"Workspace does not exist" when failing to connect to ssh remote

[roblourens]

• SSH "Connect to host"
• Type some random host name that doesn't exist
• Get the first dialog that I couldn't attach to that host
• Get a second dialog, "workspace does not exist"

[bpasero]

@roblourens this was an intentional change to help Codespaces users. If you manage to open a folder in your Codespace and later delete that folder, you would always end up in that folder (because we restore the last opened folder when you just open that Codespace).

Locally, we have a way to check if a local folder still exists and then fallback to an empty window before even opening the workbench but we cannot do that with remote.

What in particular is the issue here? The 2 dialogs?

[bpasero]

Related issue: #133872

[roblourens]

In the SSH scenario, the workspace does exist, you just can't connect to it, and now there is a distraction from the accurate error message we just showed.

[roblourens]

Maybe I confused it by using an example with an ssh remote that doesn't exist. Another example is if you type the password wrong or can't connect for another reason.

[bpasero]

🤔 should this be limited to web only?

@jkeech @GideonCheruiyot thoughts?

[jkeech]

🤔 should this be limited to web only?

@jkeech @GideonCheruiyot thoughts?

For Codespaces, we want the behavior in both web and desktop. The same scenario is applicable to both: the user is connected to a folder in their codespace, and then the folder is renamed/deleted while they are connected (either intentionally or accidentally or by doing a git pull which includes a commit that renames the folder, etc). After the user disconnects and reconnect, we don't want VS Code to fail to connect which sort of locks them out of the codespace without a clear path to get back in.

[bpasero]

Yeah agree.

@roblourens so the point here is to inform the user that the workspace he is in is invalid and that he needs to open something else. If you have a suggestion how to change this, please let me know. Maybe the remote service could tell me that even though there is a remote connection, the connection is not properly established due to failing connection or bad credentials?

//cc @misolori

[bpasero]

We now only show this dialog when we have a healthy remote connection via this trick:

vscode/src/vs/workbench/contrib/remote/common/remote.contribution.ts

Lines 112 to 119 in 96ff0e0

	remoteAgentService.getEnvironment().then(remoteEnv => {
	if (remoteEnv) {
	// we use the presence of `remoteEnv` to figure out
	// if we got a healthy remote connection
	// (see https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/135331)
	this.validateRemoteWorkspace();
	}
	});