gh-cadrianmae-claude-marketplace-plugins-code-pointer/skills/code-pointer/references/troubleshooting.md

Troubleshooting VSCode CLI

Common issues, error messages, and solutions.

Command Not Found

Error: bash: code: command not found

Cause: VSCode CLI not installed in PATH

Solution:

1. Open VSCode
2. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
3. Run: "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"
4. Restart terminal

Verify installation:

which code
# Should output: /usr/local/bin/code (or similar)

Wrong Line/Column Position

Problem: Cursor not at expected position

Causes:

• Line numbers are 1-indexed (line 1 is first line, not 0)
• Column numbers are 0-indexed (column 0 is first character)
• Verify your line/column counting

Examples:

# First line, first character
code -g file.js:1:0  # ✓ Correct
code -g file.js:0:0  # ❌ Goes to line 1 anyway

# Fifth line, eleventh character
code -g file.js:5:10  # ✓ Correct
code -g file.js:5:11  # ❌ Off by one

File Opens But Position Ignored

Problem: File opens but cursor is at wrong location

Possible Causes:

1. Syntax Error:

code -g file.js 42      # ❌ Missing colon
code -g file.js:42      # ✓ Correct

2. File Doesn't Exist:

# Check file exists first
[[ -f "file.js" ]] && code -g file.js:42

3. Line/Column Out of Bounds:

# If file has 50 lines and you specify line 100,
# cursor moves to last line instead
code -g file.js:100  # Goes to line 50 (last line)

Path Not Found

Problem: Error: Unable to resolve nonexistent file

Causes:

1. Relative Path from Wrong Directory:

# Current dir: /home/user/
code -g project/src/app.js:42  # ✓ Works if project/src/app.js exists

# Current dir: /home/user/other/
code -g project/src/app.js:42  # ❌ Fails - wrong directory

2. Spaces Not Quoted:

code -g my project/file.js:10  # ❌ Fails
code -g "my project/file.js:10"  # ✓ Works

Solution: Use absolute paths

ABS_PATH="$(cd "$(dirname "$FILE")" && pwd)/$(basename "$FILE")"
code -g "$ABS_PATH:42"

Multiple Windows Opening

Problem: Too many VSCode windows opening unexpectedly

Cause: Using -n flag repeatedly

Solutions:

# Use -r to reuse existing window
code -r -g file.js:10

# Or omit -n flag (reuses window by default)
code -g file.js:10

Column Position Beyond Line Length

Problem: Specified column exceeds actual line length

Behavior: Cursor moves to end of line instead

Example:

# Line 10 has 30 characters
code -g file.js:10:50  # Goes to column 30 (end of line)

Not an Error: This is expected behavior, VSCode handles it gracefully

File Opens in Wrong VSCode Instance

Problem: File opens in unexpected VSCode window

Solutions:

1. Force New Window:

code -n -g file.js:10

2. Specify Profile:

code --profile my-profile -g file.js:10

3. Use Specific Data Directory:

code --user-data-dir ~/.vscode-work -g file.js:10

Asynchronous Opening Issues

Problem: Script continues before file is open

Behavior: code command returns immediately, file may not be fully opened

Solutions:

1. Use -w flag to wait:

code -w -g file.js:10
# Script waits until user closes file

2. Add delay if needed:

code -g file.js:10
sleep 1  # Give VSCode time to open

Permission Denied

Problem: Error: EACCES: permission denied

Causes:

• File doesn't have read permissions
• Directory doesn't have execute permissions

Solutions:

# Check file permissions
ls -l file.js

# Fix if needed
chmod 644 file.js  # Read/write for owner, read for others
chmod 755 directory/  # Execute permission for directory

VSCode Opens But Shows Error

Problem: VSCode opens but displays error about file

Common Errors:

1. "Unable to open file" - File path is incorrect
2. "File is a directory" - Path points to directory, not file
3. "Binary file" - File is not a text file

Validation Before Opening:

if [[ -f "$FILE_PATH" ]]; then
    code -g "$FILE_PATH:$LINE"
else
    echo "Error: Not a file: $FILE_PATH"
fi