Unable to install ms-remote-containers extension

tl-jacob · July 7, 2025, 11:09pm

Describe the Bug

Following up on this forum thread: After upgrading to Cursor v1.2, I uninstalled the Microsoft version of the Dev Containers extension due to a prompt in the Cursor UI. Unfortunately, SSH agent forwarding is broken in the Anysphere version of the extension, and I would like to revert to the Microsoft version.

However, I’m unable to install the Microsoft Dev Containers extension using any of the following methods:

Via the Cursor UI: The Microsoft version no longer appears in the extension marketplace.
Importing local VSCode extensions: I have the Microsoft extension installed in VSCode, but Cursor ignores it and installs the Anysphere version instead.
Manual installation: I tried manually copying the extension and modifying ~/.cursor/extensions/extensions.json, but all commands fail with errors such as:
'remote-containers.rebuildAndReopenInContainer' not found
I’ve repeated all the above steps using Cursor versions v1.0, v1.1, and v1.2 — none were successful.

This issue has completely broken my development workflow.

Steps to Reproduce

See above ^

Expected Behavior

I should be able to use the MS version of the Dev Containers extension.

Operating System

MacOS

Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)

Version: 1.0.1 (Universal)
VSCode Version: 1.96.2
Commit: acbbbeba64d24c74c0ea638295aad36ebf9f4220
Date: 2025-06-09T19:12:00.161Z (4 wks ago)
Electron: 34.5.1
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.19.0
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.1.0

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Yes - Cursor is unusable

tl-jacob · July 10, 2025, 3:56pm

@ravirahman just wanted to flag this since I think that a lot of other users are experiencing this issue.

ravirahman · July 11, 2025, 1:19am

Hi @tl-jacob, unfortunately the VSCode Dev Containers extension is not compatible with Cursor. I’ve responded in Anyspheres Dev Container Extension: Use the Name Property of DevContainers + Allow to Switch Containers - Feature Requests - Cursor - Community Forum with the other issues you’re facing with the Anysphere extension.

tl-jacob · July 11, 2025, 2:07pm

@ravirahaman

unfortunately the VSCode Dev Containers extension is not compatible with Cursor

I was using the VSCode Dev Containers extension with Cursor v1.1 without issues.

I also have a coworker who is using the VSCode Dev Containers extension with Cursor V1.2.1. Unlike me, this coworker didn’t follow the notification to uninstall the vscode version of the extension.

MrSchower · July 15, 2025, 9:24pm

Hi there,

I have the same problem:

Worked before
I followed the notification to uninstall MS Dev Containers and use
can’t connect to the container anymore (using the Anyspheres Dev Container Extension throws error)

Server install command exit code: 1
 Failed to install remote server in container: Error: Couldn't install Cursor Server, install script returned non-zero exit status
Error resolving dev container authority Couldn't install Cursor Server, install script returned non-zero exit statu

=> Using VSCode, I still have no problems connecting to the container…

Do I have to go back to VSCode to be able to work?

ravirahman · July 16, 2025, 6:59am

Hi @MrSchower , could you share the logs from the “Remote - Dev Containers” output console so we can take a closer look at what’s happening?

MrSchower · July 16, 2025, 11:12am

Short term fix:
I fixed the problem resetting my .cursor/extensions directory using my timemachine backup. That made Cursor running again with the MS Extension.

Trigger Error
To trigger the error again, I installed Remote Containers from Anysphere again and removed the MS Remote Containers.

Error:

2025-07-16 08:05:16.824 [info] No remote exec server found for authority: dev-container+xxxxx; using local
2025-07-16 08:05:16.824 [info] Resolving dev container authority 'dev-container+xxxxxx' (attempt #1) container '{"settingType":"container","containerId":"a7151c7f9124"}'
2025-07-16 08:05:16.824 [info] Starting Dev Containers dev-container+xxxxxx
2025-07-16 08:05:16.824 [info] Spawned process 5689: 'docker' 'info'
2025-07-16 08:05:16.824 [info] [docker info]: Running command: docker
2025-07-16 08:05:17.065 [info] [docker info][stderr]: WARNING: daemon is not using the default seccomp profile
2025-07-16 08:05:17.066 [info] [docker info]: Command completed with exit code 0
2025-07-16 08:05:17.066 [info] docker version: Client:
 Version:    28.0.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.9.8
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.21.1-desktop.2
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.33.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.38
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.5
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.17.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 25
  Running: 11
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 14
 Images: 26
 Server Version: 28.0.1
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: bcc810d6b9066471b0b6fa75f557a15a1cbf31bb
 runc version: v1.2.4-0-g6c52b3f
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: unconfined
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.10.14-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: aarch64
 CPUs: 10
 Total Memory: 15.6GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: b59fe652-739f-4c5b-86bc-a88e5a491874
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=unix:///Users/username/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false
2025-07-16 08:05:17.068 [info] Inspecting docker container a7151c7f9124
2025-07-16 08:05:17.068 [info] Spawned process 5744: 'docker' 'inspect' 'a7151c7f9124'
2025-07-16 08:05:17.068 [info] [docker inspect]: Running command: docker
2025-07-16 08:05:17.101 [info] [docker inspect][stderr]: Error: No such object: a7151c7f9124
2025-07-16 08:05:17.102 [error] [docker inspect]: Running command: docker
2025-07-16 08:05:17.103 [error] Error resolving dev container authority [docker inspect] Command failed with exit code 1: stdout: []

MrSchower · July 16, 2025, 11:55am

Just realized that connecting to another docker container seems to work.

After removing the container/image and rebuilding the container which didn’t work, it seem to work now.

IAkumaI · July 22, 2025, 9:26am

Wow. Used this timemachine trick too. Works fine.
Anysphere’s ext doesn’t really works with ssh forwarding and after the upgrade there is not way back.

Zartris · July 28, 2025, 10:59am

I ran into this scenario as well where it worked perfectly fine, but then it prompted me to uninstall the ms version. Now nothing works and I do not have a timemachine laying around. I tried rebuilding the container but still does not work.

I will have to unsubscribe until this is fixed as all our code is depending on dev containers, and i cannot make a hack to “just” make cursor accept the dev container as I am the only one using cursor.

alberto.cartaxo · August 3, 2025, 2:50pm

I’m also facing the same problem. I even tried to install an older version of dev container but cursor automatically updates it, even if auto-update from extension and publisher is turned off. I really hope someone as a solution. My temporary solution is to install and use vscode as we wait for a fix, or cancel cursor.

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