VScode SSH extension stuck on the installation step

Question

For the past few months, I've used this VSCode Extension to work remotely on a linux server via SSH. I'll occasionally have a connection problem, but sshing from a terminal and deleting ~/.vscode-server/ has always fixed it. This time, though, that didn't fix it. I've tried deleting the folder multiple times, I've removed and reinstalled the VSCode extension, restarting my computer, everything I could think of. But each time, it gets stuck at downloading with wget, even if I leave it going for hours. I can connect to the server by sshing directly just fine, and other people I know can connect to the server through the extension as well. Is there anything else I can try to get this working?

Here's the full installation log (with the host name censored):

[19:17:22.756] Log Level: 2
[19:17:22.758] [email protected]
[19:17:22.758] win32 x64
[19:17:22.759] SSH Resolver called for "ssh-remote+my.host.name", attempt 1
[19:17:22.759] SSH Resolver called for host: my.host.name
[19:17:22.760] Setting up SSH remote "my.host.name"
[19:17:22.776] Using commit id "e5a624b788d92b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f" and quality "stable" for server
[19:17:22.777] Install and start server if needed
[19:17:22.800] Checking ssh with "ssh -V"
[19:17:22.831] > OpenSSH_for_Windows_7.7p1, LibreSSL 2.6.5

[19:17:22.836] Running script with connection command: ssh -T -D 52457 my.host.name bash
[19:17:22.838] Terminal shell path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmd.exe
[19:17:22.889] > 
> 
> 
> ]0;C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmd.exe
[19:17:22.889] Got some output, clearing connection timeout
[19:17:22.898] > 
> 
> 
> 
[19:17:23.334] > 23b0d284345c: running
> 
[19:17:23.363] > Acquiring lock on /path/to/home/.vscode-server/bin/e5a624b78
> 8d92b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f/vscode-remote-lock.my_username.e5a624b788d92b8d34
> d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f
> 
[19:17:23.373] > Installing to /path/to/home/.vscode-server/bin/e5a624b788d92
> b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f...
> 23b0d284345c%%1%%
> 
[19:17:23.381] > Downloading with wget
> 
[19:17:27.721] > 23b0d284345c: running
> Acquiring lock on /path/to/home/.vscode-server/bin/e5a624b788d92b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f/vscode-remote-lock.my_username.e5a624b788d92b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f
> Installing to /path/to/home/.vscode-server/bin/e5a624b788d92b8d34d1392e4c4d9789406efe8f...
> 23b0d284345c%%1%%
> Downloading with wget
> 

Answer 1

I ended up getting it working. I was connecting to a Centos7 server, what worked for me was deleting ~/.wget-hsts. After that, it reinstalled the server and connected fine.

Answer 2

There are a few reports of a similar issue in the microsoft/vscode-remote-release project which implements for VSCode this feature.

For instance, issue 4008

The remote OS I am connecting to is a RHEL 7 Linux machine.

I tried fiddling with iptables and ports for the wget request to no avail.
It hangs for a little while at the wget step, and ultimately fails to connect. I tried tweaking just about every SSH setting in the remote.

The only other thing I noticed that might be related was with the Ports Available text at the bottom of the screen. It never reads anything other than 0 during the connection process. When I'm properly connected, it says 1 Port Available.

However, I did find a successful workaround: I rolled back the Remote SSH extension to 0.55.0 and it worked like a charm again.

So try and downgrade the Remote SSH extension, to see if it works.