Error refreshing packages: Extension uses system Python instead of selected Conda environment in WSL2

[Shawn-Yangdr]

Type: Bug

Bug Description
When working in a WSL2 environment with a selected Conda virtual environment, the Python Environments extension fails to refresh the list of installed packages after pip install is used in the terminal.
The integrated terminal correctly activates the Conda environment upon launch. However, when pip install is run, a notification appears with the message "Error refreshing packages".
The logs indicate that the extension is attempting to run pip list using the system's default Python interpreter (/bin/python3), instead of the Python interpreter associated with the selected Conda environment (/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python). This fails because the pip module is not available in the system's base Python installation.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Set up a project in a WSL2 environment.
2. Use the command palette to select a Conda environment as the Python interpreter (e.g., /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python).
3. Open a new integrated terminal. It should automatically activate the selected Conda environment.
4. In the activated terminal, run pip install (for example, pip install requests).
5. Observe the error notification shown in the screenshot below.

Expected Behavior
The extension should use the Python interpreter from the currently activated Conda environment to refresh the package list. It should execute a command similar to /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python -m pip list, and the package list should refresh successfully without any errors.

Actual Behavior
An "Error refreshing packages" notification appears.
The logs show that the extension incorrectly calls the system's Python interpreter, causing the operation to fail.

Logs
[info] Using conda from cache: /home/shawn/anaconda3/condabin/conda
[info] "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType" is set to "shellStartup", terminal should be activated by shell startup script
[info] Resolved Python Environment /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python
[info] Using conda from cache: /home/shawn/anaconda3/condabin/conda
[info] Found named environment: /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM
[info] Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list
[info] python: /bin/python3: No module named pip
[error] Error refreshing packages Failed to run python -m pip list

The key issue is this line from the log: Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list. It should be using the path from the resolved environment.
Thank you for your time and assistance.

Extension version: 1.0.0
VS Code version: Code 1.102.2 (c306e94f98122556ca081f527b466015e1bc37b0, 2025-07-22T12:15:48.520Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19045
Modes:
Remote OS version: Linux x64 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-12600KF (16 x 3686)
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 vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	31.82GB (14.34GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id dd0a523e-5015-4c26-b6f8-c259d1ece8e7
Screen Reader	no
VM	20%

Item	Value
Remote	WSL: Ubuntu-20.04
OS	Linux x64 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2
CPUs	12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-12600KF (16 x 0)
Memory (System)	23.47GB (22.34GB free)
VM	0%

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[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Thanks for the bug report and I will investigate this issue. A few items, what happens when you run which python in the terminal- does it returns what you expect? Is the right python env on your path / is the global one on your PATH? Then finally if you run this in the integrated terminal does it use the correct python: python -m pip install requests?

Thanks

[Shawn-Yangdr]

Hi @eleanorjboyd,

Thanks for looking into this! Here’s the info you asked for:

1. which python output (in autoactivated ELM terminal):

(ELM) shawn@DESKTOP:~/code/ELM$ which python  
/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python  

This matches the Conda environment I want to use.

2. python -m pip install numpy test (in the same terminal):

(ELM) shawn@DESKTOP:~/code/ELM$ python -m pip install numpy  
Requirement already satisfied: numpy in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (1.24.3)  

The command uses the ELM environment’s Python/pip correctly, and numpy is already installed there.

Let me know if you need more logs or tests!

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Another question here, if you go into an external terminal (like not in VS Code) and activate that conda environment then try to run pip install requests do you see the same issue? If you do it might be a problem with the conda environment as we attempt to mirror the conda exp in a external terminal as much as possible. After activating your conda environment, check your PATH., if it doesn't prioritize your conda environment’s bin directory, the wrong pip may be used.

Also what exactly does running pip install requests return in VS Code integrated terminal? Because you sent the logs which included [info] Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list which is strange since it is different than what you ran in the terminal.

[Shawn-Yangdr]

Hi @eleanorjboyd,

Thank you for your guidance. I have performed the tests as you requested.

1. External WSL Terminal

For this test, I launched the WSL terminal directly from the Windows Command Prompt. As you can see, commands work perfectly, using the correct Python interpreter from my Conda environment.

$ which python
/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python

$ python -m pip install requests
Requirement already satisfied: requests in ./anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (2.32.3)
Requirement already satisfied: charset-normalizer<4,>=2 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (3.3.2)
Requirement already satisfied: idna<4,>=2.5 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (3.7)
Requirement already satisfied: urllib3<3,>=1.21.1 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (2.2.3)
Requirement already satisfied: certifi>=2017.4.17 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (2024.8.30)

2. VS Code Integrated Terminal

The behavior in the VS Code integrated terminal is identical when running commands manually. However, the "Error refreshing packages" notification appears simultaneously.

