Force a live outdated recompute when the Packages pane Refresh button is clicked

src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronPackages/browser/interfaces/positronPackagesService.ts

@@ -64,14 +64,11 @@ export interface IPositronPackagesService {
 	/**
 	 * Gets the installed packages for the active session.
 	 * @param token Optional cancellation token
+	 * @param forceMetadata When `true`, recompute outdated metadata live for
+	 * every package instead of reusing still-fresh cached state. Set for
+	 * user-initiated refreshes so an explicit Refresh is always authoritative.
 	 */
-	refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]>;
-
-	/**
-	 * Force refresh package metadata, clearing the cache.
-	 * @param token Optional cancellation token
-	 */
-	refreshMetadata(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
+	refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken, forceMetadata?: boolean): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Install packages in the active session.

src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronPackages/browser/positronPackages.contribution.ts

@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ export const PACKAGES_UPDATE_COMMAND_ID = 'positronPackages.updatePackage';
 export const PACKAGES_UPDATE_ALL_COMMAND_ID = 'positronPackages.updateAllPackages';
 export const PACKAGES_UNINSTALL_COMMAND_ID = 'positronPackages.uninstallPackage';
 export const PACKAGES_REFRESH_COMMAND_ID = 'positronPackages.refreshPackages';
-export const PACKAGES_REFRESH_METADATA_COMMAND_ID = 'positronPackages.refreshMetadata';
 
 const PACKAGES_CATEGORY = nls.localize2('packages', 'Packages');
 
@@ -268,7 +267,9 @@ class RefreshPackagesAction extends Action2 {
 				delay: 500
 			}, async () => {
 				try {
-					return await service.refreshPackages(cts.token);
+					// User-initiated refresh: force a live outdated recompute so
+					// the pane can't keep showing stale cached indicators.
+					return await service.refreshPackages(cts.token, true /* forceMetadata */);
 				} catch (error) {
 					notifications.error(cleanErrorMessage(error));
 					throw error;
@@ -626,49 +627,6 @@ class UninstallSelectedPackageAction extends Action2 {
 	}
 }
 
-class RefreshMetadataAction extends Action2 {
-	constructor() {
-		super({
-			id: PACKAGES_REFRESH_METADATA_COMMAND_ID,
-			title: nls.localize2('refreshMetadata', 'Refresh Metadata'),
-			category: PACKAGES_CATEGORY,
-			f1: true,
-			precondition: ContextKeyExpr.and(POSITRON_PACKAGES_ENABLED, PACKAGES_CAN_RUN_ACTION),
-			menu: {
-				id: MenuId.ViewTitle,
-				when: PACKAGES_VIEW_VISIBLE,
-				group: 'packages_metadata',
-				order: 1
-			}
-		});
-	}
-	override async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<void> {
-		const service = accessor.get<IPositronPackagesService>(IPositronPackagesService);
-		const notifications = accessor.get<INotificationService>(INotificationService);
-		const progress = accessor.get<IProgressService>(IProgressService);
-
-		const cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
-
-		try {
-			await progress.withProgress({
-				title: nls.localize('positronPackages.refreshingMetadata', 'Refreshing Package Metadata...'),
-				location: ProgressLocation.Notification,
-				cancellable: true,
-				delay: 500
-			}, async () => {
-				try {
-					await service.refreshMetadata(cts.token);
-				} catch (error) {
-					notifications.error(cleanErrorMessage(error));
-					throw error;
-				}
-			}, () => cts.cancel());
-		} finally {
-			cts.dispose(true);
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 /**
  * Switches the Packages view to the expanded card layout.
  * Only visible in the view title when the view is currently showing compact rows.
@@ -772,7 +730,6 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand(PACKAGES_OPEN_COMMAND_ID,
 
 registerAction2(InstallPackageAction);
 registerAction2(RefreshPackagesAction);
-registerAction2(RefreshMetadataAction);
 registerAction2(UninstallPackageAction);
 registerAction2(UpdatePackageAction);
 registerAction2(UpdateAllPackagesAction);

src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronPackages/browser/positronPackagesInstance.ts

@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ export interface IPositronPackagesInstance {
 	session: ILanguageRuntimeSession;
 	attachRuntime(): void;
 	detachRuntime(): void;
-	refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]>;
-	refreshMetadata(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
+	refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken, forceMetadata?: boolean): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]>;
 	installPackages(packages: IPackageSpec[], token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
 	uninstallPackages(packageNames: string[], token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
 	updatePackages(packages: IPackageSpec[], token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
@@ -182,39 +181,20 @@ export class PositronPackagesInstance extends Disposable implements IPositronPac
 		return packageManager;
 	}
 
-	async refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]> {
+	async refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken, forceMetadata: boolean = false): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]> {
 		const packageManager = this.getPackageManagerOrThrow();
 		const effectiveToken = token ?? CancellationToken.None;
 
