VS Code Remote Development
Visual Studio Code Remote Development allows you to use a container, remote machine, or theWindows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) as a full-featured development environment. You can:
- Develop on thesame operating system you deploy to or uselarger or more specialized hardware.
- Separate your development environment to avoid impacting your localmachine configuration.
- Make it easy for new contributors toget started and keep everyone on aconsistent environment.
- Use tools or runtimesnot available on your local OS or managemultiple versions of them.
- Develop your Linux-deployed applications using theWindows Subsystem for Linux.
- Access anexisting development environment frommultiple machines or locations.
- Debug anapplication running somewhere else such as a customer site or in the cloud.
No source code needs to be on your local machine to get these benefits. Each extension in theRemote Development extension pack can run commands and other extensions directly inside a container, in WSL, or on a remote machine so that everything feels as it does when you run locally. The extensions install VS Code Server on the remote OS; the server is independent of any existing VS Code installation on the remote OS.
Getting started
Remote Development extension pack
TheRemote Development extension pack includes four extensions. See the following articles to get started with each of them:
- Remote - SSH - Connect to any location by opening folders on a remote machine/VM using SSH.
- Dev Containers - Work with a separate toolchain or container-based application inside (or mounted into) a container.
- WSL - Get a Linux-powered development experience in the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
- Remote - Tunnels - Connect to a remote machine via a secure tunnel, without configuring SSH.
While most VS Code extensions should work unmodified in a remote environment, extension authors can learn more atSupporting Remote Development.
Remote tutorials
The tutorials below will walk you through running Visual Studio Code with the Remote Development extensions.
Tutorial | Description |
---|---|
Remote via SSH | Connect to remote and virtual machines with Visual Studio Code via SSH. |
Work in WSL | Run Visual Studio Code in Windows Subsystem for Linux. |
Develop in Containers | Run Visual Studio Code in a Docker Container. |
GitHub Codespaces | Connect to a codespace with Visual Studio Code. |
GitHub Codespaces
GitHub Codespaces provides remote development environments that are managed for you. You can configure and create a development environment hosted in the cloud, which is spun up and available when you need it.
Questions or feedback
- SeeTips and Tricks or theFAQ.
- Search onStack Overflow.
- Add afeature request orreport a problem.