Cannot test Web Extensions in WSL2 or Dev Containers

[glebbash]

Type: Bug

Following instructions from here to start web extension in desktop VSCode from WSL2:

• from here: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/web-extensions#test-your-web-extension
• or here: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-extension-samples/tree/main/lsp-web-extension-sample.

The extension is built fine but it's not shown when running Developer: Show Running Extension in [Extension Development Host] window and trying to run Hello World command fails saying that it is not found (even though command is visible in command palette).

Trying both VS Code desktop and @vscode/test-web options yields the same results.

Running non-web hello-world extension sample is working as expected though.

I also cannot find any relevant logs.

VS Code version: Code 1.85.1 (0ee08df, 2023-12-13T09:49:37.021Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.22621
Modes:
Remote OS version: Linux x64 5.15.133.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
Remote OS version: Linux x64 5.15.133.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz (8 x 3110)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	15.70GB (2.77GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id bacc653e-b8c0-4166-83a7-51ae995f7274
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Item	Value
Remote	WSL: Ubuntu-22.04
OS	Linux x64 5.15.133.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
CPUs	11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz (8 x 3110)
Memory (System)	7.61GB (4.85GB free)
VM	0%

Item	Value
Remote	WSL: Ubuntu-22.04
OS	Linux x64 5.15.133.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
CPUs	11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz (8 x 3110)
Memory (System)	7.61GB (4.85GB free)
VM	0%

Extensions (18)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
tsl-problem-matcher	amo	0.6.2
codespaces	Git	1.16.5
remotehub	Git	0.62.0
gitpod-desktop	git	0.0.163
opa-highlight-only	gle	0.1.1
vscode-drawio	hed	1.6.6
remote-containers	ms-	0.327.0
remote-ssh	ms-	0.107.1
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.86.0
remote-wsl	ms-	0.81.8
remote-explorer	ms-	0.4.1
remote-repositories	ms-	0.40.0
lo	und	0.0.70
vscode-eslint	dba	2.4.2
prettier-vscode	esb	10.1.0
vscode-docker	ms-	1.28.0
svelte-vscode	sve	108.1.0
vscode-zig	zig	0.5.1

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vsreu685:30147344
python383:30185418
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vslsvsres303:30308271
vserr242cf:30382550
pythontb:30283811
vsjup518:30340749
pythonptprofiler:30281270
vshan820:30294714
vstes263:30335439
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
bridge0708:30335490
bridge0723:30353136
vsaa593:30376534
pythonvs932:30410667
py29gd2263:30899288
vsclangdf:30486550
c4g48928:30535728
dsvsc012:30540252
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
3biah626:30602489
89544117:30613380
showlangstatbar:30737416
962ge761:30917236
fixshowwlkth:30771522
showindicator:30805244
pythongtdpath:30769146
i26e3531:30792625
welcomedialog:30910333
pythonnosmt12:30797651
pythonidxpt:30866567
pythonnoceb:30805159
asynctok:30898717
dsvsc013:30795093
dsvsc014:30804076
dsvsc015:30845448
pythontestfixt:30902429
pyreplss1:30897532
pythonmypyd1:30879173
pythoncet0:30885854
pythontbext0:30879054
accentitlementst:30887150
dsvsc016:30899300
dsvsc017:30899301
dsvsc018:30899302
aa_t_chat:30882232
dsvsc019:30917259
cp7184t:30925682

[glebbash]

Btw I get the same problem when trying to follow instructions from dev container.

[aeschli]

Maybe there's a problem with your main file?
Check the dev tools to see if there are any error messages.

[aeschli]

I tested that running the hello world web extension works.

• npm i -g yo generator-code
• yo code, New Web Extension
• open in code insiders, Run Web Extension from the debug viewlet
• Run the command Hello World

[glebbash]

Tried again, now using clean insiders install:

• npm i -g yo generator-code
• yo code, New Web Extension, name: repro, agreed to npm install
• open in code insiders, Run Web Extension from the debug viewlet

On first launch I see this:

And then the launched Extension Development Host has no repro extension installed:

DevTools logs(Extension Development Host):

DevTools logs(main window):

[glebbash]

Note: this only happens with running from WSL or Dev Containers. Doing the same using windows terminal is working fine.

[glebbash]

Also doing the same using VSCode installed directly in WSL (using WSLg) also works.

And my current workaround is to run VSCode CLI from WSL distro and use the web UI instead of connecting through Remote WSL extension.

[aeschli]

Ah, sorry, now I understand. You want to run a web extension that is on a remote.

Maybe caused by #144513

[VSCodeTriageBot]

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!

[glebbash]

should this be closed? @alexdima @aeschli

[aeschli]

Running a web extension in a remote setup is currently not supported.
You can use test-web instead.

[cristian-spiescu]

1/ Your statement is only for the development scenario? So if I am developing a web extension + WSL => I cannot test it in VS Code.

Or 2/ the statement applies also for the runtime scenario. I.e. I published a web extension. And a user that tries my extension in WSL =>it won't work.

[aeschli]

Only the development scenario.
In the runtime scenario, the extension will be installed on the local OS and can run in the web extension host that runs on the local OS.
So instead of having your extension source code located on a remote OS (WSL in this case), have it locally (on the Windows file system). Then the normal development capabilities also work there.

[glebbash]

Running a web extension in a remote setup is currently not supported.

Yeah... That's a bummer. I am currently using VSCode through code --serve-web and the development experience here is pretty limited.

[jobrittain]

Running a web extension in a remote setup is currently not supported.

At our company we have the same issue and have been using Dev Containers for all our extension projects up until now, so this incompatibility is quite inconvenient. It's also taken me a while to figure out that this is an unsupported debugging scenario since it isn't documented elsewhere. It would be good if a statement could be added to this documentation for example before the feature becomes available.