astral-sh/uv

Improve error message on "failed to spawn" where the Python interpreter is missing

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#13,992 opened on Jun 12, 2025

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 (4 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (3,111 forks)batch import
enhancementerror messageshelp wanted

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Description

Summary

e.g., as reported in https://github.com/astral-sh/uv/issues/13196

The error message when the Python interpreter cannot be found by an entry point is

error: Failed to spawn: `jupyter` Caused by: No such file or directory (os error 2)

We can read the entry point and provide a better error message in this case.

Related #13989

Example

error: Failed to spawn: `jupyter` Caused by: No such file or directory (os error 2)

hint: `jupyter` uses a Python interpreter at `path` which no longer exists

Contributor guide

Research direction
Inspect the entry point reading logic and the error handling in the spawn code. Trace where the "Failed to spawn" error is generated and identify how to access the Python interpreter path from the entry point.
Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
Rust
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50