Imamu Frazier • 3 months ago
Issues using Bob
I followed the IBM docs very closely, but I am still unable to use IBM Bob with the following error every time I send a query: "Request Failed
Error while calling Bob's backend service." I will reach out to IBM Support, but if anyone has encountered this I would appreciate your fix suggestions.
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2 comments
Janet Fang Manager • 2 months ago
We're checking with the IBM team on this!
Janet Fang Manager • about 1 month ago
This error is a known issue, often caused by a stuck background authentication process or a corrupted local database state [1]. Before waiting on IBM Support, you can try a series of quick fixes to get your workspace back in sync.
First, try signing out of IBM Bob, closing your IDE, and then signing back in [1]. If the error persists, restart your computer completely, which will force-terminate any background authentication processes that may have become stuck in your system memory [1].
If a basic restart does not resolve the issue, you will need to perform a clean application reset to wipe any corrupted local files [1]. You can execute a full reset by following the official IBM Bob guide at https://bob.ibm.com/docs/ide/troubleshooting/ts-reset-application. Please be aware that resetting clears your local settings and states, so you will need to reconfigure any custom MCP connections afterward [1].
Additionally, depending on your operating system, security policies might block backend calls. On Windows, ensure that VS Code's "Workspace Trust" is explicitly granted for your workspace directory, as "Restricted Mode" blocks extension communication [8]. On macOS, navigate to your Applications directory, locate IBM Bob > Contents > bob-code, and confirm your user account has read and write permissions applied to all nested folders [9].
Finally, if none of these steps clear the error, please collect your Task ID, the approximate time of the failure, and your Bob logs (accessible using /logs or at ~/.bob/logs/shell/) [1]. Sharing these details on the official GitHub issue tracker at https://github.com/IBM/ibm-bob/issues will allow the backend team to inspect your session directly [1].