(ELM) shawn@DESKTOP-KVBSULT:~$ which python
/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python

(ELM) shawn@DESKTOP-KVBSULT:~$ python -m pip install requests
Requirement already satisfied: requests in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (2.32.3)
Requirement already satisfied: charset-normalizer<4,>=2 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (3.3.2)
Requirement already satisfied: idna<4,>=2.5 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (3.7)
Requirement already satisfied: urllib3<3,>=1.21.1 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (2.2.3)
Requirement already satisfied: certifi>=2017.4.17 in /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/lib/python3.8/site-packages (from requests) (2024.8.30)

3. Output Logs

The Python extension's own logs show the exact point of failure. The extension correctly resolves the environment path but then calls the wrong Python interpreter.

2025-07-29 11:46:17.207 [info] Resolved Python Environment /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python
2025-07-29 11:46:17.207 [info] Using conda from cache: /home/shawn/anaconda3/condabin/conda
2025-07-29 11:46:17.208 [info] Found named environment: /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM
2025-07-29 11:46:17.699 [info] Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list
2025-07-29 11:46:17.718 [info] python: /bin/python3: No module named pip

2025-07-29 11:46:17.720 [error] Error refreshing packages Failed to run python -m pip list

I hope this detailed information helps you pinpoint the bug. Let me know if you need me to test anything else!

[eleanorjboyd]

Hello! Want to start by thanking you for your patience and help with debugging this conda issue. After assessing the whole problem, I did a rewrite of the conda activation, implementing it to fit with our new architecture but use prioritization like that for the old method. I have gone through testing with different OS, shells, and computers but know that there is still a good chance bugs may exist in the new code.

With that being said, I would really appreciate you help testing the new code and letting me know if it works or the bugs. If you install the new pre-release of the python-environments extension and reload your window, you will have the new code. From there give it a try and if it doesn’t work, here are the steps to get me the necessary information for me to fix it. I have added extensive logging to hopefully make it easier:

1. use developer: set log level command to set your log level to trace
2. reload your window
3. copy all the logs out of your python-environments extension output channel. (if you do not feel comfortable posting this I can share my email so you can reach out to me specifically or you can sanitize your logs)
4. include what you expect to happen- so I can see where it went down the wrong path.

Again, thank you so much and I hope the rewrite will be a step up from the previous implementation. Thank you

[Shawn-Yangdr]

Hi,

I have installed the new pre-release version (1.3.12271020) of the python-environments extension. Unfortunately, it seems the issue still persists on my end.

My expectation is that after the (ELM) conda environment is activated in the terminal, the extension should be able to refresh the list of installed packages without error. When I run pip install <package>, the process should complete and the UI should update successfully.

Based on our previous discussion, the extension should be using the resolved Python interpreter from my conda environment (/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python) to run its background commands (like pip list), instead of the system's /bin/python3.

I hope the following detailed logs are helpful for debugging the new architecture. Please let me know if you need me to test another build or provide any more information. Thank you again for your help!

As you requested, I have followed your steps to get the detailed logs:

[debug] Checking Conda (ms-python.python:conda) for /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python
[debug] Resolving env "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] In resolve_environment, looking for Python Env PythonEnv { executable: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python", prefix: None, version: None, symlinks: None } in "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] Identifying Python environment using locators: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] Using cache from "/home/shawn/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator/faf5a75b06a795ae.3.json" for "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] In resolve_environment, Resolved Python Exe "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python" as ResolvedPythonEnv { executable: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python", prefix: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM", version: "3.8.20.final.0", is64_bit: true, symlinks: Some(["/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python", "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python3", "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python3.8"]) }
[debug] Using cache from "/home/shawn/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator/faf5a75b06a795ae.3.json" for "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] Updating cache for "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python" with new symlinks
[debug] Caching interpreter info for "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"
[debug] Caching "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python" in "/home/shawn/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator/faf5a75b06a795ae.3.json"
[debug] Resolved env (Ok(1.2632ms)) "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python" as PythonEnvironment { display_name: None, name: Some("ELM"), executable: Some("/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python"), kind: Some(Conda), version: Some("3.8.20.final.0"), prefix: Some("/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM"), manager: Some(EnvManager { executable: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/bin/conda", version: Some("24.1.2"), tool: Conda }), project: None, arch: Some(X64), symlinks: Some(["/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python", "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python3", "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python3.8"]) }
[info] Resolved Python Environment /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python
[info] Using conda from cache: /home/shawn/anaconda3/condabin/conda
[info] === Conda Shell Activation Map Generation ===
Environment Configuration:
    - Identifier: "ELM"
    - Prefix: "/home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM"
    - Name: "ELM"

