[Python Environments] default value of python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths is not respected

[RafalSkolasinski]

Type: Bug

Description

Documentation reads

Configure search paths
By default, the extension searches your entire workspace for virtual environments using the glob pattern ./**/.venv. This finds any folder named .venv anywhere in your workspace.

To discover environments in custom locations, update the python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths setting:

Note
This setting must be configured at the workspace or folder level, not user level.

JSON

{
"python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths": [".//.venv", "./envs/", "./my-custom-env"]
}

However, unless I explicitly configure

{
  "python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths": ["./**/.venv"]
}

my environments are not found.

Problems

1. This should work without the need to be configured, I am setting it to the value claimed in documentation to be default. So it should work like that without me needing to do it.
2. I want that behaviour for all of my projects / repos / workspaces / folders. Why "This setting must be configured at the workspace or folder level, not user level." - I really want to configure it once and forget

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have a monorepo with many python projects inside
2. Have each python project use uv to create environment under corresponding <folder>/.venv
3. Have extension fail to find environments unless above is added to config

Expected Behavior

It works out of the box.

Actual Behavior

It does not work out of the box.

Environment Information

Extension Version: 1.30.0
Python Extension Version: 2026.4.0

Registered Environment Managers (6):
  - ms-python.python:system (Global)
  - ms-python.python:venv (venv)
  - ms-python.python:pyenv (PyEnv)
  - ms-python.python:pipenv (Pipenv)
  - ms-python.python:poetry (Poetry)
  - ms-python.python:conda (Conda)

Total Available Environments: 14
Environment Details:
  1. Python 3.14.5 (homebrew) (3.14.5.final.0) - /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
  2. Python 3.13.13 (homebrew) (3.13.13.final.0) - /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.13
  3. Python 3.13.11 (3.13.11.final.0) - /Users/rskolasinski/.local/share/mise/installs/python/3.13.11/bin/python
  4. Python 3.13.7 (3.13.7) - /usr/local/bin/python3
  5. Python 3.12.13 (homebrew) (3.12.13.final.0) - /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12
  6. Python 3.11.6 (3.11.6) - /usr/local/bin/python3.11
  7. Python 3.9.6 (3.9.6.final.0) - /usr/bin/python3
  8. notebooks (3.12.12) (3.12.12) - /Users/rskolasinski/work/graph-analytics/tools/test-envs/sessions/notebooks/.venv/bin/python
  9. python-runtime (3.12.12) (3.12.12) - /Users/rskolasinski/work/graph-analytics/python-runtime/.venv/bin/python
  10. main (3.13.7) (3.13.7) - /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/miniforge/base/envs/main
  ... and 4 more environments

Python Projects (1):
  1. /Users/rskolasinski/work/graph-analytics
     Environment: python-runtime (3.12.12)

Extension Settings:
  Default Environment Manager: ms-python.python:venv
  Default Package Manager: ms-python.python:pip
Auto-activation is "command". Activation based on first 'py-env.terminal.autoActivationType' setting which is 'command' and 'python.terminal.activateEnvironment' if the first is undefined which is 'true'.

Extension version: 1.30.0
VS Code version: Code 1.123.0 (Universal) (6a44c352bd24569c417e530095901b649960f9f8, 2026-06-03T11:29:03+02:00)
OS version: Darwin arm64 25.5.0
Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M3 Max (16 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled GPU0: VENDOR= 0x106b [Google Inc. (Apple)], DEVICE=0x0000 [ANGLE (Apple, ANGLE Metal Renderer: Apple M3 Max, Version 26.5 (Build 25F71))], DRIVER_VENDOR=Apple, DRIVER_VERSION=26.5 ACTIVE Machine model name: Mac Machine model version: 15.8 direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: enabled_on trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	5, 6, 5
Memory (System)	64.00GB (1.33GB free)
Process Argv	. -n --crash-reporter-id 4282d203-88ae-45af-b308-6e71df072694
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

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