vsce package: Extension entrypoint(s) missing

[Nic30]

This is example of vsce package on official examples https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-extension-samples.git (I just changed publisher in package.json to myself.)

Same result vsce@2.22.0, 2.30.0, 3.3.0, 3.4.0, 3.5.0
Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS, libsecret-1-dev installed

vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ npm -v
10.8.2
vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ node -v
v20.19.2
vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ npx  @vscode/vsce --version
3.5.0
vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ npx  @vscode/vsce ls

vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ npx  @vscode/vsce package
Executing prepublish script 'npm run vscode:prepublish'...
...
 ERROR  Extension entrypoint(s) missing. Make sure these files exist and aren't ignored by '.vscodeignore':
  extension/out/extension.js

I think that the problem is that there is "extension/" prefix, where and why is this prefix added?

I suspect that it may be related to node version, but I did not have to test different versions yet.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/76605936

[Nic30]

#935

[benibenj]

Do you see the out folder with the extension.js file in the workspace?

[Nic30]

Yes,

vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample$ ls out/extension.js
out/extension.js

there is no other error during compilation and the file seems to have expected content:

out.zip
So it seems that the problem is that "extension/" is appended to path for no reason.

package-lock.json
version of package-lock.json for npx @vscode/vsce package:
package-lock.json

I am using the latest version of vscode-extension-samples

$git log
commit cf30922221d1c2dcb819da857b7f64583991fed0 (HEAD -> main, origin/main, origin/HEAD)
Author: Connor Peet <connor@peet.io>
Date:   Tue May 6 14:43:22 2025 -0700

    mcp: adopt finalized api (#1185)

[benibenj]

The extension/ prefix is expected. When the project is packaged, all files are moved into a extension folder inside the VSIX. I don't think this is causing the issue

[benibenj]

Can you run npx @vscode/vsce ls --tree and see if you get exactly the same output a I do after only changing the publisher field:

C:\Code\vscode-extension-samples\helloworld-sample> npx @vscode/vsce ls --tree
helloworld-sample-0.0.1.vsix
├─ .gitignore [0.04 KB]
├─ README.md [0.87 KB]
├─ demo.gif [846.4 KB]
├─ eslint.config.mjs [0.91 KB]
├─ package.json [0.88 KB]
├─ tsconfig.json [0.23 KB]
├─ .vscode/
│  ├─ launch.json [0.62 KB]
│  └─ tasks.json [0.38 KB]
├─ out/
│  ├─ extension.js [1.27 KB]
│  └─ extension.js.map [0.54 KB]
└─ src/
   └─ extension.ts [1.14 KB]

The file demo.gif is large (846.4 KB)

[Nic30]

npx @vscode/vsce ls --tree
Returns just

$ npx @vscode/vsce ls --tree
helloworld-sample-0.0.1.vsix

$ tree -I "node_modules"
.
├── demo.gif
├── eslint.config.mjs
├── out
│   ├── extension.js
│   └── extension.js.map
├── package.json
├── package-lock.json
├── README.md
├── src
│   └── extension.ts
└── tsconfig.json

3 directories, 9 files

$ ls -l
total 936
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30 866712 oct 12  2022 demo.gif
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30    885 jun 11 00:07 eslint.config.mjs
drwxrwxr-x 315 nic30 nic30  12288 jun 11 00:08 node_modules
drwxrwxr-x   2 nic30 nic30   4096 jun 11 00:08 out
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30    864 jun 16 14:59 package.json
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30  50392 jun 16 14:55 package-lock.json
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30    862 oct 12  2022 README.md
drwxrwxr-x   2 nic30 nic30   4096 jun 11 00:07 src
-rw-rw-r--   1 nic30 nic30    219 oct 12  2022 tsconfig.json

$ ls -l out
total 8
-rw-rw-r-- 1 nic30 nic30 1296 jun 16 14:59 extension.js
-rw-rw-r-- 1 nic30 nic30  558 jun 16 14:59 extension.js.map

Also If I use https://raw.githubusercontent.com/samuelcardenasg23/ls-command/refs/heads/master/index.js
I can verify that the nodejs itself does not have problem finding files.

$ node ls.js 
f .gitignore                   38 10/12/2022, 10:29:07 PM
d .vscode                    4096 10/12/2022, 10:29:07 PM
f README.md                   862 10/12/2022, 10:29:07 PM
f demo.gif                 866712 10/12/2022, 10:29:07 PM
f eslint.config.mjs           885 6/11/2025, 12:07:35 AM
f ls.js                      1153 6/20/2025, 10:32:24 AM
d node_modules              12288 6/11/2025, 12:08:31 AM
d out                        4096 6/11/2025, 12:08:50 AM
f package-lock.json         50392 6/16/2025, 2:55:00 PM
f package.json                864 6/16/2025, 2:59:52 PM
d src                        4096 6/11/2025, 12:07:35 AM
f tsconfig.json               219 10/12/2022, 10:29:07 PM

[benibenj]

This is very bizarre. Can you confirm that the only thing that you changed in the package.json file is the publisher? You haven't set the "files" property and you do not have a .vscodeignore file?

[Nic30]

$ git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-extension-samples.git
$ cd vscode-extension-samples/helloworld-sample
$ sed -i 's/vscode-samples/nic30/g' package.json  # vscode-samples is only in publisher attr.
$ npx  @vscode/vsce package
Need to install the following packages:
@vscode/vsce@3.5.0
Ok to proceed? (y) y

Executing prepublish script 'npm run vscode:prepublish'...

> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 vscode:prepublish
> npm run compile


> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 compile
> tsc -p ./

sh: 1: tsc: not found
 ERROR  npm failed with exit code 127

# this is probably expected, but I am adding it for completeness
$ npm install

added 121 packages, and audited 122 packages in 1s

34 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

1 low severity vulnerability

To address all issues, run:
  npm audit fix

Run `npm audit` for details.


$ npx  @vscode/vsce package
Executing prepublish script 'npm run vscode:prepublish'...

> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 vscode:prepublish
> npm run compile


> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 compile
> tsc -p ./

 ERROR  Extension entrypoint(s) missing. Make sure these files exist and aren't ignored by '.vscodeignore':
  extension/out/extension.js

# calling npm run compile in advance does not change the thing
$ npm run compile

> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 compile
> tsc -p ./

$ npx  @vscode/vsce package
Executing prepublish script 'npm run vscode:prepublish'...

> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 vscode:prepublish
> npm run compile


> helloworld-sample@0.0.1 compile
> tsc -p ./

 ERROR  Extension entrypoint(s) missing. Make sure these files exist and aren't ignored by '.vscodeignore':
  extension/out/extension.js

[Nic30]

Also note that the nic30 publisher does not exist yet.

[joaomoreno]

Can you repro from another machine? Can you show us your entire environment (ie env)?