Stop false Aspire CLI upgrade warning in VS Code Extension

extension/package.json

@@ -95,7 +95,12 @@
       {
         "view": "aspire-vscode.appHosts",
         "contents": "%views.appHosts.errorWelcome%",
-        "when": "aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.loading"
+        "when": "aspire.fetchAppHostsError && aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError && !aspire.loading"
+      },
+      {
+        "view": "aspire-vscode.appHosts",
+        "contents": "%views.appHosts.genericErrorWelcome%",
+        "when": "aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError && !aspire.loading"
       }
     ],
     "debuggers": [

extension/package.nls.json

@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@
   "views.appHosts.welcome": "No Aspire AppHosts detected in this workspace.\n[Refresh](command:aspire-vscode.refreshAppHosts)",
   "views.appHosts.globalWelcome": "No running Aspire AppHosts detected on this machine.\n[Refresh](command:aspire-vscode.globalRefreshAppHosts)",
   "views.appHosts.errorWelcome": "The Aspire panel workspace view requires Aspire CLI 13.2.0 or newer and an AppHost that references Aspire.Hosting 13.2.0 or newer. Install or update the Aspire CLI and update your AppHost package to get started.\n[Update Aspire CLI](command:aspire-vscode.updateSelf)\n[Refresh](command:aspire-vscode.globalRefreshAppHosts)",
+  "views.appHosts.genericErrorWelcome": "The Aspire panel couldn't load AppHost data right now. See Aspire Extension output for details.\n[Refresh](command:aspire-vscode.globalRefreshAppHosts)",
   "command.refreshAppHosts": "Refresh AppHosts",
   "command.globalRefreshAppHosts": "Refresh running AppHosts",
   "command.openDashboard": "Open Aspire Dashboard",

extension/src/test-e2e/packageSurface.e2e.test.ts

@@ -548,5 +548,6 @@ const expectedWelcomeWhenClauses = [
     'aspire.loading',
     'aspire.noAppHosts && !aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.loading && aspire.viewMode != \'global\'',
     'aspire.noAppHosts && !aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.loading && aspire.viewMode == \'global\'',
-    'aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.loading',
+    'aspire.fetchAppHostsError && aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError && !aspire.loading',
+    'aspire.fetchAppHostsError && !aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError && !aspire.loading',
 ];

extension/src/test/appHostDataRepository.test.ts

@@ -459,24 +459,32 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
     });
 
     test('describe watch reports minimum CLI version when command help is returned', async () => {
+        const executeCommandStub = sinon.stub(vscode.commands, 'executeCommand').resolves(undefined);
         const repository = new AppHostDataRepository(terminalProvider);
 
-        repository.activate();
-        repository.setPanelVisible(true);
-        await waitForMicrotasks();
+        try {
+            repository.activate();
+            repository.setPanelVisible(true);
+            await waitForMicrotasks();
 
-        const lineCallback = spawnStub.firstCall.args[3].lineCallback;
-        const exitCallback = spawnStub.firstCall.args[3].exitCallback;
-        lineCallback('Description:');
-        lineCallback('Usage:');
-        lineCallback('aspire [command] [options]');
-        lineCallback('Commands:');
-        exitCallback(1);
+            const lineCallback = spawnStub.firstCall.args[3].lineCallback;
+            const exitCallback = spawnStub.firstCall.args[3].exitCallback;
+            lineCallback('Description:');
+            lineCallback('Usage:');
+            lineCallback('aspire [command] [options]');
+            lineCallback('Commands:');
+            exitCallback(1);
 
-        assert.strictEqual(repository.hasError, true);
-        assert.ok(repository.errorMessage?.includes('Aspire CLI 13.2.0'), repository.errorMessage);
+            assert.strictEqual(repository.hasError, true);
+            assert.ok(repository.errorMessage?.includes('Aspire CLI 13.2.0'), repository.errorMessage);
 
