Assistant: confusing chat message when extension startup issue occurs #11607
Description
System details:
Positron and OS details:
Dev build main @ 227a013abf7b5450e97c5724b5201c7ee5f622f5
Session details:
Any
Describe the issue:
When extensions don't start up correctly, the chat pane will show this text when the user sends a message in chat:
🛠️ Positron Assistant Copilot
You need to set up GitHub Copilot and be signed in to use Chat.
This is confusing because it's really just a fallback message and isn't actually the action the user would need to take. The user should restart Positron since extensions failed to start (all extensions, not just Positron Assistant).
Also previously reported here: https://positpbc.slack.com/archives/C02P4PH94QL/p1765383987051849?thread_ts=1764967821.045549&cid=C02P4PH94QL
Steps to reproduce the issue:
- Hard to reproduce, but somehow get into a state where extensions don't start up properly
- Open up chat and send a message
- Get the following response
Expected or desired behavior:
A more accurate message should display, and "Positron Assistant Copilot" --> "Positron Assistant"
Were there any error messages in the UI, Output panel, or Developer Tools console?
Various errors should show in the Dev Tools console. A sample:
log.ts:460 ERR ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/Users/sashimi/.positron-dev/extensions/posit.air-vscode-0.20.0-darwin-arm64': Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/Users/sashimi/.positron-dev/extensions/posit.air-vscode-0.20.0-darwin-arm64'
at async Object.access (node:internal/original-fs/promises:608:10)
at async Object.realpath (file:///Users/sashimi/dev/positron-dev/out/vs/base/node/pfs.js:576:9)
...
log.ts:460 ERR [chat setup] Error during setup: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'name')
...
Relevant Code
https://github.com/posit-dev/positron/blob/main/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatSetup.ts -- search for SETUP_NEEDED_MESSAGE
- maybe the solution is just to provide a more helpful string for
SETUP_NEEDED_MESSAGE