Tramp hangs on 'Sending password' whenever ESS is active

Question

Tramp has been hanging on 'Sending password' for me whenever I try to use it. This includes the simplest test case of C-x C-f /sudo::/etc/hosts.

After some trial-and-error with my .emacs, it looks like the problem occurs if and only if ESS is active. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out anything more than that. Debug log output from trying to do /sudo::/etc/hosts is below; any help would be greatly appreciated!

;; GNU Emacs: 25.1.1 Tramp: 2.2.13.25.1 -*- mode: outline; -*-
00:03:58.670758 tramp-maybe-open-connection (3) # Opening connection for [email protected] using sudo...
00:03:58.690581 tramp-maybe-open-connection (6) # /bin/sh -i
00:03:58.694982 tramp-wait-for-regexp (6) # 
#$ 
00:03:58.719429 tramp-maybe-open-connection (3) # Sending command ‘exec env SHELL=/bin/sh sudo -u root -s -H -p P""a""s""s""w""o""r""d"":’
00:03:58.719589 tramp-send-command (6) # exec env SHELL=/bin/sh sudo -u root -s -H -p P""a""s""s""w""o""r""d"":
00:03:58.720503 tramp-process-actions (3) # Waiting for prompts from remote shell...
00:03:58.751461 tramp-process-one-action (5) # Looking for regexp "\(.*\(user\|login\)\( .*\)?: *\)\'" from remote shell
00:03:58.751579 tramp-process-one-action (5) # Looking for regexp "\(^.*\(\(?:adgangskode\|contrase\(?:\(?:ny\|ñ\)a\)\|geslo\|h\(?:\(?:asł\|esl\)o\)\|iphasiwedi\|jelszó\|l\(?:ozinka\|ösenord\)\|m\(?:ot de passe\|ật khẩu\)\|pa\(?:rola\|s\(?:ahitza\|s\(?: phrase\|code\|ord\|phrase\|wor[dt]\)\|vorto\)\)\|s\(?:alasana\|enha\|laptažodis\)\|wachtwoord\|лозинка\|пароль\|ססמה\|كلمة السر\|गुप्तशब्द\|शब्दकूट\|গুপ্তশব্দ\|পাসওয়ার্ড\|ਪਾਸਵਰਡ\|પાસવર્ડ\|ପ୍ରବେଶ ସଙ୍କେତ\|கடவுச்சொல்\|సంకేతపదము\|ಗುಪ್ತಪದ\|അടയാളവാക്ക്\|රහස්පදය\|ពាក្យសម្ងាត់\|パスワード\|密[码碼]\|암호\)\).*:? *\)\'" from remote shell
00:03:58.751693 tramp-process-one-action (5) # Call ‘tramp-action-password’
00:03:58.752167 tramp-action-password (3) # Sending Password
00:03:58.753291 tramp-send-command (6) # test -e /DESCRIPTION 2>/dev/null; echo tramp_exit_status $?
00:04:01.674447 tramp-file-name-handler (1) # Interrupt received in operation (file-exists-p /sudo:[email protected]:/DESCRIPTION)

Sorry, try again.
Password:
00:04:01.675658 tramp-process-actions (3) # Waiting for prompts from remote shell...failed
00:04:01.676257 tramp-maybe-open-connection (3) # Opening connection for [email protected] using sudo...failed
00:04:01.704867 tramp-process-sentinel (5) # Sentinel called: ‘#<process *tramp/sudo [email protected]*>’ ‘killed: 9
’
00:04:01.712764 tramp-file-name-handler (1) # Interrupt received in operation (file-exists-p /sudo:[email protected]:/etc/hosts)

Answer 1

I know @Michael Albinus has not been able to reproduce this, but I landed here because I see the same behavior as @Rishab. (I also wasn't subscribed to tramp-devel so cannot reply to messages there.)

If I have these lines in my .emacs file, tramp fails: (require 'ess) (require 'ess-site)

It is commit ess@6892dd2 that first causes TRAMP to hang with the message "Tramp: Sending password". In fact, only the change to add-hook is necessary to cause the problem.

-(add-hook 'hack-local-variables-hook 'ess-r-package-auto-activate) +(add-hook 'after-change-major-mode-hook 'ess-r-package-auto-activate)

I do not have further info on why this change causes a problem.

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edit: Issue #364 submitted.