do might be causing this. I am working on mitigations, meanwhile, can you try removing that setting? see if that helps.

[Hnasar]

removing that setting helped, thanks! (Looking forward to the mitigations)

[antonc42]

I'm still having the issue even with the python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths setting removed.

In the workspace, in the .vscode/settings.json file, I have: "python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths": []. I also added this to my user config.

I also have this setting in my workspace .vscode/settings.json file: "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python3",.

It seems like the extension might not be substituting the ${workspaceFolder} variable properly? This works perfectly in 1.16.0.

Python Environments.log

[karthiknadig]

@antonc42 If you run pet in terminal with Resolve and the actual path to the environment what do you get?

pass in the path to python3 and share what it returns.

[antonc42]

With the ${workspaceFolder} variable, it fails:

/home/<user>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet resolve "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python3"
   0.001061421s ERROR pet_python_utils::env: Failed to execute Python to resolve info "/.venv/bin/python3": No such file or directory (os error 2)
   0.001086087s  WARN pet::resolve: Unknown Python Env "/.venv/bin/python3"
No environment found for "/.venv/bin/python3"
Resolve completed in 1ms

I manually modified the command to remove the variable and it succeeds:

/home/<user>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.20.1-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet resolve ".venv/bin/python3"
Environment found for ".venv/bin/python3"
Environment (Uv)
   Name        : .venv
   Executable  : .venv/bin/python
   Version     : 3.13.5.final.0
   Prefix      : /var/home/<user>/<repo>/.venv
   Architecture: x64
   Symlinks    : ".venv/bin/python"
               : ".venv/bin/python3"
               : ".venv/bin/python3.13"
               : "/var/home/<user>/<repo>/.venv/bin/python"

Resolve completed in 17ms

[royjacobson]

Also affected by this. Opening VSCode on a large folder in a network filesystem - and python completely stops working.

[antonc42]

A different error message pops up now on PET version 1.22.0 (VSCode 1.110.1):

When it falls back to auto-discovery, it does find the correct environment (.venv/bin/python) in my workspace.