v1.53 creates debug.log automatically

[IperStan]

Issue Type: Bug

Apparently it's an old issue #105191 (comment)

I have the same behaviour: open the first window (no debug.log file) -> open the second window (debug.log file was created automatically)

VS Code version: Code 1.53.0 (8490d3d, 2021-02-03T20:36:38.611Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19041

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz (8 x 3408)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on oop_rasterization: enabled opengl: enabled_on protected_video_decode: unavailable_off rasterization: enabled skia_renderer: enabled_on video_decode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	15.94GB (5.82GB free)
Process Argv	C:\Progetti\iperGestionale
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions (25)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
indent4to2	Com	0.1.2
alignment	ann	0.3.0
bracket-pair-colorizer-2	Coe	0.2.0
vscode-eslint	dba	2.1.14
githistory	don	0.6.14
gitlens	eam	11.2.1
tortoise-svn	fan	0.1.1
auto-close-tag	for	0.5.10
beautify	Hoo	1.5.0
svn-scm	joh	2.13.5
vscode-cflint	Kam	0.3.4
vscode-cfml	Kam	0.5.3
HTMLHint	mka	0.10.0
vscode-filesize	mkx	2.1.4
prettify-json	moh	0.0.3
sublime-keybindings	ms-	4.0.7
color-highlight	nau	2.3.0
vetur	oct	0.32.0
vscode-yaml	red	0.14.0
sass-indented	rob	1.5.1
vscode-paste-and-indent	Rub	0.0.8
vscode-sql-beautify	sen	0.0.4
open-in-browser	tec	2.0.0
vscode-icons	vsc	11.1.0
JavaScriptSnippets	xab	1.8.0

[nemchik]

I can confirm I experienced this issue with 1.49. I believe it was resolved in 1.49.2 (I no longer experienced it at that point). Now the issue seems to have returned in 1.53.

---

VS Code version: Code 1.53.0 (8490d3d, 2021-02-03T20:36:38.611Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590 CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 x 3292)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on oop_rasterization: enabled opengl: enabled_on protected_video_decode: unavailable_off rasterization: enabled skia_renderer: enabled_on video_decode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	15.92GB (5.42GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 57e98722-0245-4ceb-bd53-ca7a45705c1f
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions (46)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
better-comments	aar	2.1.0
vscode-icalendar	af4	1.0.1
vscode-intelephense-client	bme	1.6.3
npm-intellisense	chr	1.3.1
gitignore	cod	0.6.0
bracket-pair-colorizer-2	Coe	0.2.0
systemd-unit-file	coo	1.0.6
vscode-dockerfilelint	Dan	0.0.2
vscode-markdownlint	Dav	0.38.0
vscode-eslint	dba	2.1.14
xml	Dot	2.5.1
gitlens	eam	11.2.1
EditorConfig	Edi	0.16.4
vscode-npm-script	eg2	0.3.13
prettier-vscode	esb	5.9.1
shell-format	fox	7.0.1
vscode-nginx-conf-hint	han	0.1.0
npm-dependency-links	her	1.2.0
nsis	idl	3.38.0
composer	ika	0.7.1
dupchecker	jia	0.1.6
vscode-format-context-menu	lac	1.0.4
dotenv	mik	1.0.1
vscode-docker	ms-	1.9.1
mssql	ms-	1.10.1
python	ms-	2021.1.502429796
vscode-pylance	ms-	2021.2.0
jupyter	ms-	2020.12.414227025
remote-containers	ms-	0.158.0
remote-ssh	ms-	0.63.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.63.0
remote-wsl	ms-	0.53.2
vscode-remote-extensionpack	ms-	0.20.0
powershell	ms-	2020.6.0
vsliveshare	ms-	1.0.3629
indent-rainbow	ode	7.5.0
vscode-yaml-sort	Pas	3.1.0
nginx-formatter	ray	0.0.11
vscode-sort-json	ric	1.19.2
code-spell-checker	str	1.10.2
vscode-stylelint	sty	0.85.0
shellcheck	tim	0.13.1
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.2.11
vscode-nginx	wil	0.7.2
vscode-import-cost	wix	2.15.0
markdown-all-in-one	yzh	3.4.0

A/B Experiments

vsliv368cf:30146710
vsreu685:30147344
python383:30185418
vspyt653:30253241
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vswsl492:30211401
pythonvsdeb440:30248342
pythonvsded773:30248341
pythonvspyt600cf:30251589

[deepak1556]

Can you provide the exact repro steps that created the log, I cannot repro with the steps from previous issue using system install. Thanks!

[nemchik]

Can you provide the exact repro steps that created the log, I cannot repro with the steps from previous issue using system install. Thanks!

I did a little testing, and here's what I've come up with.

With no vscode instances open, I navigate in Windows Explorer to the folder I want to open in vscode. I right click on the folder in the Explorer tree on the left of Windows Explorer and select "Open with Code". the debug.log files do not get created in the folder tree.

With at least one instance of vscode open (which as stated above is unaffected by the debug.log issue), i repeat the exact same steps but for a different folder (so I now have two or more folders open with code) and all instances of vscode after the first will have debug.log files created in any folder next to a file that is opened as a tab in vscode. vscode remembers which files i have open when reopening a folder in this way, so if I have files open all of the folders where those file exist will have a debug.log created just by starting vscode. Opening any files in any folders after that will also create a debug.log file.