✓ Conda already active on launch, using default activation commands
==========================================
[info] Found named environment: /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM
[debug] Using Conda (ms-python.python:conda) to handle /home/shawn/anaconda3/envs/ELM/bin/python
[debug] Finder - from cache environments /home/shawn/code/ELM/XX
[debug] Start refreshing environments, config: Configuration { workspace_directories: Some(["/home/shawn/code/ELM/XX"]), executables: Some([]), conda_executable: None, poetry_executable: Some("poetry"), environment_directories: Some([]), cache_directory: Some("/home/shawn/.vscode-server/data/User/globalStorage/ms-python.vscode-python-envs/pythonLocator") }
[debug] Searching for environments in workspace folders: ["/home/shawn/code/ELM/XX"]
[debug] Ignoring folder: "/home/shawn/code/ELM/XX/.vscode"
[debug] Ignoring folder: "/home/shawn/code/ELM/XX/__pycache__"
[debug] Ignoring folder: "/home/shawn/code/ELM/XX/.git"
[info] Locator GlobalVirtualEnvs took 200ns
[info] Locator Locators took 300ns
[info] Locator Path took 300ns
[info] Locator Workspaces took 1.2673ms
[debug] Finished refreshing environments in 1.8538ms
[debug] Finder - from cache refreshing all environments
[info] Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list
[debug] Telemetry event "RefreshPerformance"
[info] Telemetry:  {"event":"RefreshPerformance","data":{"refreshPerformance":{"total":1,"breakdown":{"GlobalVirtualEnvs":0,"Locators":0,"Path":0,"Workspaces":1},"locators":{}}}}
[info] python: /bin/python3: No module named pip

[error] Error refreshing packages Failed to run python -m pip list

If you need to see the complete logs from the moment the extension initialized, please let me know your email as you kindly offered, and I will send the complete file over to you directly.

[WaterMinding]

