Error: (SSH) Channel open failure: open failed

[richardm90]

I've been noticing this problem for a while now.

ERR [Extension Host] [getFile] Error opening document: member:/RMVSCODE/QCPYSRC/ADDMSG_P.rpgleinc CodeExpectedError: cannot open member:/RMVSCODE/QCPYSRC/ADDMSG_P.rpgleinc. Detail: Unable to read file 'member:/RMVSCODE/QCPYSRC/ADDMSG_P.rpgleinc' (Error: (SSH) Channel open failure: open failed)
    at G3e.$tryOpenDocument (vscode-file://vscode-app/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/workbench.desktop.main.js:533:8532)

Sometimes it happens when I try to open a new member, sometimes when saving a member and as in the case above, I noticed that a copybook hadn't loaded in the background and found this log in the developer client console.

I'm pretty sure this occurs when Code for i is dealing with a number of file requests and most commonly when it's pulling down include files in the background after opening a member.

This occurs when I'm working with source members and I am nearly always working over a remote VPN connection so there may be some network latency involved in my connection.

It is intermittent. If it happens whilst attempting to open a member, if I try again it generally works fine.

---

Context	Version
Code for IBM i version	2.18.0
Visual Studio Code version	1.106.3
Operating System	linux_x64

Active extensions

COBOL (cobol): 25.11.20
Claude Code for VS Code (claude-code): 2.0.59
Code for IBM i Walkthroughs (vscode-ibmi-walkthroughs): 0.5.0
Configuration Editing (configuration-editing): 1.0.0
Db2 for IBM i (vscode-db2i): 1.15.1
ESLint (vscode-eslint): 3.0.16
Emmet (emmet): 1.0.0
Error Lens (errorlens): 3.26.0
Extension Authoring (extension-editing): 1.0.0
Git (git): 1.0.0
Git Base (git-base): 1.0.0
GitHub (github): 0.0.1
GitHub Authentication (github-authentication): 0.0.2
GitHub Copilot Chat (copilot-chat): 0.33.4
GitLens — Git supercharged (gitlens): 17.7.1
IBM i Debug (ibmidebug): 3.0.2
IBM i Project Explorer (vscode-ibmi-projectexplorer): 2.12.3
JSON Language Features (json-language-features): 1.0.0
Merge Conflict (merge-conflict): 1.0.0
Microsoft Account (microsoft-authentication): 0.0.1
NPM support for VS Code (npm): 1.0.1
Node Debug Auto-attach (debug-auto-launch): 1.0.0
Postman (postman-for-vscode): 1.18.0
Prettier - Code formatter (prettier-vscode): 11.0.2
RPGLE (vscode-rpgle): 0.33.2
Server Ready Action (debug-server-ready): 1.0.0
Source Orbit (vscode-sourceorbit): 1.4.1
TODO Highlight (vscode-todo-highlight): 1.0.5
TypeScript and JavaScript Language Features (typescript-language-features): 1.0.0
Vue (Official) (volar): 3.1.5

---

Remote system

Setting	Value
IBM i OS	V7R5M0
Tech Refresh	7
CCSID Origin	1146
Runtime CCSID	1146
Default CCSID	1146
SSHD CCSID	?
cqsh	true
SQL	Enabled
Source dates	Enabled

Enabled features

/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin	/usr/bin	/QSYS.lib/RMTEMP.lib	/QSYS.LIB	/QIBM/ProdData/IBMiDebugService/bin	/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/JavaVM/jdk80	/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/JavaVM/jdk11	/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/JavaVM/jdk17
bash	attr	GETNEWLIBL.PGM	QZDFMDB2.PGM	startDebugService.sh	64bit	64bit	64bit
chsh	iconv
git	setccsid
grep	uname
ls
md5sum
sort
stat
tar
tn5250

Shell env

BUILDLIB=RMVSCODE
CURLIB=RMVSCODE
HOME=/home/RICHARD
HOST=myibmi.com
LIBLS=QTEMP QGPL
LOGIN=richard
LOGNAME=richard
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/richard
OLDPWD=/home/richard
PATH=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin:/QOpenSys/usr/bin:/usr/ccs/bin:/QOpenSys/usr/bin/X11:/usr/sbin:.:/usr/bin:/QOpenSys/usr/bin:/usr/bin
PWD=/home/RICHARD
SHELL=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/bash
SHLVL=1
SSH_CLIENT=198.18.0.53 49688 22
SSH_CONNECTION=198.18.0.53 49688 129.40.94.81 22
TZ=<GMT>0<BST>,M3.5.0,M10.5.0
USER=richard
USERNAME=richard
WORKDIR=/home/RICHARD
_=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/env

Variants

{
  "american": "#@$",
  "local": "#@£",
  "qsysNameRegex": {}
}

[francois-rpg]

I've had a similar issue since using VSCode.
codefori/ibm-i-development-pack#10

According to my research a big difference between RDi and VSCode is how it connects, RDi would keep locks on files until you close, while VSCode opens multiple connections, or something to that effect.

I'd also like more info on this.

[sebjulliand]

@RPGLE-Logic , roughly:

• RDi uses JTOpen to connect to IBM i, so it uses persistent host server jobs for its communications, hence the fact it can lock members, etc.
• VS Code (for the moment...) only uses SSH to communicate with IBM i. Commands, file upload/download all go through the SSH channel. 5250 commands are not run in a persistent job (the command is run in a job that spawns for its execution and then it's gone).

As for the (SSH) Channel open failure error, I can't be 100% sure, but I saw it happen when too many multiple requests are sent through the SSh channel. That's why it's not somehing that gets easily reproduced.

But there is a update in the making that should hopefully prevent this from happening. See #2940

[richardm90]

@sebjulliand , thanks for the prompt feedback and if it helps I can replicate the error.
Glad to here #2940 is progressing. Let me know if I can help with testing, etc.

[worksofliam]

I am going to convert this to a discussion. It's an SSH limitation and has been around since the early days. Fingers crossed we can combat it with Mapepire!