JavaScript does not work; the kernel or host throws a null reference exception

Describe the bug

I installed the extension in Visual Studio Code Insiders and I am not able to run a JavaScript interactive cell. Cell test contents:

console.log('test')

Exception copied below.

Please complete the following:

Which version of .NET Interactive are you using? Version: 1.0.132609+29c04d2c9fbbf3b6975d8e76d2abd62097db285b Build date: 2020-06-27T12:53:18.3665518Z

• OS
  • Windows 10
  • macOS
  • Linux (Please specify distro)
  • iOS
  • Android
• Browser
  • Chrome
  • Edge
  • Firefox
  • Safari
• Frontend
  • Jupyter Notebook
  • Jupyter Lab
  • nteract
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Other (please specify)

Exception

Error: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.App.CommandLine.CommandLineParser.<>c__DisplayClass7_0.<SetUpFormatters>b__2(ScriptContent script, TextWriter writer) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\dotnet-interactive\CommandLine\CommandLineParser.cs:line 529
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.AnonymousTypeFormatter`1.Format(T instance, TextWriter writer) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting\AnonymousTypeFormatter{T}.cs:line 27
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.TypeFormatter`1.Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.ITypeFormatter.Format(Object instance, TextWriter writer) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting\TypeFormatter{T}.cs:line 19
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.Formatter`1.FormatTo(T obj, TextWriter writer, String mimeType) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting\Formatter{T}.cs:line 93
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.Formatter.FormatTo[T](T obj, TextWriter writer, String mimeType) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting\Formatter.cs:line 278
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting.Formatter.ToDisplayString(Object obj, String mimeType) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Formatting\Formatter.cs:line 242
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelInvocationContextExtensions.Display(KernelInvocationContext context, Object value, String mimeType) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelInvocationContextExtensions.cs:line 33
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelInvocationContextExtensions.DisplayAsync(KernelInvocationContext context, Object value, String mimeType) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelInvocationContextExtensions.cs:line 20
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.JavaScriptKernel.HandleAsync(SubmitCode command, KernelInvocationContext context) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\JavaScriptKernel.cs:line 24
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Commands.KernelCommand.InvokeAsync(KernelInvocationContext context) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\Commands\KernelCommand.cs:line 48
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Kernel.HandleAsync(KernelCommand command, KernelInvocationContext context) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\Kernel.cs:line 293
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<BuildPipeline>b__6_0(KernelCommand command, KernelInvocationContext context, KernelPipelineContinuation _) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 56
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_1.<<BuildPipeline>b__3>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 74
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.CompositeKernel.LoadExtensions(KernelCommand command, KernelInvocationContext context, KernelPipelineContinuation next) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\CompositeKernel.cs:line 119
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_1.<<BuildPipeline>b__3>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 74
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Kernel.<AddDirectiveMiddlewareAndCommonCommandHandlers>b__21_0(KernelCommand originalCommand, KernelInvocationContext context, KernelPipelineContinuation next) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\Kernel.cs:line 125
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_1.<<BuildPipeline>b__3>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 74
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Kernel.SetKernel(KernelCommand command, KernelInvocationContext context, KernelPipelineContinuation next) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\Kernel.cs:line 221
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_1.<<BuildPipeline>b__3>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 74
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.Kernel.<>c.<<AddCaptureConsoleMiddleware>b__20_0>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\Kernel.cs:line 100
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_0.<<BuildPipeline>g__Combine|2>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 75
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_0.<<BuildPipeline>g__Combine|2>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 75
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_0.<<BuildPipeline>g__Combine|2>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 75
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass6_0.<<BuildPipeline>g__Combine|2>d.MoveNext() in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 75
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive.KernelCommandPipeline.SendAsync(KernelCommand command, KernelInvocationContext context) in F:\workspace\_work\1\s\src\Microsoft.DotNet.Interactive\KernelCommandPipeline.cs:line 48

[jonsequitur]

Also note that you can put both of these into a single cell so that the JavaScript output appears in a more intuitive location:

[cveld]

A small example to work with: