Pylint Plugin Fix: Smarter Sys.path Handling In Runpy

Nov 24, 2025 by Admin 54 views

Unpacking the Problem: Why Your Pylint Plugins Might Be Failing

Hey there, Pythonistas! Ever run into a head-scratcher where your Pylint plugins just mysteriously vanish or refuse to load when you're trying to integrate Pylint programmatically? You're not alone, and trust me, it can be super frustrating when your carefully crafted tools suddenly decide to go on strike. This isn't some random bug; it's a specific interaction between how Pylint handles Python's import system—specifically sys.path[0]—and how runpy executes modules. Imagine you've got this awesome custom plugin, say tmp_plugin.py, sitting right where Python should see it, perhaps in a temporary directory that you've explicitly added to sys.path. You fire up Pylint using runpy.run_module, expecting everything to click into place, but instead, you're greeted with a nasty ModuleNotFoundError or a message screaming "Failed to load plugin." What gives? This article is all about digging into that exact issue and, more importantly, showcasing the brilliant fix that ensures your Pylint plugins work like a charm, every single time. We're going to explore the nitty-gritty details of how sys.path works, why its manipulation is so crucial, and how a subtle change in Pylint's internal logic makes a massive difference for anyone embedding or using Pylint with plugins.

The Root Cause: `sys.path[0]` and `runpy`'s Overzealous Cleanup

Alright, let's get down to the brass tacks and really understand what's been going on behind the scenes that caused this headache for Pylint plugin developers. When you kick off a Python script or module, Python needs to know where to look for all those import statements. That's where sys.path comes in, guys. Think of sys.path as Python's treasure map, a list of directories it scans, in order, to find modules. And guess what? sys.path[0] is super special. It's usually the directory containing the script you're currently running, or if you're in an interactive interpreter, it's typically an empty string (''), representing the current working directory (CWD). Now, Pylint, being the diligent linter it is, often takes steps to clean up sys.path when it's invoked programmatically, especially when using runpy.run_module('pylint', run_name='__main__', alter_sys=True). This alter_sys=True bit is a big clue! It tells runpy that Pylint intends to mess with sys.path.

The original problem stemmed from Pylint being a little too enthusiastic in its cleanup routine. Historically, Pylint had a line of code in pylint/__init__.py, specifically around modify_sys_path, that would unconditionally execute sys.path.pop(0). Yep, you read that right. It would just yank out the first entry in sys.path without much thought, assuming it was always a transient, current working directory entry that needed tidying up. While this might be fine in many common scenarios, it becomes a critical issue when you, as a developer, intentionally place a plugin's directory at sys.path[0]. You might do this precisely to ensure your custom plugin is found first, especially in complex testing or embedding setups. But with that unconditional pop(0), your plugin's path would be unceremoniously discarded before Pylint even got a chance to try and load it. The result? A dreaded ModuleNotFoundError, because Pylint suddenly couldn't find tmp_plugin where it was supposed to be. It's like sending someone on a treasure hunt, giving them the first crucial map piece, and then snatching it back right before they start! This bug, documented as pylint-dev__pylint-7277, highlights a common pitfall in system path management, where a well-intentioned cleanup can inadvertently break legitimate usage patterns, particularly for those integrating Pylint in more sophisticated ways. This isn't just about Pylint; it's a lesson in careful environment manipulation, especially when dealing with critical system variables like sys.path.

Understanding the Impact: Why This Matters for Developers

So, why should you, a hardworking Python developer, even care about sys.path[0] being popped by Pylint? Well, let me tell you, this seemingly small detail has a huge ripple effect, especially for anyone building robust CI/CD pipelines, custom analysis tools, or even just complex test environments that leverage Pylint. When you're working on a big project, you often have specialized Pylint plugins. These plugins might enforce specific coding standards for your team, integrate with proprietary frameworks, or perform domain-specific code analysis that the default Pylint doesn't cover. To make sure Pylint finds these plugins, a very common and effective strategy is to dynamically add their containing directory to sys.path, often right at the beginning using sys.path.insert(0, your_plugin_dir). This ensures that your local, custom modules are prioritized and found before any system-wide packages with similar names, preventing potential conflicts and ensuring consistency.

Imagine you've invested hours, maybe even days, crafting an intricate plugin that ensures all your microservices adhere to a specific API contract. You've set up your testing framework to invoke Pylint using runpy as part of your pre-commit hooks or nightly builds. Everything should work perfectly. But then, you start seeing failures. Your CI pipeline lights up red, screaming about ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'your_awesome_plugin'. You scratch your head, double-check the path, verify the file exists, and everything looks correct from your end. The problem isn't your setup, it's Pylint's internal logic, which, unbeknownst to you, has unilaterally decided to remove the very path you meticulously added. This isn't just an annoyance; it breaks your workflow, causes unnecessary debugging cycles, and can even lead to missed code quality issues if your custom linters aren't running. It undermines the very flexibility that Python's module import system offers and makes programmatic interaction with Pylint a gamble. Furthermore, for projects that need to isolate environments or manage dependencies very precisely, having an external tool unpredictably modify a core aspect of the runtime environment like sys.path can introduce subtle, hard-to-diagnose bugs. The impact goes beyond just plugins; it's about predictable behavior and maintaining control over your Python execution environment. Ensuring sys.path[0] is preserved when it's a legitimate plugin path is crucial for fostering a stable and reliable development ecosystem around Pylint.

The Game-Changing Solution: Conditional `sys.path` Management

Now that we've thoroughly chewed on the problem, let's pivot to the brilliant solution that's been implemented to fix this sys.path[0] dilemma. The core idea is simple yet incredibly effective: instead of Pylint blindly removing sys.path[0] every single time, it now acts smarter and more conditionally. This isn't just about patching a bug; it's about making Pylint a more robust and predictable tool for developers who integrate it deeply into their workflows. The fix involves modifying Pylint's internal logic to only remove sys.path[0] if that entry actually represents the current working directory (CWD). This means if you've purposefully placed a plugin's path or any other critical directory at the beginning of sys.path, Pylint will now respect that choice and leave it untouched. This change dramatically improves the experience for anyone using runpy to execute Pylint, especially when loading custom plugins or managing complex module resolution scenarios. It's a testament to the power of thoughtful design in open-source projects, ensuring that while Pylint maintains its helpful cleanup routines, it doesn't inadvertently sabotage legitimate developer setups. This section will dive into how this conditional logic is implemented, the clever techniques used to identify the CWD, and why these details are so important for cross-platform compatibility and overall system integrity. Get ready to appreciate some really elegant path handling!

Diving Deep into the Fix: How `pylint.init.py` Gets Smarter

Alright, let's roll up our sleeves and peek under the hood of pylint.__init__.py to see the magic happening. The heart of the fix lies in modifying the modify_sys_path function. Previously, as we discussed, it was a blunt instrument: sys.path.pop(0). Now, it's a sophisticated judge, deciding whether sys.path[0] genuinely needs to be removed. The core modification is to conditionally remove sys.path[0] only if it perfectly matches the current working directory (CWD). This means Pylint will now check if sys.path[0] is either an empty string (''), a single dot (.), or if, after some careful normalization, it resolves to the exact same directory as os.getcwd(). These three conditions are crucial because they cover the most common ways the current directory can appear at the start of sys.path.

Let's break down the logic a bit. An empty string ('') in sys.path explicitly means the current directory. A single dot (.) is also a clear indicator of the current directory. These are straightforward checks. The really clever part comes with comparing sys.path[0] to os.getcwd(). Why isn't a simple == enough? Because paths can be tricky beasts! They can have different casing (especially on Windows), use different separators (/ vs. \), or even be symlinks pointing to another location. That's why the fix introduces a robust normalization function. This function takes a path, makes it absolute (os.path.abspath), standardizes its structure (os.path.normpath), and on Windows, even normalizes its case (os.path.normcase). Furthermore, it attempts to resolve symlinks using os.path.realpath, ignoring any failures to keep things resilient. Only after sys.path[0] and os.getcwd() have both undergone this rigorous normalization process are they compared. If, and only if, they match, then Pylint confidently says, "Aha! This is indeed the CWD, let's pop it!" Otherwise, if your plugin's directory (or any other non-CWD path) is sitting proudly at sys.path[0], it's left completely untouched. This surgical approach ensures that Pylint cleans up what it should clean up, without accidentally discarding legitimate and critical module paths. It's a beautiful example of how a nuanced understanding of operating system path conventions and Python's module system can lead to a significantly more stable and developer-friendly tool. This careful implementation shows a deep respect for how developers truly configure their environments, preventing frustrating ModuleNotFoundErrors and ensuring your custom Pylint setup works seamlessly.

