influxdata/influxdb · warning · PluginEnvironmentError

Failed to list packages

Error message

Failed to list packages: {0}

What it means

PluginEnvironmentError::PackageListFailed is thrown when the environment manager fails to list installed packages in a plugin's Python environment (e.g. output of pip list could not be obtained or parsed). It carries a String describing the failure.

Solutions

1. Check the String detail to see whether the listing command failed or its output was unparseable
2. Recreate the plugin's virtual environment (delete and re-run environment setup)
3. Ensure pip is installed and functional inside the venv (python -m ensurepip --upgrade)
4. Pin a pip version whose `pip list` output format the manager supports

Example fix

# before: listing fails due to missing pip
python3 -m venv /path/venv
# after
python3 -m venv /path/venv && /path/venv/bin/python -m ensurepip --upgrade
/path/venv/bin/pip list

# ensure pip works in the plugin venv before listing packages
"$VENV/bin/python" -m pip --version >/dev/null 2>&1 \
  || { echo 'pip unavailable in venv'; "$VENV/bin/python" -m ensurepip --upgrade; }

match env_manager.list_packages(plugin).await {
    Err(PluginEnvironmentError::PackageListFailed(detail)) => {
        eprintln!("package listing failed: {detail}; recreating venv");
        recreate_venv(plugin).await?;
        env_manager.list_packages(plugin).await
    }
    ok => ok,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the environment manager's package-listing operation for a plugin venv where the listing command fails to run or returns unusable output.

Common situations: pip missing or broken inside the venv; venv deleted or corrupted after creation; pip output format changed by a pip version upgrade breaking parsing; low disk or permissions causing pip to fail.

Related errors

• UnexpectedEOF
• Virtual environment error
• call site contains null bytes
• Connection error
• External call failed

AI-assisted analysis of influxdata/influxdb@06200ef96b (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1df5f2c51f5db651. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at influxdb3_processing_engine/src/environment.rs:25

use std::fmt::Debug;
use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
use std::process::Command;
use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock};
use thiserror::Error;

#[derive(Error, Debug)]
pub enum PluginEnvironmentError {
    #[error("Package manager not available: {0}")]
    PackageManagerNotFound(String),
    #[error("External call failed: {0}")]
    InstallationFailed(#[from] std::io::Error),
    #[error("Plugin environment management is disabled")]
    PluginEnvironmentDisabled,

    #[error("Virtual environment error: {0}")]
    VenvError(#[from] VenvError),

    #[error("Failed to list packages: {0}")]
    PackageListFailed(String),

    #[error(
        "Package installation has been disabled. Contact your administrator for more information."
    )]
    PackageInstallationDisabled,
}

pub trait PythonEnvironmentManager: Debug + Send + Sync + 'static {
    fn init_pyenv(
        &self,
        plugin_dir: Option<&Path>,
        virtual_env_location: Option<&PathBuf>,
    ) -> Result<(), PluginEnvironmentError>;
    fn install_packages(&self, packages: Vec<String>) -> Result<(), PluginEnvironmentError>;

    fn install_requirements(&self, requirements_path: String)
    -> Result<(), PluginEnvironmentError>;

View on GitHub (pinned to 06200ef96b)