VSCode Cheatsheet

Microsoft restricts its official Marketplace to its own products (the official VS Code, VS Code Insiders, and Azure Data Studio).

By default, code-server uses Open VSX, an open-source alternative registry. While many extensions are there, some Microsoft-owned ones are legally or technically barred from being hosted on it.

Here are the three ways to get those extensions working:

1. Manual Installation (.VSIX)

This is the most reliable "legal" method. You download the extension file directly and upload it to your container.

1. Go to the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Search for the extension (e.g., Python).
3. On the right-hand side, look for the Download Extension link (usually under "Resources").
4. In your code-server browser interface:

• Go to the Extensions tab.
• Click the three dots (...) in the top right of the extension pane.
• Select Install from VSIX... and upload the file you just downloaded.

2. Point to the Microsoft Marketplace (Environment Variable)

You can technically force code-server to use Microsoft’s gallery by setting an environment variable in your container.

Note: This may technically violate Microsoft’s Terms of Service, so use it for personal labs only.

If you are using Docker, add this environment variable to your docker run command or docker-compose.yml:

# In docker-compose.yml
environment:
  - EXTENSIONS_GALLERY={"serviceUrl":"https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery","cacheUrl":"https://vscode.blob.core.windows.net/gallery/index","itemUrl":"https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items"}

3. Use "OpenVSX" as a Fallback

Check open-vsx.org first. Many popular community-maintained versions of Microsoft tools are published there. If you find the extension there but it's not showing up in your search, you might need to update your code-server to the latest version.

Comparison of Methods

Would you like me to show you how to automate the installation of specific extensions in your Dockerfile so they are there every time you rebuild the container?