-        repository.dispose();
+            const compatibilityContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
+                call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+            assert.strictEqual(compatibilityContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], true);
+        } finally {
+            repository.dispose();
+            executeCommandStub.restore();
+        }
     });
 
     test('describe watch does not report compatibility error when workspace AppHost returns no data successfully', async () => {
@@ -520,7 +528,7 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('describe watch reports minimum AppHost version when workspace AppHost exits without unsupported command output', async () => {
+    test('describe watch reports generic error when workspace AppHost exits with runtime failure', async () => {
         let getAppHostsLineCallback: ((line: string) => void) | undefined;
         spawnStub.onFirstCall().callsFake((_terminalProvider, _command, _args, options) => {
             getAppHostsLineCallback = createLsLineCallback(options);
@@ -532,6 +540,7 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
             name: 'workspace',
             index: 0,
         }]);
+        const executeCommandStub = sinon.stub(vscode.commands, 'executeCommand').resolves(undefined);
         const repository = new AppHostDataRepository(terminalProvider);
 
         try {
@@ -550,14 +559,20 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
 
             const describeCall = spawnStub.getCalls().find(call => (call.args[2] as string[])[0] === 'describe');
             assert.ok(describeCall);
+            const stderrCallback = describeCall.args[3].stderrCallback;
             const exitCallback = describeCall.args[3].exitCallback;
+            stderrCallback('No container runtime detected');
             exitCallback(1);
 
             assert.strictEqual(repository.hasError, true);
-            assert.ok(repository.errorMessage?.includes('Aspire.Hosting 13.2.0'), repository.errorMessage);
-            assert.ok(!repository.errorMessage?.includes('Aspire CLI 13.2.0'), repository.errorMessage);
+            assert.ok(repository.errorMessage?.includes('No container runtime detected'), repository.errorMessage);
+
+            const compatibilityContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
+                call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+            assert.strictEqual(compatibilityContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], false);
         } finally {
             repository.dispose();
+            executeCommandStub.restore();
             workspaceFoldersStub.restore();
         }
     });
@@ -2254,6 +2269,10 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
             const errorContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
                 call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsError');
             assert.strictEqual(errorContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], true);
+
+            const compatibilityContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
+                call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+            assert.strictEqual(compatibilityContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], false);
         } finally {
             repository.dispose();
             executeCommandStub.restore();
@@ -2299,6 +2318,10 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
             const errorContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
                 call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsError');
             assert.strictEqual(errorContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], true);
+
+            const compatibilityContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
+                call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+            assert.strictEqual(compatibilityContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], false);
         } finally {
             repository.dispose();
             executeCommandStub.restore();
@@ -2333,6 +2356,10 @@ suite('AppHostDataRepository', () => {
             const errorContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
                 call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsError');
             assert.strictEqual(errorContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], true);
+
+            const compatibilityContextCalls = executeCommandStub.getCalls().filter(call =>
+                call.args[0] === 'setContext' && call.args[1] === 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+            assert.strictEqual(compatibilityContextCalls.at(-1)?.args[2], false);
         } finally {
             repository.dispose();
             executeCommandStub.restore();

extension/src/test/packageManifest.test.ts

@@ -61,9 +61,13 @@ suite('extension/package.json', () => {
 
         const workspaceWelcome = runningAppHostsWelcome.find(item => item.contents === '%views.appHosts.welcome%');
         const globalWelcome = runningAppHostsWelcome.find(item => item.contents === '%views.appHosts.globalWelcome%');
+        const compatibilityErrorWelcome = runningAppHostsWelcome.find(item => item.contents === '%views.appHosts.errorWelcome%');
+        const genericErrorWelcome = runningAppHostsWelcome.find(item => item.contents === '%views.appHosts.genericErrorWelcome%');
 
         assertContains(workspaceWelcome?.when, "aspire.viewMode != 'global'");
         assertContains(globalWelcome?.when, "aspire.viewMode == 'global'");
+        assertContains(compatibilityErrorWelcome?.when, 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
+        assertContains(genericErrorWelcome?.when, '!aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError');
     });
 
     test('running apphosts title actions use string view and view mode checks', () => {

extension/src/views/AppHostDataRepository.ts

@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ interface GlobalDescribeStream {
     version: number;
 }
 
+interface DescribeNoDataError {
+    message: string | undefined;
+    isCompatibilityError: boolean;
+}
+
 interface PostStopRefreshTimer {
     timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
 }
@@ -239,8 +244,10 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
 
     // ── Error state ──
     private _describeErrorMessage: string | undefined;
+    private _describeErrorIsCompatibility = false;
     private _psErrorMessage: string | undefined;
     private _errorMessage: string | undefined;
+    private _errorIsCompatibility = false;
 
     // ── Loading state ──
     private _loadingWorkspace = true;
@@ -863,7 +870,8 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
 
