ElixirLS "Failed to run elixir command" on a Windows machine

If you open the interactive terminal, can you run elixir in there? I’ve found debugging path locations from that terminal to be helpful. I install elixir and friends in a devcontainer with nix, so I’ve hit path issues a number of times.

You might also try running > Reload Window. I know you’ve rebooted, but the window reload can pick up env changes that happen after VSCode starts (a “common” issue for nix+devcontainer).

Hi!
Thank you for taking the time to help!

So to add information based on your answer

1. Yes, I am able to use the elixir CLI from within the VScode terminal. And of course from other terminal outside VScode without any issue.

2. I did try the ‘Reload the window’ action from VScode without any change. Upon the extensions startup I still have the same error message as in my first post.

FYI, I saw on another post it might come from Windows path with blank in the middle (like “Program Files”). So in one of my previous attempt, I already tried to put the Elixir folder in another folder like (C:/ElixirFolder/Elixir) and put that path in my environment variable. I ended up with the same error message AND the path without blank logged in the error log available in the VSCode developer console.

Somehow, the PATH is good but the elixir command cannot be run…

Is it possible that I have to give particular permissions to the elixirLS extensions ? Or VScode ?
I am out of ideas

I wish I were of more help haha.

Things to consider:

• Which version of the extension are you on? Last release was August 10, so I suspect you aren’t behind, but I see several mentions of Windows in there.
• VSCode version?

You could also dig through the issues for anything Windows or path related, but ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Do you have any other elixir related extensions installed in VS code? Also, are you able to use elixir -v and erl in terminal outside of VS code?

I guess the problem is that, ExlirLS is trying to run elixir as elixir instead of elixir.bat since you are on windows.

First, navigate to: C:\Program Files\Elixir\bin and check how the executable is named.

With ElixirLS you can have a setup file. Try to find this file: %APPDATA%\elixir_ls\setup.bat and examine the content in there. Make sure everything there is correct.

Hello,
Thank you for the different answers. Let me add some info :

@krwenholz

• VS Code version : 1.93.1
• Extension ElixirLS version : v.0.23.1

I digged a bit but nothing really helpful unfortunately

@itzmidinesh
This is the only Elixir related extension in my VS Code setup. And yes I am able to use the erl and elixir command in my windows CMD, as well as my powershell and my git bash terminal. Either inside or outside of VS Code.
And it works like a charm

@psantos Thank you this might be a good hint. But I can’t found the %APPDATA%/elixir_ls folder. It is not created in my %APPDATA% folder. Either the server crash before going to the step where it created this cache folder.
Either there is something else during the execution preventing the creation of it.

Do you have more insights when this elixir_ls folder is created ?

Thank you for your support

Can you check if you have any custom settings for ElixirLS setup in VS codes setttings.json?

Also, is this error happening in all projects? Try setting up a new phoenix/Elixir project from terminal and then open in VS code.

Faced the same issue on Windows, with a similar setup for Erlang and Elixir.

Running VScode as admin (or spawning via code . from an Administrator Powershell) solved it for me.