[BUG] VSCode not recognizing Pi Pico

[ajhendrix25]

Describe the bug
Opened up VS Code today and the usual auto recognition of the code.py file and enabling the Python Board option at the bottom, along with the connection icon were not there. I refreshed the plugin multiple times and restarted my VS Code multiple times and still wouldn't work. I noticed a version bump over the weekend and so i reverted back to the previous version and it ran perfectly fine. Haven't dove too far into it to see what the issue might be but wanted to make it known.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Install latest version of CircuitPython v2(0.3.4)
2. Open code.py
3. No options at bottom of screen to configure the connection to the board

Expected behavior
I expected the plugin to auto reconnect to the board but it didn't. That's when i noticed the plugin wasn't working at all.

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS: Windows 11
• Version: 10.0.26100 Build 26100

[todda]

I'm experiencing this as well, but I was assuming it was because my devices were running CircuitPython 10.0.3. I'm interested in what version your Pico is running?

I've tried building this project with the updated CircuitPython, but I get build errors, so I'm somewhat stuck.

[todda]

I also saw this error in visual studio code developer tools console:

log.ts:460   ERR [File Watcher (node.js)] Refusing to watch /Volumes/CIRCUITPY/.vscode for changes using fs.watch() for possibly being a network share where watching is unreliable and unstable.
error @ log.ts:460

log.ts:440  INFO Settings Sync: Account status changed from uninitialized to unavailable

[ajhendrix25]

I am also running 10.0.3

[wmerkens]

Ok, first I checked the build, and it looked correct, no errors. This was built on Linux. Next, I pulled a pico out of the bin; it happened to have CP 9.2.4 on it, and plugged it in, opened the CIRCUITPY folder, and it loaded. I then removed the folder from VSC and erased the .vscode folder. I wanted it to rebuild it, which it did, but it did not update the bundle, so I went to .config/Code/User/globalStorage/wmerkens.vscode-circuitpython-v2/bundle and removed the bundle, then removed the .vscode folder again. Opened the CIRCUITPY drive and had it rebuild the .vscode folder. This time, after I picked the pico from the select boards, it built a settings file with an updated bundle. So that is one issue on Linux.

I then took another pico, which had CP 9.1.1 on it, and wiped the .vscode folder, but it still didn't create it. Significant error, it seems it's not building the folder and then the settings.json file.

This was done in Windows 10

Sorry, but it is really broken on Windows. This is not a Pico problem, but a problem in it building the .vscode folder.

I was planning to do the 10.x version this weekend, it looks like I need to fix this.

[todda]

Thanks for looking into this. I'm on MacOS if you need any help testing there.

Also, that "Refusing to watch..." error message is a (VSCode) travesty. From the VSCode repo:

		// macOS: watching samba shares can crash VSCode so we do
		// a simple check for the file path pointing to /Volumes
		// (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/106879)
		// TODO@electron this needs a revisit when the crash is
		// fixed or mitigated upstream.
		if (isMacintosh && isEqualOrParent(realPath, '/Volumes/', true)) {
			this.error(`Refusing to watch ${realPath} for changes using fs.watch() for possibly being a network share where watching is unreliable and unstable.`);

			return;
		}

So much for all those external usb storage devices :(

[himijendrix24]

Ist there anything that can be done so far?

I also have the problem with a waveshare RP2040-Plus on windows 11.
I completely reset and reinstalled visual studio code because I thought it wa some strange missconfiguration, but this didn't help.

[todda]

If you're stuck, you can roll back to an older version of the extension. I went back to v0.3.3. You can right-click on the extension in the marketplace and "install specific version...". Just be sure to turn off auto updates.

[gaku]

I've followed the tutorial at https://learn.adafruit.com/using-the-circuitpython-extension-for-visual-studio-code/use-the-circuitpython-extension-for-vs-code , and I had the same issue. I've rolled back to v0.3.3 as @todda mentioned and it is working with that version. The latest version, v0.3.4, seems to have an issue as of today.