How do you run pyright using uvx?

[5j9]

What is the recommended way to tell pyright about venv path when using uvx pyright[nodejs]?

When I run that command without proper configuration, I get lots of missing import errors. This suggests that pyright isn't automatically/correctly detecting the project's .venv path. I suspect this issue occurs because uvx runs commands in a temporary environment, isolated from the current project's virtual environment.

I initially fixed this by adding venvPath = "." and venv = ".venv" to the [tool.pyright] section in my pyproject.toml. However, using venvPath is discouraged for specifying the project environment.[1]

• uvx pyright[nodejs] --venvpath . fails to detect the environment (there is no --venv option defined for cli call)
• Using uvx pyright[nodejs] --pythonpath .venv/Scripts/python works, but it is not straightforward to type and not cross-platform (the path is .venv/bin/python on linux).

BTW, running uvx ty check or uvx pyrefly check works as expected without additional settings, I wonder if pyright can implement the same .venv detection mechanism as those.

[shreyanshjain1]

I think the awkward part here is specifically uvx, not really pyright itself.

uvx is great for running a tool from an isolated environment, but that also means it is a bit at odds with “please analyze this project using that project’s .venv”. So I wouldnt really expect uvx pyright[...] to be the nicest path if your goal is project-aware import resolution.

I’d look at it like this:

• uvx = run a tool in its own env
• project type checking = usually wants the project env / interpreter context

So the cleaner approach is probly to run pyright in the project context instead of as a detached uvx tool.

Something along these lines feels more natural:

uv run pyright

or, if you want it pinned as a dev dependency, add pyright to the project and run it through the project env rather than through uvx.

That way you’re lining pyright up with the same .venv that uv already manages for the project, instead of asking pyright to discover the project env while it is itself being launched from a separate temporary tool environment.

So yeah, I think your intuition is right:

• --pythonpath works, but is clunky
• venvPath works, but feels like the older/less ideal knob
• the best answer is probly don’t use uvx for project-local type checking if you want smooth .venv detection

In other words, I’d treat uvx as more of a “run this standalone tool” mechanism, and uv run as the better fit for “run this tool against my current project and its environment”.

[jorenham]

I think the awkward part here is specifically uvx, not really pyright itself.

I'm not sure about that. Because basedpyright (github) works fine with uvx

[shreyanshjain1]

That’s a fair point, thanks.

If basedpyright works fine with uvx, then yeah, that probly means I was too quick to blame uvx itself as the main issue.

So a better way to put it is:

• uvx may still make env discovery a bit trickier
• but if basedpyright handles this setup fine, then the difference is more likely in how pyright vs basedpyright are resolving / being pointed at the project env, not in uvx alone

So I think the real question becomes:
why does basedpyright manage to find/use the project environment cleanly here, while pyright doesn’t?

That sounds more accurate than saying the awkward part is specifically uvx.

[jorenham]

So I think the real question becomes:
why does basedpyright manage to find/use the project environment cleanly here, while pyright doesn’t?

maybe @DetachHead could help explain

[DetachHead]

basedpyright looks for .venv in the project root by default if pythonPath/venvPath/venv aren't set. see https://docs.basedpyright.com/latest/benefits-over-pyright/better-defaults/#default-value-for-pythonpath