command 'python.execInTerminal-icon' not found #26014

Command 'python.execInTerminal-icon' not found means VS Code can't find the command behind the green "Run Python File" button which is registered by the Python extension (ms-python.python). This happens when that extension is installed but didn't fully activate, so its commands never got registered. It's not specific to Ubuntu; it shows up on all platforms.

Common causes and fixes:

Python extension isn't actually enabled/activated - Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X), search "Python" (publisher: Microsoft), and confirm it shows Disable (not Enable). If it's disabled, enable it and reload the window (Ctrl+Shift+P -> "Developer: Reload Window").

Extension failed to activate due to a corrupted install/cache - Uninstall the Python extension, reload VS Code, then reinstall it.

Stale extension version after an update - If this started after a recent VS Code or extension auto-update, try rolling back: in the Extensions view, click the dropdown next to "Uninstall" on the Python extension -> "Install Another Version" -> pick the previous version, then reload.

Conflicting/duplicate Python-related extensions - If you have more than one Python-running extension installed (e.g., an old fork, "Code Runner", or a Jupyter-only setup), one may be shadowing the command registration. Try disabling extras and keep only Microsoft's official ms-python.python + ms-python.debugpy.

Check the activation log - Open View -> Output, then in the dropdown select "Python" (or "Log (Extension Host)"), and look for activation errors. If there's a stack trace there, that pinpoints the real cause (happy to help interpret it if you paste it).

This error usually means the Python extension command is not being registered correctly, rather than there being a problem with your Python interpreter itself.

python.execInTerminal-icon is a command contributed by the Microsoft Python extension and is used by the Run Python File button.

I would first try reloading the extension host:

1. Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Run Developer: Reload Window
3. Open a .py file and try the Run Python File button again.

If the error remains, check whether the Python extension is actually activating:

1. Open Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Run Developer: Show Running Extensions
3. Look for ms-python.python

You can also check the installed Python-related extensions from a terminal:

code --list-extensions --show-versions | grep -E 'ms-python|debugpy'

If ms-python.python is installed but is not shown as a running extension after opening a Python file, check:

View → Output

and select Log (Extension Host) from the dropdown. Look for errors mentioning ms-python.python, activation, or command registration.

As a clean test, you can also temporarily disable other Python-related extensions, keep Microsoft's ms-python.python enabled, reload VS Code, and try again.

If necessary, uninstall the Microsoft Python extension, completely restart VS Code, install it again, and reload the window.

The important distinction here is that reinstalling Python itself should not normally fix this specific error. The missing identifier is a VS Code command contributed by the Python extension, so I would focus on extension activation/registration first.

If you can share the relevant Log (Extension Host) lines after reproducing the error, it should be possible to narrow down why the command is not being registered.