Variable explorer doesn't show variables on remote kernel

Issue Report Checklist

• Searched the issues page for similar reports

did not solve the issue

• Read the relevant sections of the Spyder Troubleshooting Guide and followed its advice
• Reproduced the issue after updating with conda update spyder (or pip, if not using Anaconda)

Spyder was update from 3.3.6 to 4.0.1

• Could not reproduce inside jupyter qtconsole (if console-related)

Not console-related

• Tried basic troubleshooting (if a bug/error)
  • Restarted Spyder
  • Reset preferences with spyder --reset
  • Reinstalled the latest version of Anaconda
  • Tried the other applicable steps from the Troubleshooting Guide
• Completed the Problem Description, Steps to Reproduce and Version sections below

Problem Description

Variable explorer works for a local kernel.

When connected to a remote kernel, the variables only show up in the variable explorer after I shutdown the remote kernel and connect to it again. Clicking the ‘Refresh variables’ did not solve the issue.

The proposed solutions described here and here did not solve the problem

What steps reproduce the problem?

1. Install spyder-kernels on both local machine and remote host
2. python -m spyder_kernels.console on the remote host
3. launch spyder on the local machine
4. connect to the remote host following the information from the [official documentation](python -m spyder_kernels.console)
   1. The connection works i.e. I can run and assign variables on from within the remote host using the spyder installed locally. Variables will only be displayed in the variable explorer if I restart the remote kernel
5. close the remote kernel session
6. open it again, as described above

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?

Produced variables should be displayed on the variable explorer, on the same remote kernel session, not after restarting the remote kernel

Paste Traceback/Error Below (if applicable)

NA - no error message displayed

Versions

• Spyder version: 4.0.1 (local)
• Python version: 3.7.6 (remote host) and 3.7.3 (local)
• Qt version: 5.9.7 (local and remote host)
• PyQt version: 5.9.2 (local and remote host)
• Operating System name/version: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Dependencies

atomicwrites >=1.2.0         :  1.3.0 (OK)
chardet >=2.0.0              :  3.0.4 (OK)
cloudpickle >=0.5.0          :  1.2.2 (OK)
diff_match_patch >=20181111  :  20181111 (OK)
intervaltree                 :  None (OK)
IPython >=4.0                :  7.12.0 (OK)
jedi =0.14.1                 :  0.14.1 (OK)
keyring                      :  None (OK)
nbconvert >=4.0              :  5.6.1 (OK)
numpydoc >=0.6.0             :  0.9.2 (OK)
pexpect >=4.4.0              :  4.8.0 (OK)
pickleshare >=0.4            :  0.7.5 (OK)
psutil >=0.3                 :  5.6.7 (OK)
pygments >=2.0               :  2.5.2 (OK)
pylint >=0.25                :  2.4.4 (OK)
pyls >=0.31.2;<0.32.0        :  0.31.7 (OK)
xdg >=0.26                   :  0.26 (OK)
zmq >=17                     :  18.1.1 (OK)
qdarkstyle >=2.7             :  2.8 (OK)
qtawesome >=0.5.7            :  0.6.1 (OK)
qtconsole >=4.6.0            :  4.6.0 (OK)
qtpy >=1.5.0                 :  1.9.0 (OK)
rtree >=0.8.3                :  0.9.4 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6               :  2.4.0 (OK)
spyder_kernels >=1.8.1;<2.0.0:  1.8.1 (OK)
watchdog                     :  None (OK)
cython >=0.21                :  None (NOK)
matplotlib >=2.0.0           :  3.1.0 (OK)
numpy >=1.7                  :  1.18.1 (OK)
pandas >=0.13.1              :  1.0.1 (OK)
scipy >=0.17.0               :  1.4.1 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3                :  None (NOK)

[ccordoba12]

Hey guys, this is finally solved and it’ll be part of our 4.2.2 version, to be released in February 22nd.

Sorry that it took us so long to fix it, but we hope you enjoy this terrific improvement.

[selahlynch]

SO EXCITED for this fix!! Thank you @ccordoba12 @impact27