Python linter/formatter extensions don't support virtual workspaces

[Pokeylooted]

Issue:
Some extensions are failing to start, below is an example of Ruff.

Error message:

Name: Ruff
Module: ruff
Python extension loading
Waiting for interpreter from python extension.
Python extension loaded
Server Command [RUN]: c:\Users\pokey\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python3.11.exe c:\Users\pokey\.vscode\extensions\charliermarsh.ruff-2023.20.0-win32-x64\bundled\tool\server.py
Server Command [DEBUG]: c:\Users\pokey\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python3.11.exe c:\Users\pokey\.vscode\extensions\charliermarsh.ruff-2023.20.0-win32-x64\bundled\tool\_debug_server.py
[Error - 12:29:32 AM] Starting client failed
Launching server using command c:\Users\pokey\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python3.11.exe failed.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Have some of the extensions failing to start enabled
2. Install the Github Repositories Extension.
3. Click the blue/green button in the bottom left corner and select “Open remote repository”.
4. Select the desired repository.
5. Upon loading, an error message will appear in the bottom right corner.

Note:
The Black Formatter and iSort extensions also exhibit the same issues.

iSort console output

I can reproduce this on macOS. Note as an additional step I had to add the repository's directory to my "trusted" directories.

Name: Ruff
Module: ruff
Python extension loading
Waiting for interpreter from python extension.
Python extension loaded
Server Command [RUN]: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 /Users/mz/.vscode/extensions/charliermarsh.ruff-2023.20.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/tool/server.py
Server Command [DEBUG]: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 /Users/mz/.vscode/extensions/charliermarsh.ruff-2023.20.0-darwin-arm64/bundled/tool/_debug_server.py
[Error - 10:03:42 AM] Starting client failed
Launching server using command /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 failed.
isort also failed to load

Name: isort
Module: isort
Python extension loading
Waiting for interpreter from python extension.
Python extension loaded
[Error - 10:03:42 AM] Starting client failed
Launching server using command /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 failed.

Version - v0.58.0
Link to Ruff ruff issue about this

[joyceerhl]

@Pokeylooted the GitHub Repositories extension serves file contents using a virtual file system, i.e. the files do not exist on disk: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/virtual-workspaces.

If these linter/formatter extensions work by running a Python module against files in a workspace and don't already support virtual file systems, then that would be why they don't work in GitHub Repositories. This would then actually be an issue for the linter/formatter extensions to support virtual file systems.

You mention isort not working, can you please provide the extension IDs that don't work in GitHub Repositories?

[Pokeylooted]

@Pokeylooted the GitHub Repositories extension serves file contents using a virtual file system, i.e. the files do not exist on disk: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/virtual-workspaces.

If these linter/formatter extensions work by running a Python module against files in a workspace and don't already support virtual file systems, then that would be why they don't work in GitHub Repositories. This would then actually be an issue for the linter/formatter extensions to support virtual file systems.

You mention isort not working, can you please provide the extension IDs that don't work in GitHub Repositories?

Hey! Thanks for reaching, out I actually thought that too, and reached out to the developers of the extension: astral-sh/ruff-vscode#211 (comment)

That's where I found other people with the same problem One of them mentioning the same with iSort. which can be recreated with this plugin: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.isort

[karthiknadig]

Virtual workspaces is not yet supported. I will update the extension with the right flags to indicate that.

[karthiknadig]

@charliermarsh Can you make similar change to Ruff extension? microsoft/vscode-black-formatter#256

[charliermarsh]

Will do, thanks @karthiknadig.

[alexr00]

I have tested isort and black pre-release extensions, and neither of them seem to support virtual workspaces.

[joyceerhl]

@alexr00 actually I think you've verified the fix, because previously these extensions were not disabled in virtual workspaces even though they didn't support them properly. @karthiknadig is working on allowing Python linters/formatters to work in virtual workspaces over LSP, so this issue in the meantime just ensures that the extensions don't do inappropriate things while they lack the ability to support virtual workspaces