Cross-Platform Prowess: Nailing Path Normalization

Developing robust Python tools often means tackling the glorious chaos of cross-platform compatibility. What works perfectly on Linux might stumble on Windows or macOS due to subtle differences in how operating systems handle file paths. This Pylint fix really shines here, thanks to its meticulous approach to path normalization. It's not enough to just check if sys.path[0] is './'; we need to be smart about what "current directory" truly means across various environments.

Let's talk Windows for a sec, guys. On Windows, file paths are case-insensitive. So, C:\Users\MyProject is the same as c:\users\myproject. A simple string comparison would fail if sys.path[0] was c:\... and os.getcwd() returned C:\.... That's where os.path.normcase comes to the rescue! This brilliant function converts paths to a canonical casing, ensuring that c:\users\myproject and C:\Users\MyProject are both recognized as the same thing for comparison purposes. Without os.path.normcase on Windows, you could have a scenario where Pylint should remove sys.path[0] (because it's the CWD), but it wouldn't, leading to inconsistent behavior.

But it's not just about casing. Paths can also have different separators (/ on POSIX, \ on Windows) or include redundant components like . or ... os.path.normpath is our hero here, standardizing these elements to give us a clean, consistent path. And then there's the tricky business of symlinks (symbolic links). A symlink is like a shortcut that points to another directory. If sys.path[0] is a symlink to the CWD, but os.getcwd() returns the real path, a direct comparison would fail. That's why the fix attempts to use os.path.realpath to resolve any symlinks, ensuring we're always comparing the "true" underlying path. The try-except block around os.path.realpath is also a smart move, as realpath can sometimes fail, and we don't want the entire process to crash just because a symlink is broken or inaccessible. By handling these edge cases with such precision, the Pylint team has ensured that the "remove if CWD" logic works reliably, whether you're developing on a Windows machine, a Linux server, or a macOS workstation. This attention to detail isn't just good coding practice; it's what makes the tool truly dependable for a global community of developers. This multi-layered normalization process is the unsung hero that guarantees consistency and prevents frustrating environment-specific bugs, reinforcing the robustness of the entire solution.

The Devil's in the Details: Explicitly Handling `''` and `'.'`

Even with all that fancy path normalization, sometimes the simplest things can be the trickiest. That's why the fix explicitly handles the seemingly innocuous '' (empty string) and '.' (single dot) as indicators of the current working directory (CWD) within sys.path[0]. You might wonder, "Why bother with explicit checks when normalization should cover it?" And that's a great question that gets to the heart of robust system-level programming!

First off, let's talk about the empty string (''). In Python's sys.path, an empty string is a special sentinel value that explicitly means "look in the current working directory." It's not a path that necessarily needs normalization in the same way '/path/to/./my_project' does. It's a direct, unambiguous signal. If sys.path[0] is '', it almost certainly means the current directory has been implicitly or explicitly added there for module resolution. Removing it is usually the desired behavior in cleanup routines because it's transient and context-dependent. By explicitly checking for '', the fix avoids any potential ambiguities or overheads of trying to normalize an empty string against os.getcwd(), which could technically yield unexpected results depending on the operating system and Python version specifics. It’s a fast, direct, and semantically correct way to identify a CWD entry.

Similarly, the single dot (.) is another common shorthand for the current working directory. While os.path.abspath('.') would correctly resolve it to the full CWD, explicitly checking for '.' serves a similar purpose to checking for ''. It's a very common pattern to see sys.path.insert(0, '.') in some scripts or environments, and treating it directly as the CWD simplifies the logic and makes it more immediately understandable. It also guards against any theoretical edge cases where os.path.normpath or os.path.abspath might behave unexpectedly with a bare dot in very specific, unusual environments, though this is less likely. These explicit checks act as a safety net and a performance optimization. They cover the most common and unambiguous representations of the CWD at sys.path[0] without needing to go through the entire, potentially more computationally intensive, normalization process. This ensures that Pylint's modify_sys_path function is both efficient and bulletproof when it comes to identifying and correctly handling current directory entries. It truly shows that sometimes, the simplest and most direct checks are the most effective, especially when dealing with such a fundamental aspect of Python's execution environment. This layer of detail significantly bolsters the overall reliability and predictability of Pylint's path management.

