Unable to start the C/C++ language server. IntelliSense features will be disabled. Error: TypeError: ret.replace is not a function

[jmpsmash]

Bug type: Language Service

Describe the bug

• OS and Version: Windows 10
• VS Code Version: 1.67.1
• C/C++ Extension Version: 1.9.8
• Other extensions you installed (and if the issue persists after disabling them):
• If using SSH remote, specify OS of remote machine:
• A clear and concise description of what the bug is, including information about the workspace (i.e. is the workspace a single project or multiple projects, size of the project, etc).

When starting VSCode with C++ source, the following pops up:

Unable to start the C/C++ language server. IntelliSense features will be disabled. Error: TypeError: ret.replace is not a function

Steps to reproduce

1. Go to '...'
2. Click on '....'
3. Scroll down to '....'
4. See error

Expected behavior

Code sample and logs

• Code sample

• Configurations in c_cpp_properties.json

• Logs from running C/C++: Log Diagnostics from the VS Code command palette

• Logs from the language server logging

Screenshots

Additional context

[sean-mcmanus]

That is strange. The error is reported at https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools/blob/release/Extension/src/LanguageServer/client.ts#L1057 and the ret.replace seems like it's from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools/blob/release/Extension/src/common.ts#L332, but I don't know why that would occur.

You might want to try VS Code Insiders or our 1.10.1 pre-release to see if those work for you.

[jmpsmash]

I have tried re-installing VSCode. removed the .vscode directory as well as the extension directory. Also tried 1.10.1 pre-release and that didn't help either.

[sean-mcmanus]

When you do Help->Toggle Developer Console do you see any errors in the Console logs? In particular, do you see any call stacks with our code on it or whatever code is calling the ret.replace?

[jmpsmash]

stack trace: Error: Unsupported client
at DefaultClient. (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35470:23)
at Generator.next ()
at c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:33868:71
at new Promise ()
at webpack_modules.9325.__awaiter (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:33864:12)
at DefaultClient.queueTask (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35447:16)
at DefaultClient.notifyWhenLanguageClientReady (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35511:21)
at DefaultClient.selectionChanged (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35950:14)
at onDidChangeActiveTextEditor (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:39500:30)
at c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:40444:81
at c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35509:21
at new Promise ()
at task (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35508:28)
at DefaultClient. (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35451:38)
at Generator.next ()
at c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:33868:71
at new Promise ()
at webpack_modules.9325.__awaiter (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:33864:12)
at nextTask (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35449:40)
at DefaultClient. (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:35467:24)
at Generator.next ()
at fulfilled (c:\Users\johnnie.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.cpptools-1.9.8-win32-x64\dist\main.js:33865:58)

[jmpsmash]

There is also this:

notificationsAlerts.ts:42 Unable to start the C/C++ language server. IntelliSense features will be disabled. Error: TypeError: ret.replace is not a function
onDidChangeNotification @ notificationsAlerts.ts:42
(anonymous) @ notificationsAlerts.ts:28
invoke @ event.ts:575
deliver @ event.ts:779
fire @ event.ts:740
addNotification @ notifications.ts:206
notify @ notificationService.ts:137
(anonymous) @ mainThreadMessageService.ts:86
_showMessage @ mainThreadMessageService.ts:44
$showMessage @ mainThreadMessageService.ts:38
_doInvokeHandler @ rpcProtocol.ts:473
_invokeHandler @ rpcProtocol.ts:458
_receiveRequest @ rpcProtocol.ts:374
_receiveOneMessage @ rpcProtocol.ts:296
(anonymous) @ rpcProtocol.ts:161
invoke @ event.ts:575
deliver @ event.ts:779
fire @ event.ts:740
fire @ ipc.net.ts:638
_receiveMessage @ ipc.net.ts:958
(anonymous) @ ipc.net.ts:831
invoke @ event.ts:575
deliver @ event.ts:779
fire @ event.ts:740
acceptChunk @ ipc.net.ts:382
(anonymous) @ ipc.net.ts:338
O @ ipc.net.ts:60
emit @ node:events:390
addChunk @ node:internal/streams/readable:315
readableAddChunk @ node:internal/streams/readable:289
Readable.push @ node:internal/streams/readable:228
onStreamRead @ node:internal/stream_base_commons:199

[sean-mcmanus]

The "Unsupported client" error indicates they our extension think you're running on an unsupported OS. If you're running on Windows, I don't know why this would occur.

The onDidChangeNotification is not code from our extension's call stack so I don't know where it is from. Maybe if you enable breakpoints on Caught or Uncaught exceptions it would allow you to see who's code that is. So it's possible the "ret.replace" error is coming from some external code and it's just being caught by our exception handler.

If you want to investigate on your own further, there are instructions at https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools/blob/main/Documentation/Building%20the%20Extension.md on how to run/debug the extension.

This almost sounds like a VS Code issue or something odd with your environment. Do other VS Code extensions work okay?