From c1cce398a3dffcc6724228f0cb35d5a4d5bf5607 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ramesh Padmanabhaiah <22363102+codeforester@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2026 02:24:31 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Report missing project venv without fatal trace

---
 cli/bash/commands/basectl/subcommands/activate.sh | 7 ++++---
 cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/activate.bats     | 2 ++
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/bash/commands/basectl/subcommands/activate.sh b/cli/bash/commands/basectl/subcommands/activate.sh
index 50ddc027..3dd88d96 100644
--- a/cli/bash/commands/basectl/subcommands/activate.sh
+++ b/cli/bash/commands/basectl/subcommands/activate.sh
@@ -127,9 +127,10 @@ base_activate_subcommand_main() {
 
     venv_dir="$(base_activate_project_venv_dir "$resolved_name" "$project_root" "$route_venv_dir")"
     venv_fix="$(base_project_venv_fix "$resolved_name" "$project_root" "$venv_dir" "$uses_uv_manager")"
-    [[ -x "$venv_dir/bin/python" ]] || {
-        base_std_fatal_error "Project virtual environment Python was not found at '$venv_dir/bin/python'. $venv_fix"
-    }
+    if [[ ! -x "$venv_dir/bin/python" ]]; then
+        base_std_log_error "Project virtual environment Python was not found at '$venv_dir/bin/python'. $venv_fix"
+        return 1
+    fi
 
     shell_rc="$BASE_HOME/lib/bash/runtime/bashrc"
     [[ -f "$shell_rc" ]] || base_std_fatal_error "Base runtime shell rcfile '$shell_rc' was not found."
diff --git a/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/activate.bats b/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/activate.bats
index 15103d58..1b17a949 100644
--- a/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/activate.bats
+++ b/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/activate.bats
@@ -388,6 +388,8 @@ EOF
     [[ "$output" == *"Project virtual environment Python was not found at '$workspace/demo/.venv/bin/python'."* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"Run 'uv sync' in '$workspace/demo' first."* ]]
     [[ "$output" != *"Run 'basectl setup demo' first."* ]]
+    [[ "$output" != *"FATAL"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" != *"Encountered a fatal error"* ]]
 }
 
 @test "basectl default runtime shell preserves caller working directory" {