What Happend

• I have collided with the same problem

Logs

2025-08-22 22:39:20.738 [info] Starting Python Locator /home/Username/.vscode-server/extensions/ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.2.0-linux-x64/python-env-tools/bin/pet server
2025-08-22 22:39:20.738 [info] Using conda from persistent state: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:20.738 [info] Refreshing conda environments
2025-08-22 22:39:20.738 [info] Extension for manager ms-python.python:conda is not active: Activating...
2025-08-22 22:39:20.842 [info] Extension for manager ms-python.python:conda is now active.
2025-08-22 22:39:20.855 [info] Discovered manager: (Conda) /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:20.855 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:20.855 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:20.855 [info] Discovered env: /bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:25.435 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:25.435 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/ultralytics/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Conda took 4.634852643s
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Homebrew took 540.029µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator LinuxGlobal took 43.745347ms
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator PipEnv took 306.315µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Pixi took 567.435µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Poetry took 152.232975ms
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator PyEnv took 145.536719ms
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Venv took 17.048µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator VirtualEnv took 284.379µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator VirtualEnvWrapper took 182.313µs
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator GlobalVirtualEnvs took 3.034785ms
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Locators took 4.635608992s
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Path took 1.261224723s
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Locator Workspaces took 4.381966ms
2025-08-22 22:39:25.436 [info] Using conda from cache: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:25.437 [info] Found base environment: /home/Username/miniforge3
2025-08-22 22:39:25.437 [info] Found named environment: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi
2025-08-22 22:39:25.437 [info] Found named environment: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/ultralytics
2025-08-22 22:39:25.800 [info] Python API: Changed environment from undefined to wuziqi (3.13.5) for: /home/Username/projects/AIGomoku
2025-08-22 22:39:25.800 [info] Internal: Changed environment from undefined to wuziqi (3.13.5) for: /home/Username/projects/AIGomoku
2025-08-22 22:39:25.803 [info] Telemetry:  {"event":"RefreshPerformance","data":{"refreshPerformance":{"total":4636,"breakdown":{"GlobalVirtualEnvs":3,"Locators":4635,"Path":1261,"Workspaces":4},"locators":{"Conda":4634,"Homebrew":0,"LinuxGlobal":43,"PipEnv":0,"Pixi":0,"Poetry":152,"PyEnv":145,"Venv":0,"VirtualEnv":0,"VirtualEnvWrapper":0}}}}
2025-08-22 22:39:25.812 [info] SHELL: fish profile found at: /home/Username/.config/fish/config.fish
2025-08-22 22:39:25.818 [info] SHELL: fish already contains activation code: /home/Username/.config/fish/config.fish
2025-08-22 22:39:25.818 [info] "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType" is set to "shellStartup", terminal should be activated by shell startup script
2025-08-22 22:39:25.820 [info] Discovered env: /bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:25.820 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:25.820 [info] Discovered manager: (Conda) /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:25.820 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:30.443 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/ultralytics/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Conda took 4.645500079s
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Homebrew took 135.221µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator LinuxGlobal took 10.910742ms
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator PipEnv took 49.117µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Pixi took 15.512µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Poetry took 135.474097ms
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator PyEnv took 131.022346ms
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Venv took 28.918µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator VirtualEnv took 17.04µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator VirtualEnvWrapper took 30.359µs
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator GlobalVirtualEnvs took 1.068273ms
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Locators took 4.645920026s
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Path took 1.174812194s
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Locator Workspaces took 1.28096ms
2025-08-22 22:39:30.444 [info] Telemetry:  {"event":"RefreshPerformance","data":{"refreshPerformance":{"total":4646,"breakdown":{"GlobalVirtualEnvs":1,"Locators":4645,"Path":1174,"Workspaces":1},"locators":{"Conda":4645,"Homebrew":0,"LinuxGlobal":10,"PipEnv":0,"Pixi":0,"Poetry":135,"PyEnv":131,"Venv":0,"VirtualEnv":0,"VirtualEnvWrapper":0}}}}
2025-08-22 22:39:30.456 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:30.456 [info] Discovered manager: (Conda) /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:30.457 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:30.467 [info] Discovered env: /bin/python3
2025-08-22 22:39:35.604 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/ultralytics/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Discovered env: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Conda took 5.159318332s
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Homebrew took 161.487µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator LinuxGlobal took 19.339061ms
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator PipEnv took 29.661µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Pixi took 15.483µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Poetry took 158.54758ms
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator PyEnv took 142.428904ms
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Venv took 181.856µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator VirtualEnv took 45.112µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator VirtualEnvWrapper took 11.705µs
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator GlobalVirtualEnvs took 1.944509ms
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Locators took 5.159826889s
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Path took 1.309595515s
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Locator Workspaces took 3.054161ms
2025-08-22 22:39:35.605 [info] Pyenv not found, turning off pyenv features.
2025-08-22 22:39:35.612 [info] Telemetry:  {"event":"RefreshPerformance","data":{"refreshPerformance":{"total":5160,"breakdown":{"GlobalVirtualEnvs":1,"Locators":5159,"Path":1309,"Workspaces":3},"locators":{"Conda":5159,"Homebrew":0,"LinuxGlobal":19,"PipEnv":0,"Pixi":0,"Poetry":158,"PyEnv":142,"Venv":0,"VirtualEnv":0,"VirtualEnvWrapper":0}}}}
2025-08-22 22:39:47.653 [info] Resolved Python Environment /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi/bin/python
2025-08-22 22:39:47.653 [info] Using conda from cache: /home/Username/miniforge3/bin/conda
2025-08-22 22:39:47.653 [info] Found named environment: /home/Username/miniforge3/envs/wuziqi
2025-08-22 22:39:48.224 [info] Locator GlobalVirtualEnvs took 155ns
2025-08-22 22:39:48.224 [info] Locator Locators took 586ns
2025-08-22 22:39:48.225 [info] Locator Path took 272ns
2025-08-22 22:39:48.225 [info] Locator Workspaces took 589.699µs
2025-08-22 22:39:48.346 [info] Running: /bin/python3 -m pip list
2025-08-22 22:39:48.349 [info] Telemetry:  {"event":"RefreshPerformance","data":{"refreshPerformance":{"total":1,"breakdown":{"GlobalVirtualEnvs":0,"Locators":0,"Path":0,"Workspaces":0},"locators":{}}}}
2025-08-22 22:39:48.372 [info] python: /bin/python3: No module named pip

2025-08-22 22:39:48.375 [error] Error refreshing packages Failed to run python -m pip list

Environment

OS: Windows11
WSL2 Version: Debian 13
vscode version: 1.103.2
python extension version: 2025.12.0
python environments extension version: 1.2.0

[eleanorjboyd]

If you add this to your workspace settings, does it do the package list correctly?

"python-envs.defaultEnvManager": "ms-python.python:conda",
"python-envs.defaultPackageManager": "ms-python.python:conda",

it seems like it is identifying the wrong package manager to use (pip not conda) which you can override with these settings so curious if that will help or it something else causing the issue

[WaterMinding]

This doesn't seem to work

[WaterMinding]

I have tried it in Debian 13 （not WSL），the problem also took place.

[github-actions]

Hey @eleanorjboyd, this issue might need further attention.

@Shawn-Yangdr, you can help us out by closing this issue if the problem no longer exists, or adding more information.

[github-actions]

Because we have not heard back with the information we requested, we are closing this issue for now. If you are able to provide the info later on, then we will be happy to re-open this issue to pick up where we left off.

Happy Coding!