Seeing It in Action: Reproducing and Verifying the Fix

Alright, talk is cheap, right? You want to see this fix in action and understand exactly how you can verify it yourself. The beauty of this kind of detailed bug fix is that it comes with clear reproduction steps and a way to confirm the expected behavior. This section is all about empowering you to put the new Pylint logic to the test. We'll walk through how you can set up a scenario that used to fail miserably and then see it succeed gracefully after the fix is applied. This isn't just about trust; it's about transparency and demonstrating the tangible benefits of the conditional sys.path management. We'll look at the specific steps to create a minimal environment, simulate the plugin loading process, and observe the ModuleNotFoundError pre-fix, followed by a smooth, error-free run post-fix. This hands-on approach is crucial for developers who want to fully understand the impact of such changes and gain confidence in the tools they use. So, get ready to fire up your terminals, because we're about to show you how to experience this sys.path[0] preservation firsthand! It's a satisfying moment when a tricky bug finally yields to a clever solution, and you're about to witness it.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Reproducing the Bug

Okay, guys, let's get hands-on and walk through how to reproduce the original bug. This will give you a crystal-clear understanding of the problem before the fix, and it's super important for appreciating the solution. The scenario involves a custom Pylint plugin that fails to load because its path, which you intentionally placed at the beginning of sys.path, gets unceremoniously yanked away.

Here's what you need to do:

Set up a Temporary Directory: First things first, create a temporary directory somewhere on your system. Let's call it my_temp_plugins. Inside this directory, create a simple Python file named tmp_plugin.py. This is our dummy plugin. Its contents can be as minimal as this:
```
# tmp_plugin.py
def register(linter):
    # This function is required for Pylint plugins
    pass
```
This simple file is enough to register a plugin with Pylint, even if it doesn't do anything complex. The key is that Pylint needs to be able to import it.
Prepare Your Environment: You'll need to run Pylint from a cloned repository (or a virtual environment with Pylint installed, but using a clone lets you modify the source for testing). Ensure that the root directory of your Pylint clone (e.g., the directory containing the pylint package) is somewhere Python can find it. You might need to prepend it to sys.path too, or just activate a virtual environment where this Pylint version is installed.
Prepend the Plugin Directory to sys.path: This is the critical step for reproducing the bug. In your Python script (or interactive session) that will invoke Pylint, you need to explicitly add my_temp_plugins to the very beginning of Python's module search path:
```
import sys
import os
# Assuming 'my_temp_plugins' is the path to your temp plugin directory
temp_plugin_dir = os.path.abspath('path/to/your/my_temp_plugins')
sys.path.insert(0, temp_plugin_dir)
print(f"sys.path[0] after insert: {sys.path[0]}")
```
This ensures that when Pylint goes looking for tmp_plugin, it should theoretically find it immediately at sys.path[0].

Configure sys.argv and Invoke Pylint via runpy: Pylint usually gets its arguments from sys.argv. You need to set this up to tell Pylint to load your plugin and lint a dummy target file. Create a target_file.py (e.g., print("hello")) in your current directory.

import sys
import runpy
# ... (previous setup for sys.path) ...

# Set up sys.argv as Pylint would expect it
sys.argv = ["pylint", "--load-plugins", "tmp_plugin", "target_file.py", "-sn"]
# The '-sn' disables message display, focusing on plugin loading.

print("Attempting to run Pylint...")
try:
    runpy.run_module('pylint', run_name='__main__', alter_sys=True)
except ModuleNotFoundError as e:
    print(f"\nCaught expected error: {e}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"\nCaught unexpected error: {e}")
print("Pylint run attempt finished.")

Observe the Failure: When you run this setup without the fix applied to Pylint, you will almost certainly see a ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tmp_plugin'. Pylint's modify_sys_path function, in its old implementation, would blindly pop(0) from sys.path, removing your my_temp_plugins directory. Consequently, when Pylint later tries to import tmp_plugin, it fails because its path is gone. The tracebacks will typically point directly to pylint/__init__.py around the sys.path.pop(0) line, making it clear where the issue originates. This is the crucial evidence that the bug exists and that sys.path[0] is indeed being removed incorrectly.

