build: avoid per-section Electron re-download in PR test runs#323341
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The GitHub Actions PR test workflows run integration/smoke tests out of sources, so each test section launches scripts/code.bat, which runs build/lib/preLaunch.ts. Unlike the Azure Pipelines product builds, the GitHub workflows did not set VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH, so preLaunch ran on every section and getElectron() unconditionally deleted and re-downloaded .build/electron each time. On Windows this races with file locks held by the just-exited Electron process and intermittently fails the whole job with the bare 'The system cannot find the path specified.' error. - Set VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH=1 on the unit/integration/remote test steps of the win32, linux and darwin PR workflows, matching Azure Pipelines (the workflows already prepare node_modules, out, built-in extensions and Electron in dedicated steps before the tests run). - Make getElectron() version-aware: skip the destructive re-download when the installed Electron already matches the expected version, falling back to a download on any detection failure. - Make scripts/code.bat fail fast with a clear message when preLaunch.ts fails instead of falling through to launch a missing executable. - Retry rimraf on EBUSY/EPERM (Windows file-lock codes), not just ENOTEMPTY. Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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Pull request overview
This PR reduces flakiness in GitHub Actions PR test workflows by preventing repeated, destructive Electron refreshes during multi-section test runs (especially on Windows), and improves failure clarity when prelaunch setup fails.
Changes:
- Set
VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH=1for key unit/integration/remote test steps in PR workflows to avoid redundant per-section prelaunch work. - Make
preLaunchskip re-downloading Electron when the currently installed Electron matches the expected version. - Improve robustness and diagnostics: retry
rimrafon common Windows lock errors, and makescripts/code.batfail fast with a clearer error when prelaunch fails.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| scripts/code.bat | Fail-fast behavior if build/lib/preLaunch.ts fails, avoiding confusing “missing path” launches. |
| build/lib/util.ts | Adds retry on EBUSY/EPERM to make deletes more resilient on Windows. |
| build/lib/preLaunch.ts | Skips Electron refresh if expected version is already installed (defense-in-depth). |
| .github/workflows/pr-win32-test.yml | Sets VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH on relevant PR test steps to avoid repeated prelaunch. |
| .github/workflows/pr-linux-test.yml | Sets VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH on relevant PR test steps to avoid repeated prelaunch. |
| .github/workflows/pr-darwin-test.yml | Sets VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH on relevant PR test steps to avoid repeated prelaunch. |
Review details
- Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
- Comments generated: 1
- Review effort level: Low
alexdima
requested review from
TylerLeonhardt,
Yoyokrazy,
lszomoru,
rzhao271 and
sandy081
as code owners
lszomoru
approved these changes
Jun 29, 2026
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What
Stops the GitHub Actions PR test workflows from deleting and re-downloading
.build/electronon every test section, which intermittently fails the Windows / Remote job with the bareThe system cannot find the path specified.error.Why
The PR test workflows run integration/smoke tests out of sources, so each test section launches
scripts/code.bat→build/lib/preLaunch.ts. Unlike the Azure Pipelines product builds, the GitHub workflows did not setVSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH, sopreLaunchran on every section andgetElectron()unconditionallyrimraf-ed and re-extracted.build/electroneach time.In the failing run (job 83783207946), the
### TypeScript testssection ran this re-download ~0.45s after the previous section's Electron process exited. On Windows the just-terminated executable's files are still locked, so the delete-then-re-extract churn raced the OS and producedThe system cannot find the path specified.(Win32ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND), failing the whole job. The two prior sections that ran the identical command moments earlier had succeeded, andLinux/Remote+macOS/Remotepassed — the race is Windows-specific.The dedicated workflow steps already prepare everything
preLaunchwould do (Install dependencies,Download built-in extensions,Transpile client and extensions,Download Electron and Playwright— the latter with a 3× retry), so the per-section prelaunch is pure redundancy and a flake source.Changes
VSCODE_SKIP_PRELAUNCH=1on the unit/integration/remote test steps of thewin32,linuxanddarwinPR workflows, matching what Azure Pipelines already does.getElectron()version-aware — skip the destructive re-download when the installed Electron already matches the expectedelectronVersion, falling back to a download on any detection failure (covers paths that don't set the env var, e.g. smoke/browser and local dev).scripts/code.batnow fails fast with a clear message whenpreLaunch.tsfails, instead of falling through to launch a missing executable (which is what turned the real failure into a contextless "path not specified" message).util.rimrafnow retries onEBUSY/EPERM(the Windows file-lock error codes), not justENOTEMPTY.Notes for reviewers
versionfile inside.build/electronand compares it toelectronVersionfrombuild/lib/electron.ts; any failure (missing file, unexpected format, import error) falls back to the original always-download behavior, so it is strictly non-regressive.build && npm run typecheck) and the pre-commit hygiene hook. Full compile/integration validation is left to CI.