[Bug]: Can not determine cpython engines error with an installation from CLI

[olalancette]

✈ Pre-Flight checks

• I don't have SentinelOne antivirus installed (see above for the solution)
• I have searched in the issues (open and closed) but couldn't find a similar issue
• I have searched in the pyRevit Forum for similar issues
• I already followed the installation troubleshooting guide thoroughly
• I am using the latest pyRevit Version

🐞 Describe the bug

When using pyrevit CLI to install pyrevit to a custom destination folder pyrevit clone master --dest=C:\master. Each time you launch a command, you get the following error message :

ERROR [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not determine cpython engines for current attachment: Unknown | Product: "2025 First Customer Ship" | Manifest: "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2025\pyRevit.addin"

You also get an empy list for engines in the settings window.

⌨ Error/Debug Message

DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Dotnet SDK is not installed. | [Errno 2] [Errno 3] Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework'. 
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not create clone from path: Path does not point to a valid clone "C:\master\master" 
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] cpython engines dict: {} 
ERROR [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not determine cpython engines for current attachment: Unknown | Product: "2025 First Customer Ship" | Manifest: "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2025\pyRevit.addin"
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Building on IronPython engine: 2712 
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Interface types assembly file is: pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime.2025 
DEBUG [Settings] Error determining current attached clone. 
DEBUG [pyrevit.versionmgr] Can not create repo from directory: C:\master\master | repository path 'C:/master/master/' is not owned by current user 
DEBUG [pyrevit.versionmgr] Can not get pyRevit patch number. | 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'last_commit_hash'

♻️ To Reproduce

1. Install pyrevit cli via msi
2. From admin terminal pyrevit clone master --dest=C:\master
3. Attach clone to allusers pyrevit attach master 2712 2025
4. Open Revit 2025, launch a command -- ex: Settings
5. Error message AND empty list for engines.

⏲️ Expected behavior

• No error on command launch.
• Setting menu with engines available

🖥️ Hardware and Software Setup (please complete the following information)

==> Registered Clones (full git repos)
master | Deploy: "basepublic" | Branch: "master" | Version: "5.1.0.25094+1133" | Path: "C:\master\master"
==> Registered Clones (deployed from archive/image)
==> Attachments
master | Product: "2025 First Customer Ship" | Engine: DEFAULT (2712) | Path: "C:\master\master" | AllUsers
==> Installed Extensions
HQ | Type: Unknown | Repo: "" | Installed: "\\rcaadata22\Symboles\02-REVIT\Extensions\pyRevit\HQ.extension"
HQlib | Type: Unknown | Repo: "" | Installed: "\\rcaadata22\Symboles\02-REVIT\Extensions\pyRevit\HQlib.lib"
RCA | Type: Unknown | Repo: "" | Installed: "\\rcaadata22\Symboles\02-REVIT\Extensions\pyRevit\RCA.extension"
RCAlib | Type: Unknown | Repo: "" | Installed: "\\rcaadata22\Symboles\02-REVIT\Extensions\pyRevit\RCAlib.lib"
==> Default Extension Search Path
C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Roaming\pyRevit\Extensions
==> Extension Search Paths
\\rcaadata22\Symboles\02-REVIT\Extensions\pyRevit
==> Extension Sources - Default
https://github.com/pyrevitlabs/pyRevit/raw/master/extensions/extensions.json
==> Extension Sources - Additional
==> Installed Revits
2025 First Customer Ship | Version: 25.0.2.419 | Build: 20240307_1300(x64) | Language: 1033 | Path: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit 2025\"
Autodesk Revit 2023 | Version: 23.1.70.22 | Build: 20250410_1515(x64) | Language: 1033 | Path: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit 2023\"
==> Running Revit Instances
Error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Run with "--debug" option to see debug messages

Additional context

Here is a debug (short version) of "Settings" (CTRL + CLIC)

DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Clone directory structure is valid.
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking clone validity by git repo...
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.GitInstaller] Verifying repo validity "C:\master\master"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Invalid pyRevit clone. | repository path 'C:/master/master/' is not owned by current user
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:\master"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:\master"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking pyRevit clone validity "C:\master"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking clone validity by directory structure...
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:\master\pyrevitlib"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:\master\pyrevitlib"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:\master\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:\master\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking pyRevit path "C:\master\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Invalid pyRevit clone. | Path "C:\master" is not a valid git pyRevit clone.
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking pyRevit clone validity "C:"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking clone validity by directory structure...
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:\pyrevitlib"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:\pyrevitlib"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalizing "C:\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.Common.Extensions.StringExtensions] Normalized as "C:\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Checking pyRevit path "C:\pyrevitlib\pyrevit"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitClone] Invalid pyRevit clone. | Path "C:" is not a valid git pyRevit clone.
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not create clone from path: Path does not point to a valid clone "C:\master\master"
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] cpython engines dict: {}
ERROR [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not determine cpython engines for current attachment: Unknown | Product: "2025 First Customer Ship" | Manifest: "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2025\pyRevit.addin"
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Building on IronPython engine: 2712
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Interface types assembly file is: pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime.2025
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Try getting config as dict "environment:clones"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Try getting config "environment:clones"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Config "environment:clones" = "{}"

