VS Code Not Opening

[ryan-l-robinson]

Bug description

When I try to launch desktop VS Code for a workspace, it does not load. I get the prompt in Edge to approve opening VS Code. VS Code launches with whatever the last (local) workspace I had open. There is a notification saying that it is trying to open the workspace, but it will spin on "Connecting to GitPod workspace" for hours until I either cancel or close VS Code.

This used to work until about a month ago.

Knowing how central this is to the GitPod experience, I assume there's something unique to my setup and this isn't widespread for everybody. But I don't have any ideas for what might be causing a conflict.

Steps to reproduce

Start the GitPod workspace in the browser

Click the Open button to launch in VS Code when prompted, or choose the option to open in VS Code from the command palette.

When prompted by browser (Edge), allow this site to open VS Code links.

Look at the VS Code notification to open the GitPod workspace.

Environment:

Browser: Edge (although I don't think it's a browser issue since it can launch Code)

Desktop OS: Windows 10 Professional

VS Code version: 1.63.2 (system setup)

VS Code extensions installed locally:

• mrmlnc.vscode-apache
• pranaygp.vscode-css-peek
• ms-azuretools.vscode-docker
• marcostazi.vs-code-drupal
• github.copilot
• cstuder.gitlab-ci-validator
• gitlab.gitlab-workflow
• eamodio.gitlens
• gitpod.gitpod-desktop
• gitpod.gitpod-remote-ssh
• cweijan.vscode-mysql-client2
• christian-kohler.path-intellisense
• esbenp.prettier-vscode
• ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers
• ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh
• ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh-edit
• ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl
• gruntfuggly.todo-tree
• whatwedo.twig
• vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons

Workspace affected

No response

Expected behavior

Launches GitPod workspace in VS Code (after a minute or two).

Example repository

No response

Anything else?

No response

[akosyakov]

@jeanp413 could you try to reproduce it? It seems to be related to VS Code Desktop.

[ryan-l-robinson]

FYI: I just tried it on my personal laptop instead of my work laptop, and my personal GitPod account instead of my work GitPod account. That one worked. So that does support that there's something unique about my work laptop that isn't working with it anymore.

[jeanp413]

Cannot reproduce on Linux.
@ryan-l-robinson does your personal laptop also has Windows? Could you paste the log from the gitpod extension in the ouput panel from your work machine where it doesn't work.

[ryan-l-robinson]

The personal laptop is also Windows, but Home instead of Professional and not managed by my organization. There's other variation in what apps are installed, but those are probably the two starting point differences.

Here's the output:

[2022-01-06, 9:02:43 a.m.] open workspace window: vscode://gitpod.gitpod-desktop/workspace/library.wlu.ca-drupal-9?%7B%22instanceId%22%3A%22cd0b6590-9b6a-4cb4-9e0d-c17b9977bfe2%22%2C%22workspaceId%22%3A%22jade-heron-8rv1jd2k%22%2C%22gitpodHost%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fgitpod.io%22%7D
[2022-01-06, 9:02:43 a.m.] acquiring lock: gitpod.io
[2022-01-06, 9:02:44 a.m.] acquired lock: gitpod.io
[2022-01-06, 9:02:44 a.m.] fetching the local app from https://gitpod.io/static/bin/gitpod-local-companion-windows.exe
[2022-01-06, 9:02:49 a.m.] the local app is outdated, upgrading: {
  "installation": {
    "path": "C:\\Users\\RYROBI~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\gitpod-local-companion-20504-PlTS4S0WhpEO-.exe",
    "etag": "\"r55xynae22o\""
  },
  "upgrade": {
    "etag": "\"r5a2y0ae22o\"",
    "url": "https://gitpod.io/static/bin/gitpod-local-companion-windows.exe"
  }
}
[2022-01-06, 9:02:50 a.m.] installing the local app to C:\Users\RYROBI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\gitpod-local-companion-22904-33QFks7obsgc-.exe
[2022-01-06, 9:03:13 a.m.] installing the local app: {
  "path": "C:\\Users\\RYROBI~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\gitpod-local-companion-22904-33QFks7obsgc-.exe",
  "etag": "\"r5a2y0ae22o\""
}
[2022-01-06, 9:03:13 a.m.] starting the local app with the config: {
  "gitpodHost": "https://gitpod.io",
  "configFile": "file:///c%3A/Users/RYROBI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/gitpod_ssh_config-22904-04mP3PnTF6wq",
  "apiPort": 54603
}
[2022-01-06, 9:03:15 a.m.] the local app has been stared: {
  "pid": 13288,
  "log": "file:///c%3A/Users/RYROBI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/gitpod-local-companion-22904-33QFks7obsgc-.log"
}
[2022-01-06, 9:03:15 a.m.] released lock: gitpod.io
[2022-01-06, 9:03:15 a.m.] the local app (pid: 13288) is running, but the api endpoint is not ready: Error: Response closed without headers

And then a new one about the api endpoint not being ready every 1s until I cancel it.

[ryan-l-robinson]

Quick update: I've spent more time trying to narrow down which variable is making the difference. It seems the most likely culprit is the VPN/work network (I'm currently at home but this problem started when I was in person). In a relatively small sample size, it works if I have not yet connected to the VPN since restarting the computer. It does not work if I am currently connected to the VPN, or sometimes not if I was connected to the VPN but since disconnected.

Are you aware of any network requirements that I could take to our IT team? Or are you aware of anything that changed a couple months ago on the GitPod end that our network doesn't like?

[jeanp413]

cc @akosyakov ☝️

[akosyakov]

VS Code Desktop right now relies on https://www.gitpod.io/blog/local-app. Could you try to install it and see whether you can SSH into workspace? Please also investigate log output of the local app bundled with VS Code Destkop, you can see a path to it in the output view, e.g. "log": "file:///c%3A/Users/RYROBI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/gitpod-local-companion-22904-33QFks7obsgc-.log"

VS Code Desktop is still in beta, we are going to rework it next month to use direct SSH access. Maybe it will resolve your issue.

[ryan-l-robinson]

I've installed the local app. I then tried to SSH to a workspace (while on the VPN). This is one of the workspaces which is in the gitpod_ssh_config file, successfully added yesterday.

My command was:

PS C:\Users\ryrobinson> ssh -F C:\Users\ryrobinson\AppData\Local\Temp\gitpod_ssh_config-10900-vYDfcopxxEO9 yellow-boa-szcbz07e

The response after about a minute is:

ssh: Could not resolve hostname yellow-boa-szcbz07e: No such host is known.

I also tried the same thing with another workspace that is not yet in the gitpod_ssh_config. Same result.

The gitpod-local-companion log file gives me a series of "failed to connect":

time="2022-01-07T09:23:33-05:00" level=info msg="writing workspace ssh_config file" ssh_config="C:\\Users\\RYROBI~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\gitpod_ssh_config-12800-YKRlTlWfNhHf"
time="2022-01-07T09:23:35-05:00" level=info msg="websocket handshake" url="wss://gitpod.io/api/v1"
time="2022-01-07T09:23:35-05:00" level=error msg="failed to connect, trying again in 2 seconds..." badHandshakeCount=0/15 error="read tcp [private_network_ip]:51249->34.120.231.152:443: i/o timeout" statusCode=0 url="wss://gitpod.io/api/v1"

(There's more but with different ports and going up to 30 seconds between tries)