Codespaces backend returns HTTP 500 and blocks deletion and new creation

[franciskalendk2-max]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

Body

Problem

A Codespaces backend state appears stuck or corrupted for a personal account and repository.

• Repository: franciskalendk2-max/oaig-platform
• Affected Codespace: bookish-spork-6v496g45r5xvhrqjr
• Branch: main
• Error: HTTP 500 / Unicorn / “Looks like something went wrong”

Reproduction and observations

1. Opening the existing Codespace repeatedly returns HTTP 500.
2. Deleting it from the Codespaces dashboard was attempted twice; GitHub returned the same 500 error and the Codespace remained listed.
3. Creating a fresh 2-core Codespace from main also returned HTTP 500.
4. The dashboard still showed only the original Codespace, so no replacement instance was created.
5. GitHub Status showed Codespaces operational at the time, suggesting an account/repository/instance-specific backend problem.
6. The existing Codespace showed “No changes”, so no uncommitted work needs recovery.

GitHub Support ticket #4753681 was closed because the account currently has only self-service support resources; no backend repair was performed.

Troubleshooting already completed

• Retried opening the existing Codespace.
• Retried deletion from the Codespaces dashboard.
• Attempted one clean replacement from main.
• Confirmed the repository itself remains usable through the standard GitHub web interface.
• Searched existing Community discussions; the closest report (Codespace stuck - 500 then 400 error on start, export also failing, contains uncommitted work #206118) concerns a start/export failure and does not cover failure to delete plus failure to create a replacement.

Help requested

Is there a self-service method to purge the orphaned Codespace record or reset the Codespaces backend state for this account/repository? Also, how can I verify that the unusable instance is not accruing compute or storage charges while deletion returns HTTP 500?

Production is hosted separately on Render and remains operational. No repository or production change is requested.

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[TongyiDai]

The combination matters here: opening, deletion, and replacement creation all return HTTP 500 while the repository remains usable. That rules out a normal dev-container build error and points to account/repository Codespaces control-plane state. There is no documented self-service “purge orphaned record” endpoint beyond the normal web/CLI/REST delete operations you already attempted.

For billing, distinguish compute from storage:

• only a running codespace incurs compute usage;
• a stopped codespace can still incur storage usage;
• a codespace continues accruing storage until deletion succeeds.

Check Settings → Billing and licensing → Metered usage for Codespaces and record the current storage/compute values and timestamp. Also capture the codespace's state, last-used time, pending operation, retention period, and machine details if gh codespace list or the Codespaces REST API still returns them. Do not repeatedly attempt creation or deletion; repeated 500s will not repair the record and can make the timeline harder to interpret.

Because no unpublished work needs recovery, the requested GitHub-side action can be narrow: remove the orphaned Codespace record, confirm its billable state, and restore creation for this repository. Community members cannot perform that backend repair.