I cannot build my VSCode extension project in VSCode after update to 1.76

[imSoly]

• VS Code Version: 1.76.0
• OS Version: macOS Monterey 12.6

I'm making a vscode extension.
When I use version 1.75.0, In the project root path, I could build and run [Extension Development Host] by pressing F5.
However, after updating to 1.76, I cannot build my VSCode extension project in VSCode. No alert, No OUTPUT, No DEBUG CONOLE.

So now, I'm using 1.75.0, It works very well.
I think version 1.76 has some bugs.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Update VSCode to version 1.76
2. Press F5

[roblourens]

Can you give some more details? What happens? What does your build task do? Can you share the project?

Any error messages in devtools (Help > Toggle Developer Tools)?

[ArturoDent]

Related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/75619530/f5-not-working-in-vscode-extension-development/75619753#75619753

[StephaneAdeso]

Have the same issue

[ArturoDent]

Can you give some more details? What happens? What does your build task do? Can you share the project?

Any error messages in devtools (Help > Toggle Developer Tools)?

@StephaneAdeso Can you provide the above additional information?

[StephaneAdeso]

Today i decided to start an extension project. I installed the dependencies following the https://code.visualstudio.com/api/get-started/your-first-extension guide.
After creating the extension, i pressed F5 and nothing happened. So i suppose there is a bug by default on the yo-code extensions because i didnt modified yet any files.

I also have to say that i tried an old theme project ( 8 month old) and i was able to launch it with F5 without any problem.

I also tried the launch.json that you shared in Stackoverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/75619530/f5-not-working-in-vscode-extension-development/75619753#75619753 and it works perfectly.

So i am pretty sure there is something wrong in the launch.json that is generated by default.

You can see my files and version in the stackoverflow post.

[StephaneAdeso]

No output error messages on the devtools when i press F5

[StephaneAdeso]

there you have the files that was autogenerated and dont work. i have changed anything since Yo-code created the project.

launch.json

// A launch configuration that compiles the extension and then opens it inside a new window
// Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
// Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
// For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Run Extension",
            "type": "extensionHost",
            "request": "launch",
            "args": [
                "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"
            ],
            "outFiles": [
                "${workspaceFolder}/out/**/*.js"
            ],
            "preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}"
        },
        {
            "name": "Extension Tests",
            "type": "extensionHost",
            "request": "launch",
            "args": [
                "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}",
                "--extensionTestsPath=${workspaceFolder}/out/test/suite/index"
            ],
            "outFiles": [
                "${workspaceFolder}/out/test/**/*.js"
            ],
            "preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}"
        }
    ]
}

tasks.json

// See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
// for the documentation about the tasks.json format
{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "type": "npm",
            "script": "watch",
            "problemMatcher": "$tsc-watch",
            "isBackground": true,
            "presentation": {
                "reveal": "never"
            },
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            }
        }
    ]
}

package.json

{
  "name": "xxxxx",
  "displayName": "xxxxx",
  "description": "xxxxx",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "engines": {
    "vscode": "^1.76.0"
  },
  "categories": [
    "Other"
  ],
  "activationEvents": [],
  "main": "./out/extension.js",
  "contributes": {
    "commands": [
      {
        "command": "xxxxx",
        "title": "Hello World"
      }
    ]
  },
  "scripts": {
    "vscode:prepublish": "npm run compile",
    "compile": "tsc -p ./",
    "watch": "tsc -watch -p ./",
    "pretest": "npm run compile && npm run lint",
    "lint": "eslint src --ext ts",
    "test": "node ./out/test/runTest.js"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/vscode": "^1.76.0",
    "@types/glob": "^8.1.0",
    "@types/mocha": "^10.0.1",
    "@types/node": "16.x",
    "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^5.53.0",
    "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^5.53.0",
    "eslint": "^8.34.0",
    "glob": "^8.1.0",
    "mocha": "^10.2.0",
    "typescript": "^4.9.5",
    "@vscode/test-electron": "^2.2.3"
  }
}

[StephaneAdeso]

Is there a detailed documentation of how to configure a launch.json ? where you can consult all the available parameters and how they work.

this is not enaugh detailed

[GabeDeBacker]

I'm also hitting this and can confirm that nothing "dubious" is showing in the console of the development tools. As a matter of fact, there is almost nothing there. (Which is odd, because it's normally full of output from the extension host, extensions, etc.)

Additional information is that it appears (at least for our extension) that the extension activates (when it's not supposed to) and then seems to just "stop" being executed.

