VSCode doesn't launch at all from the terminal (Ubuntu 15) after v0.10.8

[hashhar]

All the system information is available in the image.

[Tyriar]

@hashhar I'm assuming code is a symlink to Code, as in https://github.com/hashhar/vscode-universal-installer/blob/master/install.py? I haven't had any issues so far using Ubuntu/Compiz 15.10 and plain Debian 8.3.0. Did this just start happening with a newer version? How do you normally launch code on Linux?

Launching using sudo is a known issue #3068

[hashhar]

/usr/local/bin/code is a symlink to /opt/VSCode/Code.
It started with 0.10.8. But I had also uninstalled some packages before that so it could be that. Does VSCode have any external dependencies?

The absurd part is that clicking on the launcher I made ( see https://github.com/hashhar/vscode-universal-installer/blob/master/VSCode.desktop) launches it as it should. And both of them are using the same executable symlink.

I'll try reproducing this on a VM.

[hashhar]

I can't reproduce this on other systems. Seems to be something wrong with my machine. My own machine can now not run any of the older releases too from the terminal.

[Tyriar]

@hashhar ok, if you end up figuring it out please ping this issue as vscode may be able to warn/advise about the situation.

[hashhar]

@Tyriar Some more context. I cannot even start Code even if I build it locally.

This is what happens.

[hashhar]

It only happens when I try to start it from the shell. Double clicking on the symlink as well as the executable launches it without problem. I even tried clearing ~/.config/Code.

Using a different Window Manager also didn't help.
I'll now try using a different shell.

[hashhar]

Yup. It's the SHELL. Using zsh also gave the error. But as soon as I set SHELL=/bin/zsh, it started.

@Tyriar Maybe add this to the docs or FAQ. I'll try narrowing down the source of this. I was able to reproduce it on another install. This happens after some system updates.

[hashhar]

Works for every possible value of SHELL. It just doesn't work when SHELL=/bin/bash. /bin/sh works. insert random string here also works.

This is a workaround but I would like a fix.

This seems relevant. https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/base/node/env.ts#L22
Changing that line to a hardcoded value allowed me to run it. I set it to '/bin/sh'.

[Tyriar]

Interesting, I can run it just fine with bash as well as zsh.

[hashhar]

It's not the terminal emulator. It's the shell that $SHELL is pointing to.

Try setting $SHELL to /bin/bash or /bin/sh.

[Tyriar]

It works when $SHELL is /bin/bash, /bin/sh and /bin/zsh.

[hashhar]

Thanks. Consider this closed then. A workaround is known atleast.