Troubleshooting Microsoft Team Explorer Everywhere: Common Issues and FixesMicrosoft Team Explorer Everywhere (TEE) is the cross-platform extension that enables developers on macOS and Linux to connect to Azure DevOps Server (formerly TFS) and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC). While TEE provides essential integration for non-Windows environments, teams sometimes encounter issues with installation, authentication, workspace mapping, performance, and interoperability. This article walks through common problems, diagnostic steps, and practical fixes to get TEE working reliably.
Table of contents
- Overview and environment considerations
- Installation and update problems
- Authentication and credential failures
- Workspace, mappings, and pending changes issues
- Performance, timeouts, and network problems
- Integration with IDEs (Eclipse, IntelliJ)
- Command-line (tf) tool errors
- Merge, branch, and conflict troubleshooting
- SSL, certificates, and secure connections
- Advanced diagnostics and logging
- Preventive measures and best practices
1. Overview and environment considerations
Team Explorer Everywhere provides a Java-based client and a command-line “tf” client for TFVC. Key environment factors that affect stability:
- Java version and JAVA_HOME configuration
- OS-specific filesystem behavior (case-sensitivity, symlinks, permissions)
- Network (proxies, VPNs, firewalls)
- Server version compatibility (Azure DevOps Services vs. on-premises TFS)
- IDE plugin compatibility (Eclipse/IntelliJ versions and other plugins)
Before deep troubleshooting, verify: Java 8+ is installed and JAVA_HOME points to the correct JDK, you are using a TEE version compatible with your server, and your IDE integration plugin is up-to-date.
2. Installation and update problems
Common symptoms:
- TEE plugin fails to install in Eclipse or IntelliJ
- “Failed to load bundle” or “Incompatible requirement” errors
- The tf command is not found after installation
Fixes:
- Confirm JDK version: run
java -versionand ensure JDK 8 or newer as required by the TEE release. If multiple JDKs exist, set JAVA_HOME and prepend its bin to PATH. - For Eclipse: install via the update site or drop the plugin JAR in the Eclipse dropins folder, then restart with
-cleanargument:eclipse -clean - Check the plugin’s compatibility with your IDE version. Update Eclipse/IntelliJ or use a TEE build that supports your IDE release.
- Ensure the tf command’s bin directory is on PATH, or call it with the absolute path (e.g.,
/path/to/team-explorer-everywhere/tf). - If a prior TEE install exists, remove old plugin files and cached state before reinstalling.
3. Authentication and credential failures
Symptoms:
- Repeated prompts for credentials
- “TF400813: Resource not available for anonymous requests.”
- Token or OAuth failures with Azure DevOps Services
Steps and fixes:
- Choose correct auth method: Azure DevOps Services commonly uses Personal Access Tokens (PAT) or OAuth; older on-premises servers may use Windows/NTLM or basic authentication.
- For PAT: create a PAT in Azure DevOps with appropriate scopes (Code: read/write). Use it as the password when prompted; username can be any non-empty string (commonly your email).
- For NTLM/Kerberos: ensure your workstation is domain-joined and has proper Kerberos tickets. Use kinit (on Linux/macOS) or ensure your environment supports Windows authentication.
- Proxy and single sign-on: proxies may strip auth headers. Configure your IDE/TEE to use proxy settings and, if available, enable NTLM proxy support or provide explicit credentials.
- If using OAuth from IDE, clear cached credentials and re-authenticate. In Eclipse, go to Team Explorer settings and remove stored credentials or token entries.
- For multi-account scenarios, ensure TEE isn’t sending cached credentials for the wrong account—clear the OS credential store entries (Keychain on macOS, gnome-keyring/libsecret on Linux) related to TFS/Azure DevOps.
4. Workspace, mappings, and pending changes issues
Symptoms:
- Workspace cannot be created or workspace creation fails with obscure errors
- Files do not appear in pending changes or changes are not detected
- “The path is already mapped in workspace” or conflicting mappings
Fixes and explanations:
- Understand workspace types: TEE supports server workspaces and local workspaces differently than Visual Studio. Local workspace behavior (detecting changes automatically) depends on file system notifications and the tf client version.
- To resolve mapping conflicts, list workspaces:
tf workspaces /collection:https://dev.azure.com/ORGRemove or edit conflicting mappings via:
tf workspace /delete "WORKSPACENAME;OWNER"or open workspace details and adjust mappings.
- Ensure file permissions allow TEE to write the .tf folder metadata. On *nix, correct ownership and permissions (chown/chmod).
- If pending changes aren’t detected, use:
tf status /recursiveor manually pend edits:
tf edit <file> - On case-sensitive filesystems (macOS with APFS default HFS+ case-insensitive vs. Linux ext4 case-sensitive), ensure no filename-case conflicts exist in repository vs. local copy—TFVC was primarily developed around case-insensitive Windows environments and conflicts can occur.
- When switching branches or updating mappings, run a clean get:
tf get /force /recursiveto ensure server-local consistency.
5. Performance, timeouts, and network problems
Symptoms:
- Slow operations (get, checkin, history)
- Requests timing out or failing intermittently
- Large repository operations hang or consume lots of memory
Diagnostics and fixes:
- Run operations from the command line with verbose logging to isolate UI vs. network issues:
tf get /recursive /noprompt /login:username,password - If behind a proxy, bypass the proxy for internal TFS hosts or configure proxy settings in your environment variables: HTTP_PROXY / HTTPS_PROXY.
