BIG BUG needs Squashing ! VSCode is running dozens of background processes when only 2-3 files are open.

[richlysakowski]

This problem of too many background processes has been plaguing me since the first time I started using VSCode in 2019. It never closes processes when I close files, always spawning new processes.

I am surprised nothing has really been done to fix since 2019, just more MS-GoRound (disable Microsoft Extensions, try this, try that, disable blah, blah, blah).

Why isn't there a garbage collector for VSCode background processes ???

At this point I usually go back to using Jupyter Notebook or Spyder., because they are more process and memory efficient, with fewer bugs and performance problems to report.

Is there a fix for this? Or is there a Best Practices document for usage to make me as a user more process aware?

I am using a recent update of VSCode:

code --status

Version:          Code 1.62.3 (ccbaa2d27e38e5afa3e5c21c1c7bef4657064247, 2021-11-17T08:11:14.551Z)
OS Version:       Windows_NT x64 10.0.19043
CPUs:             Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz (12 x 2208)
Memory (System):  63.76GB (39.88GB free)
VM:               0%
Screen Reader:    no
Process Argv:     C:\Users\richadmin\OneDrive\00-2021-Student-Area\07-Jupyter-All-About-It\50-Jupyter-Tools-Hacking-4-cleaning-and-filing\InteractiveWidgets\Account_Info_Input_Form-RSL-WIP.ipynb --crash-reporter-id 444025d4-7455-48c3-ad89-37e92438f893
GPU Status:       2d_canvas:                  enabled
                  gpu_compositing:            enabled
                  multiple_raster_threads:    enabled_on
                  oop_rasterization:          enabled
                  opengl:                     enabled_on
                  rasterization:              enabled
                  skia_renderer:              enabled_on
                  video_decode:               enabled
                  vulkan:                     disabled_off
                  webgl:                      enabled
                  webgl2:                     enabled

CPU %   Mem MB     PID  Process
    0      114   43688  code main
    0       35   24360     utility
    0       23   29688     crashpad-handler
    0      217   34180     window (tda_api_test.py - PyTDA-workspace (Workspace) - Visual Studio Code)
    0      133   18544       extensionHost
    0       58    6536         c:\Users\richadmin\Desktop\tos_apps\tosapps\Scripts\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\run-jedi-language-server.py
    0        5   17396           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       15   39976           c:\Users\richadmin\Desktop\tos_apps\tosapps\Scripts\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp\jedi\inference\compiled\subprocess\__main__.py c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp 3.7.10
    0        5   36848             console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       51   11232         C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\consuming_http\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\run-jedi-language-server.py
    0       18   36928           C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\consuming_http\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp\jedi\inference\compiled\subprocess\__main__.py c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp 3.9.7
    0        5   36836             console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        5   41640           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       69   14328         "C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\mtxr.sqltools-0.23.0\dist\languageserver.js --node-ipc --clientProcessId=18544
    0       79   16260         "C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\znck.grammarly-0.14.0\dist\server\index.js --node-ipc --clientProcessId=18544
    0       14   19560         C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\consuming_http\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\run-jedi-language-server.py
    0        7   19444           C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\consuming_http\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp\jedi\inference\compiled\subprocess\__main__.py c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp 3.9.7
    0        5   39348             console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        5   41440           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       61   19756         C:\ProgramData\Julia-1.3.1\bin\julia.exe --startup-file=no --history-file=no --depwarn=no --project=c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\julialang.language-julia-1.5.6\scripts\environments\languageserver main.jl C:\Users\richadmin\.julia\environments\v1.3 --debug=no \\.\pipe\vsc-jl-cr-40a027d9-b036-47bf-a9a5-4160c1d837e7 "" c:\Users\richadmin\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage\julialang.language-julia download https://www.julia-vscode.org/symbolcache --detached=no
    0        5   27844           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       70   21528         "C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ckolkman.vscode-postgres-1.1.19\out\language\server.js --node-ipc --clientProcessId=18544
    0        6   24124         C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\PyQt5Options\python.exe -m vscode_datascience_helpers.daemon --daemon-module=vscode_datascience_helpers.jupyter_daemon -v
    0        5   40432           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       61   25920         electron_node hu.js
    0        6   10612           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        6   27436         C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\PyQt5Options\python.exe -m vscode_datascience_helpers.daemon --daemon-module=vscode_datascience_helpers.jupyter_daemon -v
    0        5   27900           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        6   41632         C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\PyQt5Options\python.exe -m vscode_datascience_helpers.daemon --daemon-module=vscode_datascience_helpers.jupyter_daemon -v
    0        5   36052           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       14   43436         c:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\pyTDA_pipOK\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\run-jedi-language-server.py
    0        8    3832           c:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\envs\pyTDA_pipOK\python.exe c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp\jedi\inference\compiled\subprocess\__main__.py c:\Users\richadmin\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2021.11.1422169775\pythonFiles\lib\jedilsp 3.8.12
    0        5   38180             console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        5   21580           console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0       73   24860       watcherServiceParcel
    0      166   35264     gpu-process
    0       84   35884     window (undefined)
    0        7   39524     "C:\Program Files\Google\Drive File Stream\53.0.8.0\crashpad_handler.exe" --database=C:\Users\richadmin\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\Crashpad --url=https://clients2.google.com/cr/report --annotation=application=Code.exe --annotation=prod=DriveFS --annotation=ver=53.0.8.0 --initial-client-data=0x107c,0x11a4,0x1190,0x11a0,0x11c4,0x7ffd27301930,0x7ffd27301940,0x7ffd27301950
    0       79   39844     shared-process
    0       78    5356       ptyHost
    0        6   18232         console-window-host (Windows internal process)
    0        4   21760         C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmd.exe

