Download latest compatible extensions prior to VS Code update

[rebornix]

Issue Type: Feature Request

Extensions using latest API (or new APIs in coming Stable releases), they are now suffering from some "down time" as the upgrade of VS Code and extensions don't happen at the same time. Though we can't improve every indivual scenario, but we can improve this case:

1. Extensions publish a new version targetting new VS Code version
2. VS Code upgrades, window reloads
3. The extension activation fails as the API is not compatible
4. Check the extension page, there is a reload request for the extension
5. Another window reload fixes the problem.

Often that users find the extension stop working, for example, they can't open Jupyter notebook anymore even though a compatible version of the Jupyter extension is already available.

Suggestion:

• When there is a new version of VS Code
  • download the binaries
  • fetch all latest compatible extensions for the new binary, unzip them
• Users restart VS Code to upgrade, the latest extensions are activated

VS Code version: Code - Insiders 1.57.0-insider (20df877, 2021-06-03T06:38:36.085Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19041

[joyceerhl]

The scenario I usually run into looks like this:

1. Jupyter extension and VS Code Insiders publish update to new API overnight
2. User already has VS Code open
3. Jupyter extension update automatically downloads
4. VS Code update is available. In my experience sometimes this gets automatically downloaded, and sometimes I have to use the Help menu to check for pending updates, at which time the download takes place. After the download happens (manually or automatically), sometimes I notice a notification to restart VS Code, other times not. Failure to restart VS Code at this point is the problem, as the new Jupyter extension build has already been loaded

Here are examples of times that this has happened to Jupyter extension users.

• Select kernel options missing when after running a jupyter notebook cell in VScode Insiders vscode-jupyter#6036 (comment)
• Extension activation failed on TypeError vscode-jupyter#5344 (comment)
• 2021.4.678042391 throws TypeError: s.notebook.onDidChangeCellExecutionState is not a function vscode-jupyter#5251

[rebornix]

as the new Jupyter extension build has already been loaded

@joyceerhl should this already be addressed by #121749?

[DonJayamanne]

tch all latest compatible extensions for the new binary, unzip them

Whoa, I was always under the impression this was already happening, sounds like VS Code looks for updates after it has been updated and loaded.

Yes please, this sounds like a very good feature.

[joyceerhl]

@rebornix thanks for the pointer to #121749, Jupyter extension should adopt this.

[sandy081]

@rebornix

fetch all latest compatible extensions for the new binary, unzip them

Does it cause the old version of VS Code to load newly unzipped extensions - for eg., if open a new window without restarting VS Code?

How about not enabling the extension if it is not compatible?

[rebornix]

Does it cause the old version of VS Code to load newly unzipped extensions - for eg., if open a new window without restarting VS Code?

Good point, we can't unzip them until VS Code restarts (instead of window reloads). If we have hooks for that, we can unzip when VS Code shuts down.

How about not enabling the extension if it is not compatible?

The problem with this approach is it's the same experience as enabling incompatible extensions, for notebooks or custom editors. When reloading a window which has notebooks open, the extensions need to be activated successfully otherwise users won't see the notebook editor loaded correctly. Also still users would have no idea what to do if the extensions are disabled.

[rebornix]

if we have hooks for that, we can unzip when VS Code shuts down

To reduce the download time and prevent the extensions download/unzip slowing down the restart/reload

• Download new VS Code and new compatible extensions which don't work in current VS Code
• When users restart VS Code, on shutdown or launch, unzip the newly downloaded extensions.

[rebornix]

Does it cause the old version of VS Code to load newly unzipped extensions - for eg., if open a new window without restarting VS Code?

Actually we can prevent this from happening, if VS Code always loads the compatible extension folder, other than finding the one with greatest version.

[TylerLeonhardt]

I want to also call out that something like this is incredibly important for Language Packs which use the engine version to snap to the translations provided. We want to give the users a translated experience upon upgrading VS Code and we can't do that if we don't update the language pack until after upgrading VS Code.

[sandy081]

Actually we can prevent this from happening, if VS Code always loads the compatible extension folder, other than finding the one with greatest version.

Yeah that will be useful.

When there is a new version of VS Code
download the binaries
fetch all latest compatible extensions for the new binary, unzip them
Users restart VS Code to upgrade, the latest extensions are activated

CCing @joaomoreno for any insights on update hooks

[joaomoreno]

@sandy081 The update service fires events: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/blob/bae654ad1d8c0baaa67e1400a694e91893347fa4/src/vs/platform/update/common/update.ts/#L86

A bunch of update states have information about the upcoming update, including the product version that's about to be installed. Note that this can always be ahead, the same or even behind (when we roll back). Also note that users can also cancel updates midway, so that's another problem you're gonna have.

[rebornix]

Also note that users can also cancel updates midway, so that's another problem you're gonna have

The cost of this is we download extensions which users might not need, which is bad but does not break the product.