Python on Pop-OS not working

[adiba]

Reproduction steps

Fresh install using installation script.
Create a venv.
Run a simple main.py with 'debugger: start'.

Current vs. Expected behavior

error: Failed to create base virtual environment with /home/<user>/<project-root>/.venv/bin/python in:
/home/<user>/.local/share/zed/debug_adapters/Debugpy

.venv/bin/python main.py works however.

Zed version and system specs

Zed 1.11.3
Commit: 952d712
Version: 1.11.3+stable.326.952d712dac48a4af2c54fb22c82d82a9d69b72d4
OS: pop-os 24.04
arch: x86-64

Attach Zed log file

Zed.log

2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [node_runtime] Node runtime install_if_needed
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Preparing Python kernel for toolchain: Python 3.12.3 (venv)
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Python path: /home/username/projects/project-root/.venv/bin/python
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Kernel VIRTUAL_ENV: /home/username/projects/project-root/.venv
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [node_runtime] using Zed managed Node.js at /home/username/.local/share/zed/node/node-v24.11.0-linux-x64 since system Node.js wasn't found on PATH: cannot find binary path
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Preparing Python kernel for toolchain: Python 3.12.3.final.0 (global)
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Python path: /usr/bin/python3
2026-07-18T10:00:33+02:00 INFO  [repl::kernels] Kernel VIRTUAL_ENV: /usr
2026-07-18T10:00:34+02:00 INFO  [lsp] starting language server process. binary path: "/home/username/.local/share/zed/node/node-v24.11.0-linux-x64/bin/node", working directory: "/home/username/projects/project-root", args: ["/home/username/.local/share/zed/languages/basedpyright/node_modules/basedpyright/langserver.index.js", "--stdio"]
2026-07-18T10:00:35+02:00 INFO  [lsp] starting language server process. binary path: "/home/username/.local/share/zed/languages/ruff/ruff-0.15.22/ruff-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/ruff", working directory: "/home/username/projects/project-root", args: ["server"]
2026-07-18T10:01:03+02:00 INFO  [zed::reliability] memory usage: resident 331 MiB (+230 MiB), virtual 14587 MiB
2026-07-18T10:01:19+02:00 ERROR [debugger_ui::debugger_panel] Failed to create base virtual environment with /home/username/projects/project-root/.venv/bin/python in:
/home/username/.local/share/zed/debug_adapters/Debugpy
stderr:

stdout:

[zed-community-bot]

This issue appears to be a duplicate of:

• Debugger: Failed to create base virtual environment #41497

If this is indeed a duplicate:
Please close this issue and subscribe to the linked issue for updates (select "Close as not planned" → "Duplicate")

If this is a different issue:
No action needed. A maintainer will review this shortly.

Why were these issues selected?

#41497: Issue #41497 reports the identical error: 'Failed to create base virtual environment' when launching a Python debug session via 'debugger: start' with Debugpy. Both issues share the same error message and the same trigger (debugger:start → Debugpy adapter setup). The new issue specifies the venv python path explicitly, while #41497 involves a remote server without venv, but the root cause — Debugpy failing to create its base virtual environment — is the same.

Shared root cause: Debugpy fails to create a base virtual environment when setting up the debug adapter, producing the exact same error message 'Failed to create base virtual environment'

Additional recent context for triagers

Possibly related open issues:

• Python projects aren't detected properly #46962 — Issue Python projects aren't detected properly #46962 describes the debugger failing to run commands that rely on the venv when no py files have been opened, producing a connection error. The new issue also involves the venv not being usable by the debugger (despite .venv/bin/python working directly). The specific error messages differ, so this may be a different failure mode in the same venv-detection pipeline.
  • Possible shared root cause: Python venv not properly detected/used by the debugger when launching via debugger:start

---

_{This is an automated analysis and might be incorrect.}

[adiba]

producing the exact same error message 'Failed to create base virtual environment'

1. This is not the exact same error message

2. One user suggested directly specifying the executable in the Launch tab. This did not change anything for me.