pulumi/pulumi · error

resolving command: %w

Error message

resolving command: %w

What it means

This error wraps the failure from exec.LookPath when the Pulumi ESC CLI tries to resolve the executable named in the environment's defined command. openEnvironments runs a command from the opened environment; if the binary cannot be found on PATH or is not executable, LookPath fails and this wrapper adds context that the failure occurred while resolving the command.

Source

Thrown at pkg/cmd/esc/cli/env_run.go:156

			if err := envcmd.esc.getCachedClient(ctx); err != nil {
				return err
			}

			// If -- was used but there's no arguments, it means no environment was specified before the command
			if cmd.ArgsLenAtDash() == 0 {
				return errors.New("no environment specified")
			}
			ref, args, err := envcmd.getExistingEnvRef(ctx, args)
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}

			if len(args) == 0 {
				return errors.New("no command specified")
			}
			command, err := envcmd.esc.exec.LookPath(args[0])
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("resolving command: %w", err)
			}
			args = args[1:]

			env, diags, err := envcmd.openEnvironment(ctx, ref, duration, draft)
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}
			if len(diags) != 0 {
				return envcmd.writePropertyEnvironmentDiagnostics(envcmd.esc.stderr, diags)
			}

			files, environ, secrets, _, err := envcmd.prepareEnvironment(env, PrepareOptions{})
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}
			defer envcmd.removeTemporaryFiles(files)

			envV := esc.NewValue(env.Properties)

View on GitHub (pinned to 793f7b2e16)

Solutions

1. Verify the command exists and is executable: `command -v <cmd>` or `which <cmd>` in the same shell
2. Install the missing binary or add its directory to PATH before invoking `esc run`
3. Run with the full absolute path to the executable, e.g. `esc run myenv -- /usr/local/bin/tool`
4. Check whether the ESC environment definition overrides PATH and correct it

Example fix

// before
pulumi esc run my-env -- npn run build
// after
pulumi esc run my-env -- npm run build

if ! command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "command not found: $1" >&2; exit 1; fi

err := cmd.Run(); if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "resolving command:") { /* check PATH / install binary */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Running `pulumi esc run <env> -- <cmd>` where <cmd> does not exist in PATH, is not executable, or the opened environment modifies PATH to exclude the binary's directory.

Common situations: Typo in the command name; command installed in a directory not on PATH; running inside a container/CI image missing the tool; environment definition sets a working directory or PATH that hides the binary.

Related errors

• finding %q on path: %w
• could not set config: %w
• failed to get version: %w
• stack name must not be empty
• organization name must be 'organization'

AI-assisted analysis of pulumi/pulumi@793f7b2e16 (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/db8d39704ba9178a. Report an issue: GitHub.