selecting python interpreter has no effect, lsp server doesn't seem to be up

[hrl20]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

Pylance intellisense is completely not working (go to reference/definition even for the standard python library).

Running the Python: Restart Language server command results in command 'python.analysis.restartLanguageServer' not found

After selecting an interpreter (./.venv/bin/python), opening a terminal shows
Python virtual environment was successfully activated, even though "(.venv)" indicator may not be present in the terminal prompt. Learn more. However, if I try to call python it would still fail zsh: command not found: python

I've tried uninstall and reinstalling the extensions at least 10 times. Including deleting the python-related folders from the ~/.vscode/extensions folder.

Now i'm trying the disable/reenable/unintsall/reinstall loop again, and this time, when i click enable in the Python extension, i get this error about Pylance:

notificationsAlerts.ts:40 Error: Cannot enable 'Pylance' extension because it depends on 'Python' extension that cannot be enabled
    at R3e.L (extensionEnablementService.ts:181:12)
    at R3e.J (extensionEnablementService.ts:157:8)
    at R3e.setEnablement (extensionEnablementService.ts:207:10)
    at async Lit.nc (extensionsWorkbenchService.ts:2925:10)

Developer tools sometimes has some error message: notificationsAlerts.ts:42 Sorry, something went wrong activating IntelliCode support for Python. Please check the "Python" and "VS IntelliCode" output windows for details. c @ notificationsAlerts.ts:42

Steps to reproduce:

Just install the regular Python + Python debugger + Pylance. Try selecting interpreter. Observe everything fail miserably.

Extension version: 2025.0.0
VS Code version: Code 1.97.2 (Universal) (e54c774e0add60467559eb0d1e229c6452cf8447, 2025-02-12T23:20:35.343Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 22.6.0
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.11.11
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Venv
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

languageServer: "Jedi"

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
cmake	twx	0.0.17
cmake-tools	ms-	1.20.52
copilot	Git	1.272.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.24.1
cpptools	ms-	1.23.6
cpptools-extension-pack	ms-	1.3.0
cpptools-themes	ms-	2.0.0
gitlens	eam	16.3.2
go	gol	0.44.0
intellicode-api-usage-examples	Vis	0.2.9
java	red	1.39.0
js-debug	ms-	1.97.1
js-debug-companion	ms-	1.1.3
jupyter	ms-	2025.1.0
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.1.0
python	ms-	2025.0.0
rust-analyzer	rus	0.3.2308
vscode-gradle	vsc	3.16.4
vscode-java-debug	vsc	0.58.1
vscode-java-dependency	vsc	0.24.1
vscode-java-pack	vsc	0.29.0
vscode-js-profile-table	ms-	1.0.10
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
vscode-maven	vsc	0.44.0
vscode-mojo	mod	25.1.1
vscode-tailwindcss	bra	0.14.6
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.3.2

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M2 Max (12 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 2, 3
Memory (System)	32.00GB (0.10GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id ce3d937f-6e61-4cb4-ad2a-b73c62e87442
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
py29gd2263:31024239
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyonecf:30548226
962ge761:30959799
f8hc8238:30694864
2e7ec940:31000449
pythontbext0:30879054
cppperfnew:31000557
dwnewjupytercf:31046870
nativerepl1:31139838
pythonrstrctxt:31112756
nativeloc1:31192215
iacca1:31171482
5fd0e150:31155592
dwcopilot:31170013
stablechunks:31184530
6074i472:31201624
dwoutputs:31242946
customenabled:31241370
hdaa2157:31222309
copilot_t_ci:31222730
jda6j935:31233686

[hrl20]

hey i noticed i should have reported this issue to Pylance, however when i tried the Pylance: Report Issue command nothing actually pops up.

i also saw that the User Settings captured
languageServer: "Jedi"
However this configuration nowhere to be found in my settings.

But this prompted me to disable the Jupyter extensions. Somehow after that, Pylance seemed to have come online and import symbols started getting resolved. But when i restarted VSCode, Pylance stopped working again.

[hrl20]

For posterity, I looked at the Python extension outputs, and found out that the extension picked up some really old, no longer functional python installation in my environment.

Send text to terminal: /usr/local/bin/python3.5 <home>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2025.0.0-darwin-arm64/python_files/printEnvVariablesToFile.py <home>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2025.0.0-darwin-arm64/python_files/deactivate/zsh/envVars.txt
2025-02-23 15:24:20.245 [info] Starting Pylance language server.
2025-02-23 15:24:49.497 [error] Failed to initialize deactivate script /opt/homebrew/bin/zsh Error: "<home>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2025.0.0-darwin-arm64/python_files/deactivate/zsh/envVars.txt" file not created
    at Timeout.<anonymous> (<home>/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2025.0.0-darwin-arm64/out/client/extension.js:2:311758)
    at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:581:17)
    at processTimers (node:internal/timers:519:7)

Removing the bad python installation allowed the extension pick up an actually valid python to start the language server.

I have never had to look at extension outputs until this, and so it didn't occur to me that they actually existed in the output tabs. IMO, that was a clear error message that should have been surfaced to the user.

[karthiknadig]

@hrl20 This is a good issue to raise here in the Python extension. We should not be blocking extension load due to bad python environment.

[holys]

I resolved this problem by uninstall VSCode completely.

To completely uninstall Visual Studio Code on macOS, follow these steps:

⸻

✅ 1. Remove the Application

Open Finder, go to the Applications folder, find Visual Studio Code, and move it to the Trash.

⸻

✅ 2. Delete Configuration Files and Caches

Open Terminal and run the following commands:

Delete user settings and preferences

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code

Delete cache files

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode

Delete logs

rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Code

Delete saved application state

rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState

Delete installed extensions

rm -rf ~/.vscode

⸻

✅ 3. Optional: Remove the code Command from PATH

If you previously installed the code command using the Command Palette (Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH), you can remove it with:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/code

⸻

✅ 4. Empty the Trash

After completing the steps above, empty the Trash to fully remove all files and free up space.

After that, reinstall the latest version of VSCode, reinstall Python extension, open settings, set Python: Language Server to Pylance.