Workbench - Opening app in new tab fails with a proxy error

[jonvanausdeln]

System details:

Positron and OS details:

Positron:

Positron: 2024.12.0-48
Workbench: 2024.12.0+440.pro1

Interpreter details:

Python 3.10.10

Describe the issue:

When trying to open an app via the link in the console to an external browser, it won't load

workbench-proxy-issue.mp4

Steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Load a new Positron workbench session
2. Run a python app, such as the example dash app.
3. In the console, ctrl+click the link and pick open in a browser

Expected or desired behavior:

The app to open in a new browser tab.

Were there any error messages in the UI, Output panel, or Developer Tools console?

[juliasilge]

The button for "open in external browser" works.

[jonvanausdeln]

When clicking the URL in the terminal.. the new tab URL:
http://localhost:8787/s/d5de86ae9dc1bce29c6b4/p/c123e575/s/d5de86ae9dc1bce29c6b4/p/6f90df7a/

When clickding the "open in external browser" button, the URL:
http://localhost:8787/s/d5de86ae9dc1bce29c6b4/p/6f90df7a/

[sharon-wang]

We could add some handling in

positron/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/workbench.ts

Line 593 in a36f4d7

resolveExternalUri: (uri: URI): Promise<URI> => {

to check if the URL already looks like one we've resolved.

We could add a function to https://github.com/posit-dev/positron/blob/main/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/urlPorts.ts to check if a url looks like a resolved portmapped url.

Then, we could return the URL as-is if it looks like a resolved URL instead of re-resolving the URL, which I believe is why we're getting a longer and incorrect URL.

Changes to the mentioned files will need to be upstreamed.

[sharon-wang]

QA Notes

• PR: App Launcher: handle python app terminal links in positron-run-app extension #7847
• I looked into writing an e2e test for this, but I didn't see an easy way to simulate Cmd/Ctrl+clicking on the link in the Terminal. There is a command workbench.action.terminal.openDetectedLink, however, it doesn't go through the App URL terminal link flow -- it goes through the regular opener flow. Is there a way to get the coordinates of the link and Cmd/Click it? From there, we can verify that the opening actions work and the url being opened is the same as the one originally opened in the Viewer in the App Launcher flow.

[jonvanausdeln]

QA Notes

• PR: App Launcher: handle python app terminal links in positron-run-app extension #7847
• I looked into writing an e2e test for this, but I didn't see an easy way to simulate Cmd/Ctrl+clicking on the link in the Terminal. There is a command workbench.action.terminal.openDetectedLink, however, it doesn't go through the App URL terminal link flow -- it goes through the regular opener flow. Is there a way to get the coordinates of the link and Cmd/Click it? From there, we can verify that the opening actions work and the url being opened is the same as the one originally opened in the Viewer in the App Launcher flow.

We do have https://github.com/posit-dev/positron/blob/99c441cee05d7f3613435ae5d81537352c550f45/test/e2e/tests/console/console-r-hyperlinks.test.ts

But those tests are for console hyperlinks.. I don't think we can reliably get the contents of the terminal because I think it's a canvas element and therefore hard for us to deal with in e2e tests.

[jonvanausdeln]

Verified Fixed

Positron Version(s) : 2025.06.0-166
Workbench Version(s): 2025.05.1-511.pro1
OS Version(s) : Ubuntu 24

Test scenario(s)

Clicking on the link now opens in a new tab/window as expected