PlatformIO Cannot Find Python 3.6+ Interpreter in Cursor 0.46.3

Bug Reports
1

Description

When running PlatformIO in Cursor 0.46.3 (AppImage) on Ubuntu 24.04, I encounter the following error:

PlatformIO: Can not find working Python 3.6+ Interpreter. Please install the latest Python 3 and restart VSCode

This issue does not occur in Cursor 0.45.14.

The error message in Developer Tools (Ctrl + Shift + I) suggests a Python runtime misconfiguration, particularly with the PYTHONHOME and sys.path settings. The key part of the traceback:

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Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Install Cursor 0.46.3 AppImage on Ubuntu 24.04
  2. Open Cursor and install PlatformIO IDE extension
  3. Attempt to use PlatformIO
  4. The error appears

Expected Behavior

PlatformIO should detect the system Python installation and function correctly, as it does in Cursor 0.45.14.

Screenshots / Recordings

(Not provided, but logs are included above)

System Information

  • OS: Ubuntu 24.04
  • Cursor Version: 0.46.3 (AppImage)
  • Python Version: Default system Python (/usr/bin/python3, 3.12)
  • PlatformIO Version: Latest available in Cursor extensions

Impact

This issue blocks the use of PlatformIO in Cursor 0.46.3.

Additional Notes

  • Cursor 0.45.14 works fine, suggesting a regression in 0.46.3
  • The error indicates Cursor’s AppImage Python runtime is broken, likely due to missing standard libraries (e.g., encodings)
  • The sys.path points to a temporary mount (/tmp/.mount_cursor...), which might be causing Python module resolution issues

References