Unable to select Kernels

[gioxc]

Environment data

VS CODE VERSION
Version: 1.101.0 (Universal)
Commit: dfaf44141ea9deb3b4096f7cd6d24e00c147a4b1
Date: 2025-06-11T15:00:50.123Z (3 days ago)
Electron: 35.5.1
ElectronBuildId: 11727614
Chromium: 134.0.6998.205
Node.js: 22.15.1
V8: 13.4.114.21-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.4.0

JUPYTER EXTENSION VERSION: 2025.5.0

I am unable to select jupyter kernels or other python kernels
Only kernels in the usr folder are selectable

[DonJayamanne]

Please could you enable logging as follows:

• Open settings & go into Jupyter->Logging
• Change the value to trace
• Reload VS Code,
• Attempt to repro the issue & then copy the output from the Jupyter output panel (use the command Jupyter: Show Output to get to the logs).

[gioxc]

Jupyter Extension Version: 2025.5.0.
Python Extension Version: 2025.8.0.
Python Environment Extension not installed.
Pylance Extension Version: 2025.6.1.
Platform: darwin (arm64).
Home = /Users/gioxc88
Temp Storage folder ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-toolsai.jupyter/version-2025.5.0
Workspace folder ~/develop/projects/cca
14:00:24.525 [debug] Start refreshing Kernel Picker (1750424424525)
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /usr/bin/python3
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3.10
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3.11
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3.9
14:00:24.539 [trace] Search for KernelSpecs in Interpreter ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python
14:00:24.552 [debug] Get Custom Env Variables, Class name = Qm, completed in 27ms, has a truthy return value, Arg 1: undefined, Arg 2: "RunPythonCode"
14:00:24.553 [debug] Jupyter Paths /kernels: 
14:00:24.553 [debug] Kernel Spec Root Paths, /usr/share/jupyter/kernels, /usr/local/share/jupyter/kernels, ~/Library/Jupyter/kernels
14:00:24.609 [trace] Conda file is conda
14:00:24.615 [trace] Hiding default KernelSpec /python for interpreter ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python (KernelSpec file ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/share/jupyter/kernels/python3/kernel.json)
14:00:24.616 [debug] End refreshing Kernel Picker (1750424424525)
14:00:24.829 [debug] creating new code watcher with matching document file://~/develop/projects/cca/main.py
14:01:36.209 [debug] Start refreshing Interpreter Kernel Picker
14:01:36.209 [debug] Start refreshing Kernel Picker (1750424496209)
14:01:36.432 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/opt/homebrew/bin/python3'
14:01:36.433 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python'
14:01:36.434 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/usr/bin/python3'
14:01:36.434 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/usr/local/bin/python3'
14:01:36.434 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/usr/local/bin/python3.10'
14:01:36.434 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/usr/local/bin/python3.11'
14:01:36.435 [trace] Python API env change detected, update => '/usr/local/bin/python3.9'
14:01:36.438 [debug] Refreshed Environments
14:01:37.440 [debug] End refreshing Kernel Picker (1750424496209)
14:01:42.323 [trace] For ~/develop/projects/cca/notebooks/test.ipynb found local Python environment: ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python
14:03:26.389 [trace] For ~/develop/projects/cca/notebooks/test.ipynb found local Python environment: ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python```

[gioxc88]

Any update on this ?
It looks like it's looking in the wrong folder for the Jupyter kernels

They usually are in venv/share/jupyter/kernels

[DonJayamanne]

I am unable to select jupyter kernels or other python kernels

@gioxc What are you expecting to see in the list.
I.e. what other python envs are you expecting to see.
By design you will only see global Python envs or envs that belong to the workspace folder.

Do you see the python envs you expect to see when you select the command Python: Select Interpreter?

[gioxc]

I expect to see the jupyter kernels

as shown here https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/datascience/jupyter-kernel-management
And on a different windows machine I can see that
Whether what I see now is this

there is no way for me to select jupyter kernels, despite having installed jupyterlab

[DonJayamanne]

Looks like you have just one kernel, for

14:00:24.615 [trace] Hiding default KernelSpec /python for interpreter ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/bin/python (KernelSpec file ~/develop/projects/cca/.venv/share/jupyter/kernels/python3/kernel.json)

Thats baiscally the same as selecting the environment cca/.venv
Yes thats not displayed, as we display .venv environments only when you open that folder. I.e. if you open the cca folder, then you'll see the .venv environment under Python environments.

I'll take a look at trying to display the kernels even if they are related to virtual envs from other directories.

[gioxc]

thanks for the answer

The reason why it's relevant is because the python interpreter and the kernel are not exactly the same thing.
In the kernel usually I can specify more options

many times I add internal folders to the path so that I can automatically import internal libraries.
If I merely select the python env shown under Python environments the kernel specs are not picked up

[DonJayamanne]

Can you try updating the kernel.json, in this case there are no changes, its the default.
Please try updating and re-loading VS Code.

[jdcc2098]

I have the same issue. Cannot detect conda environment. Should I setup something to let the extension detect the directories?

[DonJayamanne]

@jdcc2098

Are you trying to select a kernel or a python environment?
If it’s an environment then please create a separate issue, if our a kernel please can you share your logs