Here's "all" of the console output from the extension host developer tools console

[Extension Host] STOPPED on first line for debugging on port 53603
J @ localProcessExtensionHost.ts:366
languagesAssociations.ts:73 Overwriting extension <<.mk>> to now point to mime <<text/x-Windows.NMake>>
(anonymous) @ languagesAssociations.ts:73
languagesAssociations.ts:77 Overwriting filename <> to now point to mime <<text/x-Windows.NMake>>
(anonymous) @ languagesAssociations.ts:77
localProcessExtensionHost.ts:298 Extension Host
localProcessExtensionHost.ts:299 Debugger attached.
console.ts:137 [Extension Host] activating extension (at console. (c:\Users\gabrield\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\resources\app\out\vs\workbench\api\node\extensionHostProcess.js:96:138784))
console.ts:137 [Extension Host] starting language server (at console. (c:\Users\gabrield\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\resources\app\out\vs\workbench\api\node\extensionHostProcess.js:96:138784))

[pgwatinfor]

I can confirm the issue in v1.76 that nothing happens when pressing the F5 key.
I have to use the menu option Run>Start Debugging, a bit tedious.

[roblourens]

This is probably due to a misbehaving extension, please run the "Start Extension Bisect" command to figure out which one it might be

[mjbvz]

Possibly same issue as #175202. F5 build tasks seem to activate too many extensions

[roblourens]

Yeah @mjbvz there is a fix out in #176006, if you are seeing it please bisect to figure out which extension is breaking it, I think it would just be nice to know which common extensions are impacted

[connor4312]

Same as #175976. I have a little more info there.

[StephaneAdeso]

The start extension bisec is just awsome. i just did it and i found that its because of java extension. i posted the bug here microsoft/vscode-java-dependency#721

[StephaneAdeso]

i tried to use F5 after disabling the java plugin, but F5 still not working.

[roblourens]

Maybe there's a second one then.

[StephaneAdeso]

i disabled the java extension, but it didn't work. so i executed bisec again and it detected the Material icon extension. so i disabled it and it didn't work. Still having the F5 issue. i think there is something more behind all this.

[StephaneAdeso]

i commented the preLaunchTask in my launch.json and now it works perfectly. Which seems strange to me, because JSON doesn't allow comments. But it has worked and now it boots with F5 without problems.
I had it like this :

{
	"version": "0.2.0",
	"configurations": [
		{
			"name": "Run Extension",
			"type": "extensionHost",
			"request": "launch",
			"args": [
				"--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"
			],
			"outFiles": [
				"${workspaceFolder}/out/**/*.js"
			],
			"preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}"
		},
		{
			"name": "Extension Tests",
			"type": "extensionHost",
			"request": "launch",
			"args": [
				"--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}",
				"--extensionTestsPath=${workspaceFolder}/out/test/suite/index"
			],
			"outFiles": [
				"${workspaceFolder}/out/test/**/*.js"
			],
			"preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}"
		}
	]
}

and now I have it like this:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Run Extension",
      "type": "extensionHost",
      "request": "launch",
      "args": ["--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"],
      "outFiles": ["${workspaceFolder}/out/**/*.js"]
      /* "preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}" */
    },
    {
      "name": "Extension Tests",
      "type": "extensionHost",
      "request": "launch",
      "args": [
        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}",
        "--extensionTestsPath=${workspaceFolder}/out/test/suite/index"
      ],
      "outFiles": ["${workspaceFolder}/out/test/**/*.js"],
      "preLaunchTask": "${defaultBuildTask}"
    }
  ]
}

[StephaneAdeso]

I can confirm that after 1.76.1 update, F5 is still broke.

[roblourens]

It sounds like there might be an issue with your build task then.

[StephaneAdeso]

It sounds like there might be an issue with your build task then.

As I mentioned above, the project is made from scratch with the yo-code plugin. The task is the one that comes by default.

[meganrogge]

Pretty sure this is fixed in insider's - can you pls try to repro there and let me know?

[vscodenpa]

This issue has been closed automatically because it needs more information and has not had recent activity. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!

[hippietrail]

I have the same problem on macOS Ventura 13.1 and VS Code 1.77.3

It seems to be partly/mostly related to other extensions.

Sometimes I get nothing happening at all. Sometimes I get a bunch of errors from totally unrelated extensions.

I believe I have mostly on the default or most popular extension for each of about a dozen programming languages. I use vscode for programming but I'm quite clueless on how to get things working for run/debug configurations.