                         extensionLogOutputChannel.warn(`aspire describe --follow exited (code ${code}) without producing data; not auto-restarting.`);
                         this._workspaceResources.clear();
-                        this._setDescribeError(this._getDescribeNoDataError(code, describeNonJsonLines, describeStderr));
+                        const noDataError = this._getDescribeNoDataError(code, describeNonJsonLines, describeStderr);
+                        this._setDescribeError(noDataError.message, { compatibility: noDataError.isCompatibilityError });
                         this._updateWorkspaceContext({ clearLoading: true });
                         return;
                     }
@@ -987,19 +995,35 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
         return false;
     }
 
-    private _getDescribeNoDataError(exitCode: number | null, nonJsonLines: readonly string[], stderr: string): string | undefined {
+    private _getDescribeNoDataError(exitCode: number | null, nonJsonLines: readonly string[], stderr: string): DescribeNoDataError {
         if (isDescribeUnsupportedOutput(nonJsonLines, stderr)) {
-            return aspireCliDescribeNotSupported(aspireDescribeMinimumVersion);
+            return {
+                message: aspireCliDescribeNotSupported(aspireDescribeMinimumVersion),
+                isCompatibilityError: true,
+            };
+        }
+
+        if (this._workspaceAppHostPath && exitCode !== 0) {
+            return {
+                message: errorFetchingAppHosts(stderr || `exit code ${exitCode ?? 1}`),
+                isCompatibilityError: false,
+            };
         }
 
         // A clean exit before `ps` observes the AppHost can happen while the app is still starting.
-        // Once `ps` reports the workspace AppHost as running, an empty describe stream means the
-        // AppHost cannot serve workspace resources even if the CLI process exits successfully.
-        if (this._workspaceAppHostPath && (exitCode !== 0 || this._workspaceAppHost !== undefined)) {
-            return appHostDescribeMayNotBeSupported(aspireDescribeMinimumVersion);
+        // Once `ps` reports the workspace AppHost as running, an empty successful describe stream means
+        // the AppHost cannot serve workspace resources even though the CLI command itself was accepted.
+        if (this._workspaceAppHostPath && this._workspaceAppHost !== undefined) {
+            return {
+                message: appHostDescribeMayNotBeSupported(aspireDescribeMinimumVersion),
+                isCompatibilityError: true,
+            };
         }
 
-        return undefined;
+        return {
+            message: undefined,
+            isCompatibilityError: false,
+        };
     }
 
     // ── Global mode: per-AppHost describe fan-out ──
@@ -1530,13 +1554,16 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
 
     private _clearErrors(): void {
         this._describeErrorMessage = undefined;
+        this._describeErrorIsCompatibility = false;
         this._psErrorMessage = undefined;
         this._updateErrorMessage();
     }
 
-    private _setDescribeError(message: string | undefined): void {
-        if (this._describeErrorMessage !== message) {
+    private _setDescribeError(message: string | undefined, options?: { compatibility?: boolean }): void {
+        const compatibility = message !== undefined && (options?.compatibility ?? false);
+        if (this._describeErrorMessage !== message || this._describeErrorIsCompatibility !== compatibility) {
             this._describeErrorMessage = message;
+            this._describeErrorIsCompatibility = compatibility;
             this._updateErrorMessage();
         }
     }
@@ -1549,16 +1576,24 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
     }
 
     private _updateErrorMessage(): void {
-        const message = this._viewMode === 'workspace'
+        const workspaceMode = this._viewMode === 'workspace';
+        const message = workspaceMode
             ? this._describeErrorMessage ?? this._psErrorMessage
             : this._psErrorMessage;
+        const isCompatibilityError = workspaceMode
+            ? (this._describeErrorMessage !== undefined
+                ? this._describeErrorIsCompatibility
+                : false)
+            : false;
         const hasError = message !== undefined;
-        if (this._errorMessage !== message) {
+        if (this._errorMessage !== message || this._errorIsCompatibility !== isCompatibilityError) {
             this._errorMessage = message;
+            this._errorIsCompatibility = isCompatibilityError;
             if (message) {
                 extensionLogOutputChannel.warn(message);
             }
             vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', 'aspire.fetchAppHostsError', hasError);
+            vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', 'aspire.fetchAppHostsCompatibilityError', hasError && isCompatibilityError);
             this._onDidChangeData.fire();
         }
     }