Vscode-python: Python extension keeps requiring Reload

[vjou]

Issue Type: Bug

OS : Linux Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS through remote login from Windows 10
Extension : Python [2020.5.86806 (10 June 2020)]
Symptoms : Suddenly started requiring Reload and kept requiring it

Fix : Uninstall and Install the extension

When I remote logged in Ubuntu from Windows PC, the Python extension required Reload. This extention had been working without issue, at least for a couple of weeks.
Though I clicked Reload and VSCode remote-logged in Ubuntu back again, the extension was still saying "Reload required." I repeated reloads a few times, but, it kept requiring Reload.
I just Uninstalled the extension and Installed it by myself. Then, the extension stopped asking reload.

Extension version: 2020.5.86806
VS Code version: Code 1.43.0 (78a4c91400152c0f27ba4d363eb56d2835f9903a, 2020-03-09T19:47:57.235Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.17134
Remote OS version: Linux x64 3.11.0-12-generic

System Info

|Item|Value|
|---|---|
|CPUs|Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4910MQ CPU @ 2.90GHz (8 x 2893)|
|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: enabled
skia_renderer: disabled_off_ok
video_decode: enabled
viz_display_compositor: enabled_on
viz_hit_test_surface_layer: disabled_off_ok
webgl: enabled
webgl2: enabled|
|Load (avg)|undefined|
|Memory (System)|31.91GB (24.28GB free)|
|Process Argv|-n|
|Screen Reader|no|
|VM|0%|

|Item|Value|
|---|---|
|Remote|SSH: pttools|
|OS|Linux x64 3.11.0-12-generic|
|CPUs|Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 975 @ 3.33GHz (8 x 1600)|
|Memory (System)|19.60GB (16.72GB free)|
|VM|0%|

[vjou]

I am realizing that this happens when I switch Windows 10 PCs to remote-ssh into the same Ubuntu system.
I mean, when I exit from the remote-ssh session with the Ubuntu from one Windows 10 and then I remote-ssh into the same Ubuntu from another Windows 10, this Python extension reload loop seems happening.
Is this expected behavior?

[karthiknadig]

@vjou The extension may require reload after an update. But this is controlled entirely by VS Code or vscode server (for remote). The extension itself does not control this behavior. The scenario you mentioned is possible if VSCode server has the extension loaded and not all versions were removed for some reason. Try this, uninstall the extension, go to either ~/.vscode/extensions/ or ~/.vscode-server/extensions/ (it should be something like ~/.vscode*/extensions). Check if there are any instances of ms-python.python, delete all of them. Then install the python extension again. This should resolve the issue.

[vjou]

I think you were right. The direct cause of this issue was the version conflict of Python extensions.
But, the real issue seemed that the old version of VS Code had an issue with its update processing. After I manually updated the older VS Code (ver. 1.43.0) to 1.47.1, the extension reload loop was gone on both of the Windows PCs.
Here is a little bit of detail about my troubleshooting:

1. I noticed there were two Python extensions displayed in EXTENSIONS on one VS Code (ver. 1.43.0).
   "LOCAL-INSTALLED" was version "ms-python.python-2020.5.86806" and
   "SSH:*-INSTALLED" was "ms-python.python-2020.6.91350".
2. I repeated to uninstall and install the LOCAL-INSTALLED Python extension. But, every time when I reloaded VS Code, the old version "ms-python.python-2020.5.86806" kept coming back.
3. I tried to use "Install Another Version..." option on the extension a few times, but, it just gave me a message something like "server 404".
4. Then, I noticed the version of VS Code itself was 1.43.0 and much older than one on another Windows PC. Somehow, the old VS Code stopped automatic update checking.
5. I did Check for Updates and the VS Code found an update.
   Though it failed to update a few times, the VS Code finally made updated to 1.47.1.
6. And then, the new VS Code updated the Python extension to the latest one by itself.

So, I guess my VS Code version 1.43.0 had an issue with its update processing.

[karthiknadig]

Thanks for the detailed trouble shooting steps. In case you run into "server 404" when switching versions, you can do this manually by downloading the package from this location https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/releases and install using the "Install from VSIX..." option.