error starting LSP client: nil

[georgeharker]

Between the beta branch and master there appears to be some sort of issue.

I'm on Neovim 0.11 and I get error on startup "error starting LSP client: nil". On beta I do not.

What's odd is that the lsp client appears to have started and LSPInfo shows it. I've tried binary and nodejs for the server type - same either way.

This doesn't seem to happen on 0.10.5 - same configs, but in fairness that's a debian install and i'm on osx usually.

I don' think this has to do with downloading the binary - it seems to do that fine and I can run the downloaded js or binary fine.

I've enabled logging and when it fails it looks like this:

2025-04-03 09:09:00.061 [1] [DEBUG]: active plugin config:
{
  config = {
    copilot_node_command = "node",
    filetypes = {
      ["."] = false,
      cvs = false,
      gitcommit = false,
      gitrebase = false,
      help = false,
      hgcommit = false,
      markdown = false,
      svn = false,
      yaml = false
    },
    logger = {
      file = "/Users/geohar/.local/state/nvim/copilot-lua.log",
      file_log_level = 0,
      log_lsp_messages = false,
      print_log_level = 3,
      trace_lsp = "verbose",
      trace_lsp_progress = false
    },
    panel = {
      auto_refresh = false,
      enabled = false,
      keymap = {
        accept = "<CR>",
        jump_next = "]]",
        jump_prev = "[[",
        open = "<M-CR>",
        refresh = "gr"
      },
      layout = {
        position = "bottom",
        ratio = 0.4
      }
    },
    root_dir = <function 1>,
    server = {
      type = "binary"
    },
    server_opts_overrides = {},
    should_attach = <function 2>,
    suggestion = {
      auto_trigger = false,
      debounce = 75,
      enabled = true,
      hide_during_completion = true,
      keymap = {
        accept = "<M-l>",
        accept_line = false,
        accept_word = false,
        dismiss = "<C-]>",
        next = "<M-]>",
        prev = "<M-[>"
      }
    },
    workspace_folders = {}
  },
  get_root_dir = <function 3>,
  setup = <function 4>
}
2025-04-03 09:09:00.062 [2] [DEBUG]: active LSP config (may change runtime):
{
  capabilities = {
    general = {
      positionEncodings = { "utf-8", "utf-16", "utf-32" }
    },
    textDocument = {
      callHierarchy = {
        dynamicRegistration = false
      },
      codeAction = {
        codeActionLiteralSupport = {
          codeActionKind = {
            valueSet = { "", "quickfix", "refactor", "refactor.extract", "refactor.inline", "refactor.rewrite", "source", "source.organizeImports" }
          }
        },
        dataSupport = true,
        dynamicRegistration = true,
        isPreferredSupport = true,
        resolveSupport = {
          properties = { "edit", "command" }
        }
      },
      codeLens = {
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        resolveSupport = {
          properties = { "command" }
        }
      },
      completion = {
        completionItem = {
          commitCharactersSupport = false,
          deprecatedSupport = true,
          documentationFormat = { "markdown", "plaintext" },
          preselectSupport = false,
          resolveSupport = {
            properties = { "additionalTextEdits", "command" }
          },
          snippetSupport = true,
          tagSupport = {
            valueSet = { 1 }
          }
        },
        completionItemKind = {
          valueSet = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 }
        },
        completionList = {
          itemDefaults = { "editRange", "insertTextFormat", "insertTextMode", "data" }
        },
        contextSupport = true,
        dynamicRegistration = false
      },
      declaration = {
        linkSupport = true
      },
      definition = {
        dynamicRegistration = true,
        linkSupport = true
      },
      diagnostic = {
        dynamicRegistration = false
      },
      documentHighlight = {
        dynamicRegistration = false
      },
      documentSymbol = {
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        hierarchicalDocumentSymbolSupport = true,
        symbolKind = {
          valueSet = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 }
        }
      },
      foldingRange = {
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        foldingRange = {
          collapsedText = true
        },
        lineFoldingOnly = true
      },
      formatting = {
        dynamicRegistration = true
      },
      hover = {
        contentFormat = { "markdown", "plaintext" },
        dynamicRegistration = true
      },
      implementation = {
        linkSupport = true
      },
      inlayHint = {
        dynamicRegistration = true,
        resolveSupport = {
          properties = { "textEdits", "tooltip", "location", "command" }
        }
      },
      publishDiagnostics = {
        dataSupport = true,
        relatedInformation = true,
        tagSupport = {
          valueSet = { 1, 2 }
        }
      },
      rangeFormatting = {
        dynamicRegistration = true,
        rangesSupport = true
      },
      references = {
        dynamicRegistration = false
      },
      rename = {
        dynamicRegistration = true,
        prepareSupport = true
      },
      semanticTokens = {
        augmentsSyntaxTokens = true,
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        formats = { "relative" },
        multilineTokenSupport = false,
        overlappingTokenSupport = true,
        requests = {
          full = {
            delta = true
          },
          range = false
        },
        serverCancelSupport = false,
        tokenModifiers = { "declaration", "definition", "readonly", "static", "deprecated", "abstract", "async", "modification", "documentation", "defaultLibrary" },
        tokenTypes = { "namespace", "type", "class", "enum", "interface", "struct", "typeParameter", "parameter", "variable", "property", "enumMember", "event", "function", "method", "macro", "keyword", "modifier", "comment", "string", "number", "regexp", "operator", "decorator" }
      },
      signatureHelp = {
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        signatureInformation = {
          activeParameterSupport = true,
          documentationFormat = { "markdown", "plaintext" },
          parameterInformation = {
            labelOffsetSupport = true
          }
        }
      },
      synchronization = {
        didSave = true,
        dynamicRegistration = false,
        willSave = true,
        willSaveWaitUntil = true
      },
      typeDefinition = {
        linkSupport = true
      }
    },
    window = {
      showDocument = {
        support = true
      },
      showMessage = {
        messageActionItem = {
          additionalPropertiesSupport = true
        }
      },
      workDoneProgress = true
    },
    workspace = {
      workspaceFolders = true
    }
  },
  cmd = { "/Users/geohar/.local/share/nvim/lazy/copilot.lua/copilot/darwin-arm64/copilot-language-server-1.296.0", "--stdio" },
  get_language_id = <function 1>,
  handlers = {
    ["$/logTrace"] = <function 2>,
    PanelSolution = <function 3>,
    PanelSolutionsDone = <function 4>,
    statusNotification = <function 5>,
    ["window/showDocument"] = <function 6>
  },
  init_options = {
    editorInfo = {
      name = "Neovim",
      version = "0.11.0"
    },
    editorPluginInfo = {
      name = "copilot.lua",
      version = "1.296.0"
    }
  },
  name = "copilot",
  on_exit = <function 7>,
  on_init = <function 8>,
  root_dir = "/Users/geohar",
  settings = {
    telemetry = {
      telemetryLevel = "all"
    }
  },
  workspace_folders = { {
      name = "/Users/geohar",
      uri = "file:///Users/geohar"
    } }
}
2025-04-03 09:09:00.064 [3] [ERROR]: error starting LSP client: nil