The provided examples/repro_runpy_plugin.py script in the Pylint repository is designed to do exactly this, making reproduction incredibly easy. Just run that script against an unfixed Pylint version, and you'll see the error firsthand!

What to Expect: Before and After the Fix

Understanding the "before" is key, but the "after" is where the real satisfaction lies! Let's talk about what you should observe once the conditional sys.path management fix is in place. This clear distinction is your acceptance criteria, the proof that the problem is solved.

Before the Fix (Current Behavior): As we just walked through, the observed failure is pretty stark and unmistakable. When you run the reproduction script (like examples/repro_runpy_plugin.py) against an unfixed version of Pylint, here's what typically happens:

sys.path[0] gets removed: Internally, during Pylint's initialization, the modify_sys_path function, specifically the line sys.path.pop(0) in pylint/__init__.py, will execute without any checks. This means that my_temp_plugins (the path to your plugin module) is ripped right out of sys.path.
ModuleNotFoundError: Later in the Pylint execution flow, when it attempts to load your custom plugin using --load-plugins tmp_plugin, Python's import machinery won't find tmp_plugin because its containing directory is no longer in sys.path.
Traceback: You'll see an ugly traceback in your console, similar to this:
```
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File ".../runpy.py", line ..., in run_module
    ...
  File ".../pylint/__init__.py", line 99, in modify_sys_path
    sys.path.pop(0) # This line is the culprit
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tmp_plugin'
```
This traceback is your smoking gun, clearly indicating that the pop(0) operation is causing the plugin loading failure. Pylint might also emit a warning like "Failed to load plugin 'tmp_plugin'", but the core issue is the ModuleNotFoundError. The key here is that Pylint crashes or fails to process the plugin because of its own path manipulation. This scenario is problematic because it makes integrating Pylint with custom tools unreliable and frustrating.

After the Fix (Expected Behavior): Now, let's talk about the good stuff! Once the pylint.__init__.py file is updated with the conditional removal logic, running the exact same reproduction script should yield a dramatically different and much more pleasant outcome:

sys.path[0] is preserved: When Pylint's modify_sys_path function runs, it will now intelligently check sys.path[0]. Since your my_temp_plugins directory is a legitimate plugin path and not the current working directory (e.g., not '', '.', or the normalized os.getcwd()), the conditional logic will determine that it should not be removed. sys.path[0] remains intact, containing the path to your plugin.
Plugin loads successfully: Because my_temp_plugins is still in sys.path, Pylint's import mechanism will correctly locate and load tmp_plugin. No ModuleNotFoundError!
Pylint runs as expected: Pylint will proceed to lint your target_file.py without any errors related to plugin loading. You might see the standard Pylint output (or nothing, if -sn is used), but critically, there won't be any crashes or warnings about tmp_plugin. The output will simply reflect the linting results of your target_file.py. The examples/repro_runpy_plugin.py script, when run on a fixed version of Pylint, should print messages indicating successful plugin loading and Pylint's normal execution, without any ModuleNotFoundError. It will likely just state that Pylint ran and perhaps the linting results for the dummy target file.

The acceptance criteria for this fix are straightforward: run the repro_runpy_plugin.py script on both Windows and POSIX systems. If you see the ModuleNotFoundError before the fix and a clean, error-free Pylint run after the fix, then you know the solution is working perfectly. This change guarantees that your intentionally added plugin paths are respected, making Pylint a much more predictable and powerful tool for integrated environments.

Why This Matters to You: Boosting Your Development Workflow

So, we've dissected the problem, understood the solution, and even walked through how to prove it works. But beyond the technical details, what does this actually mean for your day-to-day development life? Why is this fix, focusing on sys.path[0] and Pylint plugins, such a big deal for you, the developer? The short answer is: stability, predictability, and enhanced flexibility in your code quality tooling. This isn't just an obscure bug fix; it's an improvement that directly impacts how reliably you can integrate Pylint into sophisticated development workflows, automated testing, and custom project setups. When your tools behave predictably, you spend less time debugging tool failures and more time building awesome features. This fix paves the way for a smoother, more efficient coding experience, empowering you to leverage Pylint's full potential without unexpected roadblocks. It's about making Pylint a better citizen in your Python ecosystem.

