vscode: Error received from starting extension host when `BackgroundShortcutRunner` is in `$TMPDIR`

Man alive, I’m very pleased to find this thread finally. This error is also affecting me, and has been for quite sometime, and I (like @nedwors mentioned) have only been able to get around it by restarting my mac.

After reviewing everything said here, and testing some things out here, this is what I’ve found. First, though, here is my relevant setup / routine.

My Setup / Routine

• macOS 12.0.1 (Monterrey)
• I almost exclusively use code . to open VS Code
• I don’t use Shortcuts to open VS Code, but I DO use a shortcut to bootstrap my machine every morning, as I shut it off entirely every night
• I’m a consultant and work in several different client codebases throughout the day, and have to open different VS Code workspaces throughout any given workday.

$TMPDIR Results

When I echo $TMPDIR from my standard terminal (not in VS Code), I get the following:

/var/folders/q9/2mn18mnj2d13tq1n2mxm81cm0000gn/T/

However, when I run that from within the embedded VS Code terminal (regardless of the method for launching VS Code), this is what I get:

/var/folders/q9/2mn18mnj2d13tq1n2mxm81cm0000gn/T/com.apple.WorkflowKit.BackgroundShortcutRunner/

Observations

So, after doing some testing, much more focused thanks to this thread, I found the following interesting observations:

• If I launch VS Code via code . fresh after restarting my mac, the extension host works just fine
  • If I launch another workspace via code ., or even if I just reload the window of the same workspace, even after fully quitting VS Code, I get the error mentioned by OP
• If I launch VS Code via opening the application directly, regardless of whether or not I launched VS Code before, the extension host works just fine.
  • Interestingly enough, launching from the application itself seems to “reset” the code . problem. Take the following example that I tested:

1. Launch with code . --> Extension host works
2. Reload window (or launch different workspace) --> Extension host fails with error
3. Quit VS Code and relaunch with code . --> Extension host fails with error
4. Quit VS Code and launch from the application icon --> Extension host works
5. Launch different directory (or same one after quitting) via code . --> Extension host works
6. Reload window (or launch different workspace) --> Extension host fails with error

Final Thoughts

I don’t know if this is actually a bug with VS Code or Monterrey or both. However, it appears that (at least for the time being) the only way I can get around this is to launch directly from VS Code itself, rather than from code .. If anyone else happens to know of a way to fix this, or if I need to update something, please let me know, as I’d much rather launch from the command line.

I also use Shortcuts to launch a number of apps when I boot up my machine. Visual Studio Code is not one of them, but I experience the same sort of issues that are described in this thread.

It looks like the issue is caused by one of your installed extensions. All extensions execute together on a single nodejs process, so in order to narrow down the possible problematic extension, please try the following:

• run F1 > Help: Start Extension Bisect
• (this will restart VS Code with half of your extensions disabled)
• try to do the steps which reproduce the problem
• if the problem reproduces, click “This is bad” (this narrows down the problematic extension to the half which was enabled)
• if the problem does not reproduce, click “Good now” (this narrows down the problematic extension to the half which was disabled)
• these steps will repeat until the problematic extension is found

initial	step	final

After going through this thread I ran some tests and was able to make the issue go away on a new instance without restarting my mac.

My first instance of vs code is opened via shortcuts like a lot of people mentioned and the extension host works fine. These shortcuts also open my terminal. Echoing $TMPDIR on the first instance gives me this:

/var/folders/q3/7k44dy2j0mg2mbg1n68z697c0000gn/T/com.apple.shortcuts.mac-helper/

After that, if I open any other new instance from the terminal via code . and echo $TMPDIR again, I get:

/var/folders/q3/7k44dy2j0mg2mbg1n68z697c0000gn/T/com.apple.WorkflowKit.BackgroundShortcutRunner/

The first instance with the BackgroundShortcutRunner works fine. After that, any new instances will echo the same result and the extension host will stop working. I thought it had to do with the terminal being open initially from the shortcuts application, so I quitted the terminal, reopened it manually and then I was able to open a new vs code instance via code . where everything worked just fine. Also, on this new instance after reopening the terminal, the result of echoing $TMPDIR is:

/var/folders/q3/7k44dy2j0mg2mbg1n68z697c0000gn/T/