Portable version of VSCode uses absolute path for location entry in data\extensions\extensions.json

[daixtrose]

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

• VS Code Version: 1.88.1
• OS Version: Windows 11

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Unzip the portable version of VSCode to an arbitrary empty directory (e.g. C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1)
2. Create a new directory data in this directory, i.e. C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1\data
3. Install some extensions
4. Check the content of the file data\extensions\extensions.json, i.e. C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1\data\extensions\extensions.json

Expected Behavior

A relocatable configuration file

Actual Behavior

The configuration file contains full paths to the installed extensions. This renders the data directory feature useless for pre-installing stuff, then distributing it to other users, and this is a true PITA.

[
    {
        "identifier": {
            "id": "ms-vscode.remote-explorer",
            "uuid": "11858313-52cc-4e57-b3e4-d7b65281e34b"
        },
        "version": "0.4.3",
        "location": {
            "$mid": 1,
            "path": "/C:/Users/<username>/Downloads/VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1/data/extensions/ms-vscode.remote-explorer-0.4.3",
            "scheme": "file"
        },
        "relativeLocation": "ms-vscode.remote-explorer-0.4.3",
        "metadata": {
            "id": "11858313-52cc-4e57-b3e4-d7b65281e34b",
            "publisherId": "5f5636e7-69ed-4afe-b5d6-8d231fb3d3ee",
            "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
            "targetPlatform": "undefined",
            "updated": false,
            "isPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "hasPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "installedTimestamp": 1713161142173,
            "pinned": false,
            "source": "gallery"
        }
    },
    {
        "identifier": {
            "id": "ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack",
            "uuid": "23d72dfc-8dd1-4e30-926e-8783b4378f13"
        },
        "version": "0.25.0",
        "location": {
            "$mid": 1,
            "path": "/C:/Users/<username>/Downloads/VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1/data/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack-0.25.0",
            "scheme": "file"
        },
        "relativeLocation": "ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack-0.25.0",
        "metadata": {
            "id": "23d72dfc-8dd1-4e30-926e-8783b4378f13",
            "publisherId": "ac9410a2-0d75-40ec-90de-b59bb705801d",
            "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
            "targetPlatform": "undefined",
            "updated": false,
            "isPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "hasPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "installedTimestamp": 1713161142134,
            "pinned": false,
            "source": "gallery"
        }
    },
    ...

Requested Behavior

Remove directory path of extensions.json (i.e. /C:/Users/<username>/Downloads/VSCode-win32-x64-1.88.1/data/extensions/) from all location.path entries and remove the entry relativeLocation

[
    {
        "identifier": {
            "id": "ms-vscode.remote-explorer",
            "uuid": "11858313-52cc-4e57-b3e4-d7b65281e34b"
        },
        "version": "0.4.3",
        "location": {
            "$mid": 1,
            "path": "ms-vscode.remote-explorer-0.4.3",
            "scheme": "file"
        },
        "metadata": {
            "id": "11858313-52cc-4e57-b3e4-d7b65281e34b",
            "publisherId": "5f5636e7-69ed-4afe-b5d6-8d231fb3d3ee",
            "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
            "targetPlatform": "undefined",
            "updated": false,
            "isPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "hasPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "installedTimestamp": 1713161142173,
            "pinned": false,
            "source": "gallery"
        }
    },
    {
        "identifier": {
            "id": "ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack",
            "uuid": "23d72dfc-8dd1-4e30-926e-8783b4378f13"
        },
        "version": "0.25.0",
        "location": {
            "$mid": 1,
            "path": "ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack-0.25.0",
            "scheme": "file"
        },
        "metadata": {
            "id": "23d72dfc-8dd1-4e30-926e-8783b4378f13",
            "publisherId": "ac9410a2-0d75-40ec-90de-b59bb705801d",
            "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
            "targetPlatform": "undefined",
            "updated": false,
            "isPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "hasPreReleaseVersion": false,
            "installedTimestamp": 1713161142134,
            "pinned": false,
            "source": "gallery"
        }
    },
    ...

[sandy081]

relativeLocation is what used when loading the extensions and absolute location is not used and of no importance here. So the portable VS Code should show the installed extensions when you move it to different device. Agreed that not storing absolute location in portable mode is clean.