[jmcouffin]

From your debug log
repository path 'C:/master/master/' is not owned by current user

Can you try the cloning using a different path, let's say in your documents?

[olalancette]

Thanks @jmcouffin for the support, here is what you asked for:

• pyrevit clone master --dest=C:\users\user.name\pyrevit\
• pyrevit attach master 2712 2025

(In the test, "user.name" is an admin user.)

We are still getting the error, here is a partial output of debug (part where I think it breaks)

DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Try getting config as dict "environment:clones"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Try getting config "environment:clones"
DEBUG [pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.PyRevitConfig] Config "environment:clones" = "{}"
[...]
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not create clone from path: Path does not point to a valid clone "C:\users\user.name\pyrevit\master"
DEBUG [pyrevit.userconfig] cpython engines dict: {}
ERROR [pyrevit.userconfig] Can not determine cpython engines for current attachment: Unknown | Product: "2025 First Customer Ship" | Manifest: "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2025\pyRevit.addin"
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Building on IronPython engine: 2712
DEBUG [pyrevit.runtime] Interface types assembly file is: pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime.2025

DEBUG

Full debug log, see attached file:
debug.log

[jmcouffin]

You need to check your usage of the pyrevit clone command

from the CLI help, using pyrevit clone --h

Usage:
    pyrevit clone (-h | --help)
    pyrevit clone <clone_name> <deployment_name> [--dest=<dest_path>] [--branch=<branch_name>] [--log=<log_file>]
    pyrevit clone <clone_name> --image=<image_url> [--dest=<dest_path>] [--log=<log_file>]
    pyrevit clone <clone_name> [--dest=<dest_path>] [--source=<repo_url>] [--branch=<branch_name>] [--log=<log_file>] [(--username=<username> --password=<password> | --token=<auth_token>)]

[olalancette]

Thanks for the help @jmcouffin.
I'm unsure of what is missing.

the help says :

pyrevit clone <clone_name> [--dest=<dest_path>] [--source=<repo_url>] [--branch=<branch_name>] [--log=<log_file>] [(--username= --password= | --token=<auth_token>)]

we provide a clone name and 1 optional arg:

pyrevit clone master --dest=c:\pyrevit

When looking at the doc, it seems that the deployment_name is sometime used. But our undestanding, if not provied, it downloads the full git repo.

[jmcouffin]

if depends what you are doing, if you deploy from the CLI, you need to somehow download the deployment from somewhere or have it already on your machine
pyrevit clone test_clone_name base --dest="C:\wherever"

deployment names are as follow, I am using base in the example:

[deployments]
core = ['bin', 'pyrevitlib', 'site-packages', 'pyRevitfile']
corex = [
    'bin',
    'extensions/pyRevitCore.extension',
    'extensions/extensions.json',
    'pyrevitlib',
    'site-packages',
    'pyRevitfile',
]
base = [
    'bin',
    'extensions/pyRevitCore.extension',
    'extensions/pyRevitTags.extension',
    'extensions/pyRevitTools.extension',
    'extensions/extensions.json',
    'pyrevitlib',
    'site-packages',
    'pyRevitfile',
]
basepublic = [
    'bin',
    'extensions/pyRevitCore.extension',
    'extensions/pyRevitTags.extension',
    'extensions/pyRevitTools.extension',
    'extensions/pyRevitTutor.extension',
    'extensions/extensions.json',
    'pyrevitlib',
    'site-packages',
    'pyRevitfile',
]
basex = ['bin', 'extensions', 'pyrevitlib', 'site-packages', 'pyRevitfile']

[olalancette]

After a quick test, this seems to work:
pyrevit clone test_clone_name base --dest="C:\wherever"

May I suggest to update this line (link will highlight) in the Notion site ?
pyRevit For Teams

[jmcouffin]

May I suggest to update this line (link will highlight) in the Notion site ?
pyRevit For Teams

done.
thks for the feedback