Cannot run or debug python files: An Invalid Python interpreter is selected

[Nika-St]

VS Code Version: 1.91.1
Local OS Version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.22631
Remote OS Version: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) , version 15-SP3
I develop on a remote server using the VSCode extension:
Remote Development v0.25.0
Python extension: v2024.10.0
Python Debugger extension: v2024.8.0

I cannot run or debug python files. Keep getting the error:
"An Invalid Python interpreter is selected, please try changing it to enable features such as IntelliSense, linting, and debugging. See output for more details regarding why the interpreter is invalid."

Steps to Reproduce:

1. export PATH=/python/Python-3.11.9.build/bin:$PATH
2. create and activate a venv
3. my settings.json in the .vscode dir in the repo: {"python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/bin/python",}
4. try to run a python file in the repo using F5 or the 'Run Python File' button
5. Error: "An Invalid Python interpreter is selected, please try changing it to enable features such as IntelliSense, linting, and debugging. See output for more details regarding why the interpreter is invalid."

After selecting the path to my venv in the UI, the same outcome repeats over and over

• My venv is fully functional: I can run python files in terminal but not in the UI
• My VSCode installation and the Remote Development extension work without any problems on other remote machines
• I have tried reinstalling Python and Python Debugger extensions, which didn't change anything (on other machines they work without problems, same extension versions but different OS versions)
• I have tried re-creating my venv, with the same outcome

[paulacamargo25]

Thanks for the bug report, what is the value that is shown for the interpreter in the bottom right bar?

[Nika-St]

Thanks for getting back, Paula! It shows 'Select Interpreter', and when I press on it, I only see the global python installations (not the locally installed one) and my venv set in "python.defaultInterpreterPath". When I select any of them, I get the error

|My venv, created off of the locally installed version, is active in terminal and runs without problems

[paulacamargo25]

Thanks for your reply, it looks like an error in how the Python Extension select the interpreter, for some reason it is not taking your path as valid. Sending back to the Python Extension.

[anthonykim1]

Hello @Nika-St Thank you for filing the issue.
Can you please post

Output for Python in the Output panel (View→Output, change the drop-down the upper-right of the Output panel to Python)

Would love to dig into this further. Thanks.

[Nika-St]

Hi @anthonykim1 , thanks for responding! Now I'm away for a few weeks, will comment as soon as I'm back!

[YaoJusheng]

I ran into a similar but not identical problem.

After I create a virtual environment using the python version installed by pyenv:

~/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12/bin/python -m venv ~/Desktop/.venv/test-3.10.12 

No matter how many times I select the virtual environment in the selector, it will eventually show that the path to the interpreter is the python version under pyenv, not the created virtual environment.

This is the print information:

This is quite frustrating, any suggestions on how to solve this problem?