Error: Kernel fails to start due to missing 'imghdr' module

[ackalker]

Description

When attempting to execute a PowerShell cell in a Jupyter notebook using VSCode, the kernel fails to start with the following error:

The kernel failed to start due to the missing module 'imghdr'. Consider installing this module.

This error occurs in a Python virtual environment with ipykernel and powershell_kernel installed.

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Home (23H2, 22631.4602)
• Python version: 3.13.1
• VSCode version: 1.97.0-insider
• powershell_kernel version: 0.1.4
• ipykernel version: 6.29.5

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a new Python virtual environment in a VSCode workspace
2. Install ipykernel and powershell_kernel in the virtual environment
3. Open a Jupyter notebook in VSCode using this environment, make sure to select the PowerShell kernel
4. Attempt to execute a PowerShell cell

Expected Behavior

The PowerShell cell should execute without errors.

Actual Behavior

The kernel fails to start, citing a missing imghdr module.

Additional Context

The imghdr module was deprecated in Python 3.11 and removed in Python 3.13. It appears that powershell_kernel or one of its dependencies still relies on this module.

Possible Solutions

1. Update powershell_kernel to use an alternative to imghdr (e.g., filetype, puremagic, or python-magic)
2. Add standard-imghdr as a dependency for powershell_kernel
3. Provide clear documentation on how users can resolve this issue (e.g., by installing standard-imghdr)

Question

Is there a plan to address this compatibility issue with newer Python versions that no longer include the imghdr module?