 		// Loading
 		this._onDidChangeRefreshState.fire(true);
 		try {
-			await this._refreshPackagesInternal(packageManager, effectiveToken);
+			await this._refreshPackagesInternal(packageManager, effectiveToken, forceMetadata);
 			return this.packages;
 		} finally {
 			this._onDidChangeRefreshState.fire(false);
 		}
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Force refresh metadata for all packages, clearing the cache first.
-	 */
-	async refreshMetadata(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void> {
-		const packageManager = this.getPackageManagerOrThrow();
-		const effectiveToken = token ?? CancellationToken.None;
-
-		if (!packageManager.getPackageMetadata || this._packages.length === 0) {
-			return;
-		}
-
-		// Cancel any in-flight fetch before clearing the cache so a stale
-		// fetch from refreshPackages can't repopulate it after the clear.
-		this._metadataFetch?.cancel();
-		this._metadataCache.clear();
-
-		await this._fetchAndMergeMetadata(packageManager, effectiveToken, true /* fetchAll */);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Internal helper to refresh packages with two-stage metadata fetch.
 	 * Stage 1: Get basic packages and fire event immediately (with cached metadata).
@@ -223,20 +203,23 @@ export class PositronPackagesInstance extends Disposable implements IPositronPac
 	private async _refreshPackagesInternal(
 		packageManager: ReturnType<typeof this.getPackageManagerOrThrow>,
 		token: CancellationToken,
+		forceMetadata: boolean = false,
 	): Promise<void> {
 		// Stage 1: Get basic package list and fire event (getter merges cached metadata)
 		this._packages = await packageManager.getPackages(token);
 		this._onDidRefreshPackagesInstance.fire(this.packages);
 
-		// Stage 2: Fetch metadata asynchronously (don't block). When the
-		// persisted entry has aged past its freshness window, refetch every
-		// package so a new upstream release surfaces even though nothing
-		// installed locally changed; otherwise only the packages without a
-		// fresh cache hit are fetched (and a fully-fresh warm start makes no
-		// network call at all). Use CancellationToken.None since this runs
-		// after the main operation completes.
+		// Stage 2: Fetch metadata asynchronously (don't block). Refetch every
+		// package when `forceMetadata` is set (a user-initiated refresh, which
+		// must be authoritative even inside the freshness window) or when the
+		// persisted entry has aged past its freshness window (so a new upstream
+		// release surfaces even though nothing installed locally changed);
+		// otherwise only the packages without a fresh cache hit are fetched
+		// (and a fully-fresh warm start makes no network call at all). Use
+		// CancellationToken.None since this runs after the main operation
+		// completes.
 		if (packageManager.getPackageMetadata && this._packages.length > 0) {
-			const fetchAll = !this._cache.isFresh(this._runtimeId);
+			const fetchAll = forceMetadata || !this._cache.isFresh(this._runtimeId);
 			this._fetchAndMergeMetadata(packageManager, CancellationToken.None, fetchAll);
 		}
 	}

src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronPackages/browser/positronPackagesService.ts

@@ -218,27 +218,18 @@ export class PositronPackagesService extends Disposable implements IPositronPack
 		this._onDidChangeItemSize.fire(itemSize);
 	}
 
-	async refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]> {
+	async refreshPackages(token?: CancellationToken, forceMetadata?: boolean): Promise<ILanguageRuntimePackage[]> {
 		const instance = this._activeInstance;
 		if (instance) {
 			return await Promise.race([
-				instance.refreshPackages(token),
+				instance.refreshPackages(token, forceMetadata),
 				timeout(TIMEOUT_REFRESH_MS).then(() => { throw new Error('Package refresh timed out'); })
 			]);
 		}
 
 		throw new Error('No active session found.');
 	}
 
-	async refreshMetadata(token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void> {
-		const instance = this._activeInstance;
-		if (instance) {
-			return await instance.refreshMetadata(token);
-		}
-
-		throw new Error('No active session found.');
-	}
-
 	async installPackages(packages: IPackageSpec[], token?: CancellationToken): Promise<void> {
 		const instance = this._activeInstance;
 		if (instance) {

src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronPackages/test/browser/positronPackagesInstance.vitest.ts

@@ -117,6 +117,31 @@ describe('PositronPackagesInstance disk-cache integration', () => {
 		expect(getPackageMetadata).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
+	it('forces a live refetch on a fresh, fully-covered entry when forceMetadata is set', async () => {
+		// Mirror of the "makes no network call" test above: same fresh, fully-
+		// covered entry, but forceMetadata flips it from re-rendering cache to a
+		// live refetch. The cache flags numpy as outdated; the repository has
+		// since caught up, so the live fetch reports it current.
+		seed({
+			numpy: { version: '1.26.0', outdated: true, latestVersion: '2.0.0' },
+			pandas: { version: '2.0.0', outdated: false },
+		}, 1 * HOUR_MS);
+		getPackageMetadata.mockResolvedValue(new Map<string, Partial<ILanguageRuntimePackage>>([
+			['numpy', { outdated: false }],
+			['pandas', { outdated: false }],
+		]));
+
+		const instance = makeInstance();
+		const fires = waitForEvents(instance.onDidRefreshPackagesInstance, 2);
+		await instance.refreshPackages(CancellationToken.None, true /* forceMetadata */);
+		const [, stage2] = await fires;
+
+		// The forced Stage 2 refetches every package (not just uncached ones, as
+		// a non-forced refresh of a fresh entry would) and clears the stale flag.
+		expect(getPackageMetadata).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['numpy', 'pandas'], expect.anything());
+		expect(stage2.find(p => p.name === 'numpy')?.outdated).toBe(false);
+	});
+
 	it('renders a stale entry then refetches every package', async () => {
 		seed({ numpy: { version: '1.26.0', outdated: true, latestVersion: '2.0.0' } }, 25 * HOUR_MS);