[georgeharker]

This actually appears to be related to auth method.

An auth token generated by gh auth token and set in GH_COPILOT_TOKEN or GITHUB_COPILOT_TOKEN does not work, whereas using the GitHub.com/device/login method does. I've tried regenerating a new token, but that still fails.

[AntoineGS]

Thank you for figuring out the root cause!
I will work on a fix :)

[AntoineGS]

In the current version, it seems that using :Copilot auth when you have the token env variable set works.
However it does not autologin so I am investigating that part, would you mind doing a test to see if you get the same result with :Copilot auth?

[georgeharker]

I can confirm that if the env bars are not set and I use copilot with things work fine.

[georgeharker]

I'll investigate if this works now with copilot auth and the env bars set (it didn't before)

[georgeharker]

If I have GH_COPILOT_TOKEN set I still get the lsp null error at startup and doing Copilot auth claims it's authenticated with the the environment variable, but doesn't work.

[AntoineGS]

So I still cannot replicate the nil error, however throughout my tests (and asking tpope maintainer of copilot.vim) that the token generated by the gh cli tool is not compatible with Copilot.
I have updated the documentation to reflect this, and added a new command to get the token out of the configuration file created when running :Copilot auth.
I am unsure if it fixes your issue or not though.

[cxwx]

nvim 0.11 same issue
[Copilot.lua] LSP client failed to start (no client ID returned)

[AntoineGS]

Are you also on OSX?
Can you try both with the config server.type = binary and server.type = nodejs?

[cxwx]

yes osx, type= nodejs default cause this problem
type = binary will downloading the binary, But I've install the copilot-language-server using Mason and set it to env PATH, not sure why

[cxwx]

if set type = binary
It cause the same [Copilot.lua] LSP client failed to start (no client ID returned) when reopen the neovim
I got the binary file

~/software/nvim/lazy/plugins/copilot.lua/copilot/darwin-arm64

I've change the plugins directory from ~/.local/share/nvim/plugins to ~/software/nvim/lazy/plugins/

Does this cause the problem?

[AntoineGS]

Hmm, not sure.
Try downloading it from the official LSP repo and setting the path manually.
I described how to do it here on another Issue.

[cxwx]

Hmm, not sure. Try downloading it from the official LSP repo and setting the path manually. I described how to do it here on another Issue.

Download from https://github.com/github/copilot-language-server-release/releases/tag/1.298.0
still not works,

[AntoineGS]

What happens if you run it directly from the command line?
Like: ./copilot-language-server-1.298.0 --stdio for the binary and node language-server.js --stdio?
Do you got an error or does it just 'wait' with no message and you need to press CTRL-C to cancel the execution?

[georgeharker]

If I run the language server it just waits and I have to ctrl-C, that happens with or without the env var set.

Same on node and binary.

I can successfully use the permanent login method, following the steps for the env based approach however, results in the same thing - no idea why, but for now, I'll just use the permanent method.

[AntoineGS]

This one bugs me as I have no idea why it behaves this way in your environment :(
If ever I stumble on something I will report back here, though without a way to reproduce it I do not see how I can investigate further.
I even set up automated tests with OSX hoping it would break but it passed all my tests.

[georgeharker]

I wonder if it's because I have GH_TOKEN set also (for other purposes)

[cxwx]

If I run the language server it just waits and I have to ctrl-C, that happens with or without the env var set.

Same on node and binary.

I can successfully use the permanent login method, following the steps for the env based approach however, results in the same thing - no idea why, but for now, I'll just use the permanent method.

same

[cxwx]

seems worked now, I'm not sure what changes

[garrett-hopper]

FWIW, I was getting this as a race condition on about half of Nvim starts. Adding event = "VeryLazy" to my Lazy.nvim config fixed the race condition. Not quite sure what it was racing with exactly though. 🤷

Specifically this error: [Copilot.lua] LSP client failed to start (no client ID returned)

[raphaelhovsepyan]

I had lazy = false in avante config, setting it to true fixed the issue for me