Theia: vscode cpp extension should work without native extension

[akosyakov]

See https://github.com/theia-ide/theia/pull/5795#issuecomment-515023234

@tolusha @marechal-p @simark Could someone have a look? It should be a matter of moving textmate grammars out of @theia/cpp extension. And testing https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools with example app without @theia/cpp installed.

[tolusha]

I will handle that.

[marcdumais-work]

Please see my comment on the other PR: https://github.com/theia-ide/theia/pull/5795#issuecomment-515029519

TL;DR: As far as I understand, the license does not allow us to use the MS C/C++ extension in Theia.

[marechal-p]

@marcdumais-work we aren't allowed to use the published extension from the VS Code Market Place outside of VS Code, but the source code of the extension is MIT (on github)

[akosyakov]

We don't need to include vscode cpp extension anywhere, just move the grammar that clients who brave to take their chances with MS can consume it.

[tolusha]

@marechal-p
Does it mean we can build extension from sources and use it?

[akosyakov]

MIT seems to be applied only to typescript files: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools/issues/2274#issuecomment-405349796 . If built vsix file contains non-open source bits, like tools, it cannot be used.

[marcdumais-work]

Interesting link, thanks @akosyakov .

_"The license under the extension folder isn't intended to be applied to the contents under the Extension folder on GitHub; instead, it's what gets packaged in the .vsix that gets shipped to end users (i.e. the __non-open source binaries__ and compiled javascript)"_

Do we know what those __non-open source binaries__ might be? e.g. closed source Debug Adapter?

One way to get answers would be to submit a CQ for this and see what the Foundation says. But like @akosyakov says, I think that so long as we do not distribute the .vsix file with proprietary content included, if a user uses it in Theia, it's them taking the risk of breaking the license. (in this context, having the file downloaded in post-install or such is considered distribution, at least by the Foundation)

[marcdumais-work]

Do we know what those non-open source binaries might be? e.g. closed source Debug Adapter?

Seems to be at least that. Looking inside the .vsix for Linux, there is a DebugAdapters folder that contains what looks like a .NET app, being run through Mono.

[tolusha]

I removed @theia/cpp extension and checked that it works fine with VS Code extension [1].
As well I checked that Theia works fine with [2] [3] [4] to replace [1].

[1] https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools
[2] https://github.com/eclipse-cdt/cdt-vscode
[3] https://github.com/eclipse-cdt/cdt-gdb-vscode
[4] https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=llvm-vs-code-extensions.vscode-clangd

[marechal-p]

It should be a matter of moving textmate grammars out of @theia/cpp extension.

@akosyakov Why did you want to extract the grammar?

[akosyakov]

@marechal-p because https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools does not require @theia/cpp, only language registration. It is the same for other languages, only cpp was not aligned.

[marechal-p]

Is it because the ms-vscode.cpptools extension does not provide grammars? Meaning that if we did not depend on @theia/cpp, we would have had language features (thanks to the vscode extension) but no coloration?

[akosyakov]

Is it because the ms-vscode.cpptools extension does not provide grammars? Meaning that if we did not depend on @theia/cpp, we would have had language features (thanks to the vscode extension) but no coloration?

The issue is not with a grammar, but with a language itself. None of extensions listed here register a language, so they just don't work. One could install @theia/cpp, but then end up with 2 language servers which is confusing.

[marechal-p]

The issue is not with a grammar, but with a language itself.

I assume you are talking about the monaco languages, it makes sense thanks!