"No timeline information was provided." for git history

[Champitoad]

Issue Type: Bug

Normally, viewing a file tracked in git in the editor would fill the timeline with the git history of this file. I'm pretty sure it worked on my system at some point, but now whatever git-tracked file I open, I never get the timeline.

EDIT: it happens to work for some git repositories, i.e. if I just initialize one with simple text files.

EDIT2: now I managed to make it work for the problematic repositories by moving them in my home directory.

EDIT3: now it works for the original copies of the problematic repositories... not sure if we should keep the issue open, since it was still an odd behavior that someone else might encounter?

VS Code version: Code - OSS 1.45.1 (5763d90, 2020-05-17T22:31:53.325Z)
OS version: Linux x64 5.6.11-arch1-1

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5300U CPU @ 2.30GHz (4 x 2712)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled flash_3d: enabled flash_stage3d: enabled flash_stage3d_baseline: enabled gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on oop_rasterization: disabled_off protected_video_decode: unavailable_off rasterization: disabled_software skia_renderer: disabled_off_ok video_decode: unavailable_off viz_display_compositor: enabled_on viz_hit_test_surface_layer: disabled_off_ok webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled
Load (avg)	1, 1, 1
Memory (System)	7.64GB (1.35GB free)
Process Argv	--no-sandbox
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%
DESKTOP_SESSION	undefined
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP	undefined
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP	undefined
XDG_SESSION_TYPE	tty

Extensions: none

[Champitoad]

Ok I think I found the issue: when I open the folder using a path containing symlinks, I don't get the timeline, but I do if the path is free of symlinks. I was able to reproduce this with a fresh git repo, e.g.:

mkdir test
ln -s test link_to_test
cd test
git init .
touch foo
git add foo
git commit -am "Init"
echo "bar" > foo
git commit -am "Foo bar"

Then launching command File: Open Folder... on test I get the timeline, but not on link_to_test.

[mrdc]

I'm having the same issue with Timeline - can confirm that it's somehow related to symlinks.

[mrdc]

It self-fixed, then again stopped working - the same folders with symlinks. VS Code 1.49.1 and 1.49.2.

[mrdc]

BTW GitLens works fine - everything is shown. But VS Code Timeline is empty

[mrdc]

The same issue with the latest 1.51.0 update on Win 10 x64 1909.

[mrdc]

Some update:

When I open Source Control -> Changes -> Click on changed file -> Diff File is Opened (Working Tree) and then Timeline starts to work - I see all my previous commits.

Repo is local with symbolic links in path
Git 2.29.1.windows.1
VS Code 1.51.0
Win 10 x64 1909

[rdanter]

I see the same issue. Opening the workspace by browsing from the root works fine, but if I follow a symlink from my home dir then I see no timeline. I think that fairly conclusively points to symlinks being the cause somehow.

[gitgud5000]

Same issue.

doing what @mrdc recommended makes it work.

Edit:
Chaning the folder/repo path on my workspace settings from a symlink to a direct route to the mounted filesystem (/mnt/batch/.../etc) fixed the issue, no need to open a Diff file to jumpstart the timeline feature.

[OKRUgit]

ОЁ!! какое хорошее.
Надо это добавить как основу: или может есть другое решение.
Например настроить через джонс файл(.Jnos)
Не может быть такого что небыло другого решения. В любом случае я это закрпил вот так, для себя

[noontz]

Same issue on some files, but not all
mrdc workaround kinda fixes it

[J-Sorenson]

Still getting intermittent issues with VS Code v1.72.2. It's difficult to find a pattern on why it works with some files over others.

[OKRUgit]

После добавления символических ссылок(linux) в домашнюю папку для удобства, шкала отказалась работать

Чего-же проще , шкала не работает по ссылкам локальным, вот и вся закономерность "Трудно найти закономерность, почему он работает с одними файлами по сравнению с другими."

[rrthomas]

Indeed, it seems to be that it can't cope with symlinks. As reported by @Champitoad, if I re-open my workspace with the canonical path to it (which is quite inconvenient), I get the timeline information.

[lszomoru]

Since the issue was last updated, we have added support for git repositories that have a symbolic link on their path. I will go ahead and optimistically close this issue, but in case you are still able to reproduce this with the latest version of VS Code please reopen the issue. Thanks!