VSCode Extensions

This article will show you the ways to add VS Code extensions and use them with a Coder workspace:

1. Using the public extensions marketplaces with Code Web (code-server)
2. Adding extensions to custom images
3. Installing extensions using its vsix file at the command line
4. Installing extensions from a marketplace using the command line
5. Using a local VS Code instance with SSH

Using the public extensions marketplaces

You can manually add an extension while you're working in the Code Web IDE. The extensions can be from Coder's public marketplace, Eclipse Open VSX's public marketplace, or the Eclipse Open VSX local marketplace.

Note: Microsoft does not allow any unofficial VS Code IDE to connect to the extension marketplace.

Adding extensions to custom images

You can add extensions to a custom image and install them either through Code Web or using the workspace's terminal.

1. Download the extension(s) from the Microsoft public marketplace.

   

2. Add the vsix extension files to the same folder as your Dockerfile.

   ~/images/base
    ➜  ls -l
    -rw-r--r-- 1 coder coder       0 Aug 1 19:23 Dockerfile
    -rw-r--r-- 1 coder coder 8925314 Aug 1 19:40 GitHub.copilot.vsix
   

3. In the Dockerfile, add instructions to make a folder and to copy the vsix files into the newly created folder.

   FROM codercom/enterprise-base:ubuntu
   
   # Run below commands as root user
   USER root
   
   # Download and install VS Code extensions into the container
   RUN mkdir -p /vsix
   ADD ./GitHub.copilot.vsix /vsix
   
   USER coder
   

4. Build the custom image, and push it to your image registry.

5. Pass in the image and below command into your template startup_script (be sure to update the filename below):

   Startup Script

   resource "coder_agent" "main" {
     ...
     startup_script = "code-server --install-extension /vsix/Github.copilot.vsix"
   }
   

   Image Definition

   resource "kubernetes_deployment" "main" {
     spec {
       template {
         spec {
           container {
             name   = "dev"
             image  = "registry.internal/image-name:tag"
           }
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

6. Create a workspace using the template.

You will now have access to the extension in your workspace.

Installing extensions using its vsix file at the command line

Using the workspace's terminal or the terminal available inside code-server, you can install an extension whose files you've downloaded from a marketplace:

/path/to/code-server --install-extension /vsix/Github.copilot.vsix

Installing from a marketplace at the command line

Using the workspace's terminal or the terminal available inside Code Web (code server), run the following to install an extension (be sure to update the snippets with the name of the extension you want to install):

SERVICE_URL=https://extensions.coder.com/api ITEM_URL=https://extensions.coder.com/item /path/to/code-server --install-extension GitHub.copilot

Alternatively, you can install an extension from Open VSX's public marketplace:

SERVICE_URL=https://open-vsx.org/vscode/gallery ITEM_URL=https://open-vsx.org/vscode/item /path/to/code-server --install-extension GitHub.copilot

Using VS Code Desktop

For your local VS Code to pickup extension files in your Coder workspace, include this command in your startup_script, or run in manually in your workspace terminal:

code --extensions-dir ~/.vscode-server/extensions --install-extension "$extension"