How to install and use Code Server.

Motivation

This way, we can put our project codes in remote cloud machines, and access it from a browser in any other computers.

NOTE: Without the “browser” requirement, you can use vscode directly to access files in remote cloud machine from any computers.

Install

https://coder.com/docs/code-server/install#debian-ubuntu

export VERSION=4.92.2
curl -fOL https://github.com/coder/code-server/releases/download/v$VERSION/code-server_${VERSION}_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i code-server_${VERSION}_amd64.deb

sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

SSH Port Forwarding

Remote Host

https://coder.com/docs/code-server/guide#port-forwarding-via-ssh

# Replaces "auth: password" with "auth: none" in the code-server config.
sed -i.bak 's/auth: password/auth: none/' ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

sudo service code-server@$USER status

Local Client

set -x
ssh -N -L 8080:127.0.0.1:8080 songzy@maomaosenlin.cc

Then, you can visit http://localhost:8080 in your local machine to access the code server started in remote machine.

Extensions

Some extensions are not avaliable in the default extension market, you might need to install them manually. Let us use the “C/C++” extension as an example.

First, find the extension download link from the “Version History” tab of the vscode extension marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools&ssr=false#version-history

Then, in your remote machine, use wget to download the extension:

wget https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery/publishers/ms-vscode/vsextensions/cpptools/1.23.0/vspackage\?targetPlatform\=linux-x64

The file downloaded by wget (or curl) cannot be installed directly since it is in a gzip format. So we need to first rename it with suffix .gz and then gunzip it:

mv vspackage\?targetPlatform=linux-x64 ms-vscode.cpptools-1.10.3@linux-x64.vsix.gz
gunzip ms-vscode.cpptools-1.10.3@linux-x64.vsix.gz

Then, you can install the ms-vscode.cpptools-1.10.3@linux-x64.vsix either from commandline or search for the “Extensions: Install from VSIX” after typing “Shift-Command-P”.

Alternatives

  • vscode.dev: This is a lightweight vscode running in browser to manipulate local files.
  • GitHub Codespaces: This is not free, and has network connection issue (you know it) from time to time.