A Smoother Pylint Experience

First and foremost, this fix translates directly into a much smoother Pylint experience, especially for those of us who push the boundaries of how Pylint is used. No more mysterious ModuleNotFoundError messages derailing your CI/CD pipelines when you're trying to load custom plugins. Imagine this: you've got a complex monorepo with specific linting rules for different sub-projects, all handled by a suite of custom Pylint plugins. Before this fix, integrating these plugins via runpy.run_module was a constant source of anxiety. You'd cross your fingers, hoping Pylint wouldn't capriciously discard your plugin paths. Now, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Your sys.path.insert(0, ...) calls, intended to make your plugins discoverable, will be honored and preserved. This means your pre-commit hooks will run without a hitch, your nightly builds will churn through code with consistent quality checks, and your local development environment will reliably apply all your custom linting rules.

This newfound predictability is incredibly valuable. It reduces the "magic" and introduces clear, understandable behavior, which is a hallmark of good tooling. You won't have to resort to complex workarounds, like moving your plugin directories to locations Pylint doesn't touch, or fiddling with less ideal PYTHONPATH configurations that might have unintended global side effects. Instead, you can rely on Python's standard sys.path manipulation knowing that Pylint will respect your intentions. For teams, this means easier onboarding for new developers who won't have to grapple with peculiar Pylint setup failures. For maintainers, it means less time spent debugging environment-specific issues and more time focusing on code quality itself. It also allows for more sophisticated dependency injection patterns where Pylint is invoked programmatically within other tools, providing greater control over its execution context. This isn't just about avoiding an error; it's about enabling a more confident and streamlined approach to static analysis, making Pylint a truly reliable partner in your development arsenal. The peace of mind alone is a significant boost to productivity and a reduction in development friction.

Broader Implications for Python Plugin Development

Beyond just Pylint, this fix has broader implications for the entire Python ecosystem, particularly concerning plugin development and the programmatic invocation of Python tools. What Pylint learned here is a valuable lesson for any library or application that manipulates sys.path internally, especially when it's designed to be embedded or extended via plugins. The core takeaway is simple: be mindful and conditional when altering core aspects of the Python environment, particularly sys.path. Unconditional cleanup routines, while often well-intentioned, can easily break legitimate use cases where developers expect their explicitly added paths to persist.

This case highlights the importance of distinguishing between temporary, current-directory-related path entries (like '' or .) that are often safe to remove during cleanup, and deliberately added, long-lived paths (like plugin directories) that should absolutely be preserved. Other tools and libraries that accept plugins or are designed for programmatic embedding should take note of this approach. It encourages a design philosophy where internal tools are good citizens of the Python environment, respecting the developer's explicit configurations rather than making assumptions. This enhances the flexibility and robustness of Python libraries, making them easier to integrate into diverse and complex systems. Developers can now be more confident that when they sys.path.insert(0, some_path) for their custom extensions, that path won't vanish unexpectedly. This predictability is crucial for building interconnected tools and larger, more stable Python applications that rely on an extensible architecture. It fosters a more harmonious interaction between different components in a Python project, reducing friction and boosting overall development efficiency across the board. The Pylint fix sets a great example for how other projects can enhance their own sys.path management, making the entire Python plugin ecosystem more robust and developer-friendly.

Wrapping It Up: A Win for Robust Python Tools

Well, guys, we've covered a lot of ground today! From understanding the pesky ModuleNotFoundError when loading Pylint plugins via runpy to diving deep into the elegant, conditional sys.path management fix. This wasn't just about squashing a bug; it was about making Pylint a smarter, more reliable, and ultimately more developer-friendly tool. The shift from an unconditional sys.path.pop(0) to a carefully considered, normalized comparison against the current working directory is a testament to thoughtful engineering. It respects the developer's intent, ensuring that deliberately added plugin paths remain exactly where they're needed. This fix doesn't just benefit Pylint users; it offers valuable lessons for any Python project dealing with sys.path manipulation and plugin architectures. It reinforces the idea that robust tools are those that anticipate diverse usage patterns and avoid overzealous assumptions about their environment. By embracing conditional logic and meticulous path normalization, Pylint has taken a significant step forward in predictability and stability. So, next time you're leveraging Pylint with your custom plugins, you can do so with confidence, knowing that your paths are safe and your linter is running exactly as intended. It's a clear win for the Python community and a great example of how small, precise changes can have a massive positive impact on the developer experience. Keep coding, and keep making Python awesome!