Workspace Stats:
|  Window (tda_api_test.py - PyTDA-workspace (Workspace) - Visual Studio Code)
|    Folder (00 - pyBlackScholesAnalytics): 235 files
|      File types: py(82) png(29) PNG(27) ipynb(24) pyc(13) md(8) pdf(7)
|                  gitignore(2) json(2) yml(2)
|      Conf files:
|    Folder (! 00 - 2021-November): 355 files
|      File types: ipynb(81) py(68) zip(19) rst(18) png(11) ini(9) pyc(9)
|                  txt(8) pdf(8) json(7)
|      Conf files: makefile(3) launch.json(1) settings.json(1)
|      Launch Configs: python

• VS Code Version:
• OS Version:

Steps to Reproduce:

[rebornix]

Starting from @DonJayamanne to help provide insights since most processes are data science related

[DonJayamanne]

Sorry, didn't realize there were other extensions at play here that spawn other processes.
I'll created a separate issue in Jupyter repo to tackle the processes spawned by that extension.

PyQt5Options\python.exe -m vscode_datascience_helpers.daemon --daemon-module=vscode_datascience_helpers.jupyter_daemon -v

These are the only two spawned by Jupyter extension, again will create an issue and provided instruction on disabling this there (we have an option to turn this off).

[DonJayamanne]

@richlysakowski

I'm sorry you're experiencing this issue.
The Jupyter extension is responsible for spawning the processes python.exe -m vscode_datascience_helpers.daemon --daemon-module=vscode_datascience_helpers.jupyter_daemon -v
You can turn this off by adding the following setting "jupyter.disableJupyterAutoStart": true into your user settings.

These are spawned to improve performance of notebooks in the Jupyter extension.
However, as mentioned earlier, you can turn this off (when a Python file is opened).

Note: Even if after setting this, and shutting down VS Code those same python ... daemon processes still hang around, please could you file an issue here (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-jupyter) and we'll be able to look into this.

[DonJayamanne]

At this point I usually go back to using Jupyter Notebook or Spyder., because they are more process and memory efficient, with fewer bugs and performance problems to report.

There are three other extensions that spawn other processes as well.
It is my understanding these are spawned as you have extensions that provide functionality when a Python file or Notebook is opened. E.g. the Julia extension provides functionality for Notebooks, and I believe SQL, Postgress, grammarly too provide functionality for notebooks and Python files as well.

If you were to shutdown VS Code, do these processes not die? If not please could you file an issue with them. FYI - I've created an issue in Python Github repo.
For the other please could you file it, as i'm not sure whether its a bug or by design, if its by design, then as mentioned some of theose extensions might have a valid reason and could be providing some useful features for Python/ipynb notebooks.

• [Python Extension]
  • Large Number of processes spawned when Opening Python file/notebook vscode-python#18120
  • @karthiknadig Please could you help this use with the processes spawned by Python extension, there are a few spanwed by Python extesnion.
• PostgresSQL
• SQL Tools
• Grammarly
• Julia

[DonJayamanne]

Again, I'm sorry you've been running into this since 2019, unfortunately I've been unable to locate any issues filed by you before this.
I'll discuss this with the team and get back with more information/suggestions or what we can do in this space.

[DonJayamanne]

I've since found that some extensions were activating unnecssarily
@richlysakowski For now these extensions seem to be unnecessarily getting activated. I have file issues in the repos, however there's not much we can do in VS Code, as VS Code doesn't control what each extension does.

• Issue filed here for Postgress Consider activating this extension only for specific events Borvik/vscode-postgres#188
• Issue filed here SQLTools Consider activating this extension only for specific events mtxr/vscode-sqltools#886
• Issue file here Grammarly Consider activating this extension only for specific events znck/grammarly#219

So, I think the only issue is with the Python extension and the Jupyter extension at this stage. please could you confirm there are no other issues. This way, we can tackle this issue in the corresponding repos (e.g. Python, Jupyter, Postgres, SQLTools, Grammarly).

@rebornix Do you have any other thoughts on this?

[DonJayamanne]

@richlysakowski Response for python extension is as follows, looks like it is by design vscode-python#18120

We don't see anything here that is out of the ordinary.

Right now the only issue is with the Jupyter extension, and I have provided a solution and if that still doesn't work please file an issue in the Jupyter repo.

Closing this as there's no need to have an issue with all extensions mentioned as there's a response/solution for all them