VS Code: Multiple Repositories Not Showing

by SD Solar 43 views

VS Code Source Control Bug: Multiple Repositories Overview Issue

Hey guys! 👋 I'm here to talk about a pesky bug I've run into with the latest VS Code Insiders build. If you're like me and juggle multiple repositories, you know how crucial the source control section is. It’s your one-stop shop for everything Git: viewing changes, staging files, committing updates, and pushing code. But lately, things haven't been so smooth. Specifically, the overview of multiple repositories seems to have broken down in the Insiders version. This means I can’t see a consolidated view of all my changes across different projects – a major pain when you're jumping between tasks or managing complex workflows. Let's dive deeper into the problem, the context, and some potential workarounds.

The Problem: Overview of Multiple Repositories is Missing

So, what's actually happening? In the VS Code Source Control view, when you have several Git repositories open, there should be a clear, unified display of all the changes across all of them. You should be able to see which files have been modified, added, or deleted, regardless of which specific repository they belong to. This is super helpful because it allows you to manage your work efficiently without constantly switching between different tabs or windows. In my case, with the latest Insiders build, this consolidated view is missing. Instead of a combined list of changes, it seems like VS Code is only showing the changes for a single, possibly the currently active, repository. This makes it difficult to keep track of everything and can easily lead to missed changes or commits.

This issue impacts my workflow a lot. I usually have a few different projects open at once, and being able to see all the changes in one place is essential for keeping everything organized. Without the overview, I have to manually check each repository, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. I rely on the multi-repo view to ensure I don't forget to commit changes in any of my projects and avoid merge conflicts. I'm sure many of you can relate – it's a huge productivity hit!

Context: VS Code Insiders and System Information

For context, this problem is occurring in the VS Code Insiders version. The specific version I'm using is Code - Insiders 1.106.0-insider (55505bf0b5b7abbe820137bf8e01bed9b72675cf, 2025-10-22T05:51:40.985Z). I am running this on a Darwin arm64 25.0.0 operating system, meaning I'm on a Mac with an Apple silicon chip. I've also provided a detailed system information dump, which includes the CPU, GPU status, memory details, and the list of extensions I have installed. Knowing these details could potentially help pinpoint the root cause of the bug. It could be related to a specific extension, or maybe a conflict with how VS Code handles multiple repos on Apple silicon. I've got a lot of extensions installed, so it is possible one is causing this issue, but given it is happening on the Insider build, it might be a core issue.

Potential Causes and Troubleshooting

It's hard to say definitively what's causing the issue without diving into the VS Code source code. However, here are a few potential causes and some troubleshooting steps you might try:

  • Extension Conflicts: One possibility is that one of my extensions is interfering with the Source Control view. I have a lot of extensions installed (80 in total!), so it's not impossible that one of them is causing the problem. I could try disabling extensions one by one to see if that resolves the issue. That’s a bit of a pain, though, since it can take a while to test each extension. I’d start with extensions related to Git or version control, such as GitLens.

  • VS Code Insiders Build Bug: It's also possible that this is a bug in the Insiders build itself. Insider builds are, by definition, less stable than the regular releases. The developers are constantly adding new features and fixing bugs, which can sometimes introduce new problems. If this is the case, the best course of action is to report the bug to the VS Code team and wait for a fix. I've already done that by creating this bug report!

  • Workspace Configuration: There might be something in my workspace configuration that's causing the issue. I could try creating a new, minimal workspace with just a few repositories to see if the problem persists. If the issue disappears in the new workspace, it would suggest a problem with my current configuration.

  • Git Version: An outdated or incompatible Git version could cause issues. Although less likely, I could check that I have the latest stable version of Git installed on my system and make sure it’s properly configured in VS Code.

Workarounds and Solutions

While we wait for a fix, here are some workarounds you could try to mitigate this issue:

  • Manual Repository Switching: You can manually switch between repositories using the dropdown in the Source Control view. This isn’t ideal, but it allows you to see the changes in each repository individually.

  • Using the Terminal: Git commands in the terminal still work perfectly. You can navigate to each repository and use git status, git diff, and other commands to view your changes.

  • Checking the Output Channel: The