vscode does not install requested extensions on image build - visual-studio-code

Question

We have followed this guide to set up a minimal example which shows that currently in our setup extensions are not automatically installed when a development container is built.
The .devcontainer.json specifies that golang.go and ms-python.python should be installed on container build.
{
"name": "Container 1",
"dockerComposeFile": ["../docker-compose.yml"],
"service": "container-1",
"shutdownAction": "none",
"extensions": [
"golang.go",
"ms-python.python"
],
// Open the sub-folder with the source code
"workspaceFolder": "/workspace/container1-src",
}
While the extensions seem to get cached, they are not finally installed (usable). Here is an extract of the log
[23638 ms] 861598b8-962e-4242-883b-0c2e172dc4e0
[23638 ms]
[23639 ms] Start: Starting VS Code Server
[23640 ms] Start: Preparing Extensions
[23641 ms] Start: Run in container: test ! -f '/root/.vscode-server-insiders/data/Machine/.installExtensionsMarker' && set -o noclobber && mkdir -p '/root/.vscode-server-insiders/data/Machine' && { > '/root/.vscode-server-insiders/data/Machine/.installExtensionsMarker' ; } 2> /dev/null
[23652 ms]
[23653 ms]
[23660 ms] Extensions cache, install extensions: ms-python.python, golang.go, vscode.python, ms-python.vscode-pylance, ms-toolsai.jupyter, ms-python.pylint
[23661 ms] Start: Run in container: test -d /root/.vscode-server-insiders/extensionsCache && ls /root/.vscode-server-insiders/extensionsCache || true
[23666 ms]
[23666 ms]
[23670 ms] Extensions cache, copy to remote: ms-python.python-2022.4.1, ms-python.vscode-pylance-2022.4.0, ms-toolsai.jupyter-2022.3.1000901801, ms-toolsai.jupyter-keymap-1.0.0, ms-toolsai.jupyter-renderers-1.0.6
[23798 ms] Start: Run in container: # Copy extensions to remote
[24013 ms] /root
[24013 ms]
[24013 ms] Start: Run in container: cat <<'EOF-/tmp/vscode-remote-containers-525ff14d87410cce22568eada8e775519d4c39e6.js' >/tmp/vscode-remote-containers-525ff14d87410cce22568eada8e775519d4c39e6.js
[24128 ms]
[24129 ms]
[24130 ms] Start: Run in container: cat <<'EOF-/tmp/vscode-remote-containers-server-525ff14d87410cce22568eada8e775519d4c39e6.js' >/tmp/vscode-remote-containers-server-525ff14d87410cce22568eada8e775519d4c39e6.js_1658149613876
[24152 ms]
[24153 ms]
[24435 ms] userEnvProbe PATHs:
Probe: '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin'
Container: '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin'
[24474 ms]
[24475 ms]
[24476 ms] Start: Run in Host: docker exec -i -u root -e SHELL=/bin/bash -e VSCODE_AGENT_FOLDER=/root/.vscode-server-insiders -w /root/.vscode-server-insiders/bin/1cd90cceddf3c413673963ab6f154d2ff294b17c-insider 0e72ac2aff313c24e70caa3b5b9d74428f7be41d6d00acc414dc4339e84ff807 /root/.vscode-server-insiders/bin/1cd90cceddf3c413673963ab6f154d2ff294b17c-insider/bin/code-server-insiders --log debug --force-disable-user-env --server-data-dir /root/.vscode-server-insiders --use-host-proxy --telemetry-level all --accept-server-license-terms --host 127.0.0.1 --port 0 --connection-token-file /root/.vscode-server-insiders/data/Machine/.connection-token-1cd90cceddf3c413673963ab6f154d2ff294b17c-insider --extensions-download-dir /root/.vscode-server-insiders/extensionsCache --install-extension ms-python.python --install-extension golang.go --install-extension vscode.python --install-extension ms-python.vscode-pylance --install-extension ms-toolsai.jupyter --install-extension ms-python.pylint --start-server --disable-websocket-compression
...
...
25393 ms] Installing extensions...
[25400 ms] [13:06:55] Extension host agent started.
[25517 ms] Port forwarding 63455 > 34827 > 34827 stderr: Connection established
[25601 ms] Port forwarding connection from 63459 > 34827 > 34827 in the container.
[25602 ms] Start: Run in Host: docker exec -i -u root -e VSCODE_REMOTE_CONTAINERS_SESSION=966c34aa-e1b8-4837-bd34-7dcc777a8ac81658149588164 0e72ac2aff313c24e70caa3b5b9d74428f7be41d6d00acc414dc4339e84ff807 /root/.vscode-server-insiders/bin/1cd90cceddf3c413673963ab6f154d2ff294b17c-insider/node -e
[25705 ms] [13:06:55] ComputeTargetPlatform: linux-x64
[25960 ms] [13:06:55] [127.0.0.1][831a8c84][ManagementConnection] New connection established.
[26132 ms] Port forwarding 63459 > 34827 > 34827 stderr: Connection established
[26388 ms] [13:06:56] [127.0.0.1][5655a2f8][ExtensionHostConnection] New connection established.
[26425 ms] [13:06:56] [127.0.0.1][5655a2f8][ExtensionHostConnection] <250> Launched Extension Host Process.
[32331 ms] [13:07:02] Getting Manifest... ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[33009 ms] [13:07:02] Installing extension: ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[13:07:02] Installing the extension without checking dependencies and pack ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[33131 ms] [13:07:02] Extracted extension to /root/.vscode-server-insiders/extensions/.1eafe36a-5761-4868-8244-3416d12fa1b5: ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[33138 ms] [13:07:02] Renamed to /root/.vscode-server-insiders/extensions/ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table-1.0.3
[33142 ms] [13:07:02] Extracting completed. ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[33143 ms] [13:07:02] Extension installed successfully: ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table
[34480 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
[94501 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
[154508 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
[214520 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
[274526 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
[334542 ms] Extensions cache, remote removals: None
Only one package is installed on image build.
Our setup:
Corporate laptop behind a firewall (zscalar) with docker for windows. Installing packages via GUI works without a problem both locally and inside the container.
We have tried this on stable and insiders. Also we have tried from plain windows and wsl.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

This github issue outlines the solution. While I was not getting self signed certificate in certificate chain errors in the console, adding the zscalar.crt in NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS resolved the issue. Extensions are now installing as expected.
I still face a similar issue with another proxy setup and cannot get it to work. Overall the extension installation seems to be very sensitive to certificates and it is still not clear to me if there is a better logging somewhere.