Intellisense inifinitely tries to index folders that don't exist

[Terbold]

Environment

• OS and Version: Macbook Pro Sonoma 14.0
• VS Code Version: 1.98.1
• C/C++ Extension Version: 1.24.2
• If using SSH remote, specify OS of remote machine: N/A

Bug Summary and Steps to Reproduce

Bug Summary:
Latest Intellisense version is looping trying to index folders that don't exist. Since the latest update, anytime I make a change to any C++ file and intellisense needs to rescan, it gets stuck in a loop for about 5-10 minutes trying to index a bunch of folders that do not exist and is barely functional. Reverting to last stable release is required.

Expected behavior:
Before the latest prerelease update, these errors did not appear and intellisense runs smoothly.

This log repeats every 1-2 seconds until the service gives up I guess
intellisense_log.txt

Configuration and Logs

config for unreal engine project:
{
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "rubidium_roomsEditor Editor Mac Development (rubidium_rooms)",
            "compilerPath": "/usr/bin/clang++",
            "compilerArgs": [
                "-isysroot",
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk"
            ],
            "macFrameworkPath": [
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks"
            ],
            "cStandard": "c17",
            "cppStandard": "c++20",
            "intelliSenseMode": "clang-x64",
            "includePath": [
                "${workspaceFolder}/Intermediate/**",
                "${workspaceFolder}/Plugins/**",
                "${workspaceFolder}/Source/**"
            ],
            "compileCommands": [
                "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms.json"
            ]
        },
        {
            "name": "Mac",
            "compilerPath": "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
            "compilerArgs": [
                "-isysroot",
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk"
            ],
            "macFrameworkPath": [
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks"
            ],
            "cStandard": "c17",
            "cppStandard": "c++20",
            "intelliSenseMode": "clang-x64",
            "includePath": [
                "${workspaceFolder}/Intermediate/**",
                "${workspaceFolder}/Plugins/**",
                "${workspaceFolder}/Source/**"
            ],
            "compileCommands": [
                "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_Default.json"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "version": 4
}

config for unreal engine source:
{
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "rubidium_roomsEditor Editor Mac Development (rubidium_rooms)",
            "compilerPath": "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
            "compilerArgs": [
                "-isysroot",
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk"
            ],
            "macFrameworkPath": [
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks"
            ],
            "cStandard": "c17",
            "cppStandard": "c++20",
            "intelliSenseMode": "clang-x64",
            "includePath": [ 
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Source/**",
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Intermediate/**",
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Plugins/**"
            ],
            "compileCommands": [
                "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms.json"
            ]
        },
        {
            "name": "Mac",
            "compilerPath": "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
            "compilerArgs": [
                "-isysroot",
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk"
            ],
            "macFrameworkPath": [
                "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks"
            ],
            "cStandard": "c17",
            "cppStandard": "c++20",
            "intelliSenseMode": "clang-x64",
            "includePath": [ 
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Source/**",
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Intermediate/**",
              "${workspaceFolder}/Engine/Plugins/**"
            ],
            "compileCommands": [
                "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/.vscode/compileCommands_Default.json"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "version": 4
}

Other Extensions

No response

Additional context

No response

[sean-mcmanus]

@Terbold This doesn't repro with 1.24.1, right?

[sean-mcmanus]

@Terbold Are you able to create a more minimal repro? i.e. are you able to repro it without compileCommands set? Otherwise, if compileCommands is required, are you able to provide a minimal compileCommands that repros it?

[sean-mcmanus]

@Terbold Do you know where the paths that can't be found like /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/Engine/VNI are coming from? Are they in the compileCommands?

[sean-mcmanus]

@Terbold Also, which config is being used Mac or rubidium_roomsEditor Editor Mac Development (rubidium_rooms)

[Terbold]

This issue does not appear on 1.24.1

I don't think I am able to reduce the unreal engine repo, but I can provide a sample of the compile commands, it seems this is where the ghost directories are being included.

