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Patch notes

The 2026.05.1 patch release (2026-05-06) provides corrected builds for x64/Intel macOS.

Release highlights

Check out all the changes for this release.

Announcing the Packages pane

Our Packages pane is available in this release as a preview feature. The new Packages pane brings streamlined package management directly into the IDE so you can see at a glance what's installed, what's attached, and what's out of date.

Find it in the Primary Sidebar by clicking the package icon. Positron automatically detects and integrates with your current interpreter; today we have support for pip, venv, uv, and conda for Python, plus base R, pak, and renv for R. You can search, sort, install, update, remove, filter by category (including "Outdated Packages"), and even see which packages are attached in your current session. To hide the pane, disable positron.packages.enable. Let us know how it fits into your workflow.

Inline output for Quarto

Inline output for .qmd documents was one of Positron's most-requested features ever, with many users telling us it was the one thing keeping them tied to RStudio or Jupyter notebooks. We are happy to share that Quarto inline output is available this release as a preview feature. Quarto kernels start automatically when you open a document with inline output, so you don't wait for a kernel on first execution. Each inline output cell shows a status line with execution status and elapsed time, and outputs are now collapsible when they get long. We've also added a tool to switch the interpreter used for inline output, support for Show Notebook Console for Quarto documents, and fixed a handful of papercuts around execution indicators, autocompletion, and the kernel selector. Enable inline output via the positron.quarto.inlineOutput.enabled setting.

Extensions available from Posit Public Package Manager

Positron's extension gallery now uses Posit Public Package Manager (P3M) by default, replacing Open VSX as the source for browsing and installing extensions. The catalog is the same set of extensions you already use, served from Posit infrastructure for reliable distribution. If you prefer to stay on Open VSX, the new positron.extensions.gallerySource setting lets you switch back at any time. For organizations on Posit Workbench, Posit Package Manager also added support for mirroring and serving VS Code extensions from your own instance, bringing the same governance, security, and air-gapped distribution to extensions that you already have for R and Python packages.

Positron Notebook Editor is now in beta

The Positron Notebook Editor for .ipynb files is officially moving from alpha to beta. This release brings a wave of polish and reliability we hope makes it ready for your daily workflow:

• Cleaner git diffs by default: New notebook.save.outputs and notebook.save.executionCounts settings let you exclude outputs and execution counts from saved notebook files so reviewers see only the relevant code changes.

• Stronger R support: R notebooks can now be debugged with breakpoints and the "Debug Cell" action, and R dataframe outputs in notebook cells now render in the inline Data Explorer for the same interactive exploration you get in the Console.

• Help on F1: Pressing F1 on a function in a notebook cell now opens the Help pane, just like in .py and .R files. Works for both Python and R Jupyter notebooks.

• UX polish: Long cell outputs default to scrolling instead of overwhelming the page, the cell action bar stays visible as you scroll through tall cells, markdown cells render footnotes, and your scroll position is preserved when switching between notebook tabs.

Posit Assistant and Posit AI

This release introduces two new AI options: Posit Assistant and Posit AI.

• You may have tried some of our previous experiments for AI code assistance available in Positron, Positron Assistant and/or Databot. We are now migrating to a more data-science-specific, holistic, unified approach to AI chat, built on the same Posit Assistant interface that we recently brought to RStudio. Instead of switching between tools, you get code generation, next edit suggestions, chat, and agentic tools all in one place. Learn how to get started.

• Posit AI is a new, optional model provider service available to use with Posit Assistant. Posit AI is a subscription priced at $20/month for individual users; both Positron and Posit Assistant remain free to use. Learn how to sign up for an account.