- Increase network timeouts if configurable on the client or server. If using Eclipse plugin, check its network settings.
- For large operations, break tasks into smaller batches (get specific folders rather than entire repo).
- Monitor memory usage of the Java process; increase JVM heap for tf if needed by editing startup scripts or plugin VM arguments (e.g., -Xmx).
- Ensure the server’s TFS/DevOps is healthy—server-side slowness (high CPU, DB contention) will affect client behavior.
6. Integration with IDEs (Eclipse, IntelliJ)
Symptoms:
- Team Explorer views not visible or empty in IDE
- IDE hangs during TEE operations
- Merge tools not launching correctly
Fixes:
- Verify plugin versions and compatibility with your IDE release. Update the plugin or the IDE as appropriate.
- Start the IDE with
-clean(Eclipse) to refresh plugin caches:eclipse -clean - Check IDE error logs (Eclipse’s Error Log view or workspace/.metadata/.log) for stack traces; these often point to missing dependencies or ClassNotFound exceptions.
- Configure external merge/diff tool paths in TEE/IDE settings; if using a graphical merge tool, ensure DISPLAY (on Linux) or X forwarding is available.
- If the IDE freezes during TEE actions, capture a thread dump of the Java process (jstack) to inspect blocking calls and file locks.
7. Command-line (tf) tool errors
Common errors and responses:
- “Unable to connect to the specified Team Foundation Server” — verify collection URL, ensure server reachable via ping/curl, and correct protocol (http vs https).
- “TF14001: The argument is not valid” — often a malformed command or path; check command syntax and escape spaces properly.
- “Access denied” — check permission levels for the user on the project/collection and that the PAT or credentials used have required scopes.
- Use
tf –helpandtf <command> /?to view correct syntax. Increase verbosity with any diagnostic flags available.
8. Merge, branch, and conflict troubleshooting
Symptoms:
- Merge fails with unexpected conflicts or incorrect file states
- Checkin blocked due to unresolved changes
Guidance:
- Always sync with server before merging:
tf get /recursiveto avoid missing incoming changes. - Use
tf resolveto list conflicts and perform programmatic resolution. Example:tf resolve /recursive - If merge metadata gets inconsistent, consider shelving changes, undoing local edits, and re-applying after a fresh get.
- For complex merges, perform them in a clean workspace specifically created for the merge to minimize local-state interference.
- Keep a backup of local changes before force operations. Use
tf shelveto store intermediate states on the server.
9. SSL, certificates, and secure connections
Symptoms:
- SSL certificate validation errors (self-signed certs)
- Connection refused when using HTTPS
Fixes:
- For self-signed certificates or internal CA, import the CA certificate into the Java truststore used by TEE:
keytool -import -alias tfs-ca -file ca.pem -keystore $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/cacerts(default password is typically “changeit”)
- If TEE runs under a different Java than system Java, add cert to that JVM’s truststore.
- For temporary testing only, some clients allow disabling certificate validation — avoid this in production.
- Ensure TLS protocol compatibility (TLS 1.2+). Older Java versions or servers with restricted cipher suites may require JVM updates or configuration to enable required TLS versions: Add to JVM args:
-Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1.2
10. Advanced diagnostics and logging
Turn on logs to capture detailed client-side behavior:
- TEE command-line supports verbose or debug flags — enable them when reproducing problems and include logs when seeking support.
- For Eclipse, increase plugin logging and inspect workspace/.metadata/.log or the IDE error view.
- Capture network traces (tcpdump/Wireshark) if suspecting proxy/firewall interference.
- Use Java jstack/jmap/jinfo to capture thread dumps and memory info when the client hangs.
- Record exact tf commands and server responses. Combine server-side logs (TFS/Azure DevOps server application logs) for end-to-end troubleshooting.
11. Preventive measures and best practices
- Keep Java, TEE plugin, and IDE updated to supported versions.
- Use PATs for Azure DevOps Services and scope them minimally.
- Regularly clean up stale workspace mappings on the server.
- For large projects, partition the repository or use sparse mappings to reduce client load.
- Maintain consistent file-naming conventions to avoid case-sensitivity conflicts.
- Automate backups (shelve important local work before risky operations).
- Document environment differences for macOS/Linux developers (symlink behavior, case sensitivity, path lengths).
Quick checklist for troubleshooting
- Is JAVA_HOME set and Java version supported?
- Is the TEE plugin compatible with your IDE and server version?
- Are credentials (PAT/NTLM) correct and not cached incorrectly?
- Are there conflicting workspace mappings on the server?
- Is the network/proxy/SSL configuration allowing connections?
- Have you examined both client logs and server logs for errors?
Troubleshooting TEE often requires combining environment checks (Java, OS), authentication validation (PATs, domain creds), network diagnostics (proxy/SSL), and TFVC workspace consistency. With methodical logging, small-step reproduction (command-line), and use of server logs, most issues can be diagnosed and resolved. If a problem persists, capture verbose client logs, thread dumps, and the exact commands/steps that reproduce the issue before seeking support.
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