The first configuration is used, rubidium_roomsEditor Editor Mac Development (rubidium_rooms)

compileCommands_rubidium_rooms.json

	{
		"file": "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/Source/rubidium_rooms/Abilities/AbilityBase.cpp",
		"arguments": [
			"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
			"@/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms/rubidium_rooms.1.rsp"
		],
		"directory": "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Source"
	},
	{
		"file": "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/Source/rubidium_rooms/Abilities/AbilityBase.h",
		"arguments": [
			"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
			"@/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms/rubidium_rooms.1.rsp"
		],
		"directory": "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Source"
	},
	{
		"file": "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/Source/rubidium_rooms/Abilities/AbilityComponentBase.cpp",
		"arguments": [
			"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
			"@/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms/rubidium_rooms.1.rsp"
		],
		"directory": "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Source"
	},
	{
		"file": "/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/Source/rubidium_rooms/Abilities/AbilityComponentBase.h",
		"arguments": [
			"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++",
			"@/Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/.vscode/compileCommands_rubidium_rooms/rubidium_rooms.1.rsp"
		],
		"directory": "/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Source"
	},
...

Each unreal engine module has an rsp file associated with it which include the necessary include files. I'm not sure if intellisense parsed these previously, but I've never had issues with intellisense autocomplete beforehand.

rubidium_rooms.1.rsp.txt

[Terbold]

In 1.24.1, the startup log for intellisense looks like this:

loggingLevel: Information
cpptools version (TypeScript): 1.24.1
cpptools version (native): 1.24.1.0
Autocomplete is enabled.
Error squiggles are enabled if all header dependencies are resolved.
Hover is enabled.
IntelliSense Engine = default.
Autocomplete is enabled.
Error squiggles are enabled if all header dependencies are resolved.
Hover is enabled.
IntelliSense Engine = default.
Querying compiler for default C++ language standard using command line: /usr/bin/clang -x c++ -E -dM /dev/null
Compiler returned default language standard version: c++98. Since this version is old, will try to use newer version c++17 as default.
Querying compiler's default target using command line: "/usr/bin/clang" -dumpmachine
Compiler returned default target value: arm64-apple-darwin23.0.0
Querying compiler for default C++ language standard using command line: /usr/bin/clang++ -x c++ -E -dM /dev/null
Compiler returned default language standard version: c++98. Since this version is old, will try to use newer version c++17 as default.
Querying compiler's default target using command line: "/usr/bin/clang++" -dumpmachine
Compiler returned default target value: arm64-apple-darwin23.0.0
  Folder: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include will be indexed
  Folder: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/include will be indexed
  Folder: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/lib/clang/15.0.0/include will be indexed
  Folder: /Users/jarroda/Documents/Unreal Projects/rubidium_rooms/Source will be indexed
...

In 1.24.2, the startup log encounters the issue before building the list of folders to index

loggingLevel: 5
cpptools version (TypeScript): 1.24.2
cpptools version (native): 1.24.2.0
Autocomplete is enabled.
Error squiggles are enabled if all header dependencies are resolved.
Hover is enabled.
IntelliSense Engine = default.
Autocomplete is enabled.
Error squiggles are enabled if all header dependencies are resolved.
Hover is enabled.
IntelliSense Engine = default.
Querying compiler for default C++ language standard using command line: /usr/bin/clang -x c++ -E -dM /dev/null
Compiler returned default language standard version: c++98. Since this version is old, will try to use newer version c++17 as default.
Querying compiler's default target using command line: "/usr/bin/clang" -dumpmachine
Compiler returned default target value: arm64-apple-darwin23.0.0
Querying compiler for default C++ language standard using command line: /usr/bin/clang++ -x c++ -E -dM /dev/null
Compiler returned default language standard version: c++98. Since this version is old, will try to use newer version c++17 as default.
Querying compiler's default target using command line: "/usr/bin/clang++" -dumpmachine
Compiler returned default target value: arm64-apple-darwin23.0.0
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/Engine/VNI. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/Core/UHT. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/Core/VNI. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/TraceLog/UHT. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/TraceLog/VNI. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/CoreOnline/VNI. error = -1
  Unable to retrieve file system information for /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.4/Engine/Intermediate/Build/Mac/UnrealEditor/Inc/CoreUObject/VNI. error = -1
...

Eventually it gets to indexing list, after a couple minutes of erroring