Further info. I have opened git repos, folders that are not git repos, and even created new empty folders and opened them in vscode. All of the above are affected and debug.log files will be created if i have more than one instance of vscode open. The first instance remains unaffected, even when having multiple instances open.

[nemchik]

Also here are the contents of the file:

[0205/141437.535:ERROR:registration_protocol_win.cc(102)] CreateFile: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2)
[0205/141437.561:ERROR:registration_protocol_win.cc(102)] CreateFile: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2)

[mbomb007]

Same for me:

[0205/143929.529:ERROR:registration_protocol_win.cc(102)] CreateFile: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2)
[0205/143929.572:ERROR:registration_protocol_win.cc(102)] CreateFile: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2)

Also, the instance that created the debug.log file must be closed in order for the debug.log file to be deleted.

[nemchik]

P.s. I confirmed closing all vscode instances and switching the order of the folders opened still results in the second instance opened having debug.log files created did me.

Also I'm running a system install (not user)

[deepak1556]

Thanks for the steps in #115874 (comment), I am able to repro the issue.

[deepak1556]

Crashpad handler gets instantiated the following way on windows,

• When crashReporter.start is invoked by an electron app it will trigger crash_reporter::InitializeCrashpadWithEmbeddedHandler that will launch a new process and run the crashpad handler embedded in the main app binary using --type=crashpad_handler

• The above step will also create a named pipe that will be used by child processes to communicate with this handler process

• The handler process is launched by the main process, inorder to pass down the pipe name to child processes it stores them under an env variable CHROME_CRASHPAD_PIPE_NAME

• This all works fine for any chromium app, but when an app wants to spawn a singleton instance where in vscode we maintain our own server logic for connecting multiple instances of the same app, we were actually connecting child processes from an instance with different CHROME_CRASHPAD_PIPE_NAME to the original instance, hence the handler code started throwing the above error code at https://source.chromium.org/chromium/chromium/src/+/master:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/util/win/registration_protocol_win.cc;l=102 because the named pipe from the other instance could not be found.

Fix at #116252 will now take pipe from the original instance and give it to all the instances that are connecting to it.

As for the original debug.log file generation,

• The default log mode in chromium for windows is LOG_TO_FILE, but
  • Electron sets the log mode to logging::LOG_TO_SYSTEM_DEBUG_LOG | logging::LOG_TO_STDERR
  • Crashpad handler sets the log mode to logging::LOG_TO_SYSTEM_DEBUG_LOG

So it is unclear why the PLOG error from registration_protocol_win would be logged to a file. I can no longer repo the issue following the steps at #115874 (comment), so there is nothing much I can do without more reliable repro here.

[nemchik]

1.53.1 seems to have resolved the issue for me.

Version: 1.53.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5d424b8
Date: 2021-02-08T23:29:42.785Z
Electron: 11.2.1
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

[IperStan]

1.53.1 seems to have resolved the issue for me.

Version: 1.53.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5d424b8
Date: 2021-02-08T23:29:42.785Z
Electron: 11.2.1
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

Negative, I'm on 1.53.1 and the issue still persists. How is it possible you don't have it if the fix was released 7 hours ago?

[nemchik]

1.53.1 seems to have resolved the issue for me.
Version: 1.53.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5d424b8
Date: 2021-02-08T23:29:42.785Z
Electron: 11.2.1
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

Negative, I'm on 1.53.1 and the issue still persists. How is it possible you don't have it if the fix was released 7 hours ago?

Something else in 1.53.1 may have affected it? I'm not sure. But I am am unable to reproduce the issue on 1.53.1.

[OurMajesty]

I can confirm, I am having the issue on 1.53.1 too. To reproduce I just have to open second VSCode window with another repository.

Version: 1.53.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5d424b8
Date: 2021-02-08T23:29:42.785Z
Electron: 11.2.1
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

[deepak1556]

Can you check if the issue persists with the latest insiders https://code.visualstudio.com/insiders

[nemchik]

1.53.1 seems to have resolved the issue for me.
Version: 1.53.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5d424b8
Date: 2021-02-08T23:29:42.785Z
Electron: 11.2.1
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

Just reproduced on a different machine running 1.53.1

[nemchik]

/verified

[nemchik]

Could not reproduce on

Version: 1.54.0-insider (user setup)
Commit: 40b3204
Date: 2021-02-10T17:39:27.208Z
Electron: 11.2.3
Chrome: 87.0.4280.141
Node.js: 12.18.3
V8: 8.7.220.31-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19042

[IperStan]

/verified

[danstur]

@deepak1556 Has the underlying problem (writing log files into arbitrary user directories) been solved or is this just treating the symptoms "we fixed the problem that caused the error in this particular case"?

If it's the latter it sounds like a good idea to create a new issue to actually fix the problem of log files getting written to the wrong place - otherwise we'll just have the same problem again in a few months. I might want to look into this if I find time.

[deepak1556]

@danstur as mentioned here #115874 (comment)

The fix was made for the error seen in the log

[0205/143929.529:ERROR:registration_protocol_win.cc(102)] CreateFile: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2)

As for the original debug.log generation under system install, I have outlined the changes that were made to make this impossible to create.

If it's the latter it sounds like a good idea to create a new issue to actually fix the problem of log files getting written to the wrong place -

You are right, but without a reliable repro, I can't validate why the logging preferences set by the runtime are being ignored.

[nemchik]

1.53.2 seems to have fixed the issue on both of my systems. Thanks!

[IperStan]

All good with 1.53.2. Thanks for the quick fix! Happy coding!