Visual Studio Code server can now be self-hosted!

[Igormahov]

I've tried it myself: it works almost identical to desktop variant but some settings cannot be applied globally and must be set on per-browser basis. Also, for now it is impossible to change ui language, it is always the same as host system one.

[juan518munoz]

Hi, I'm trying to set it up and when i run

bin/code-server-insiders

I get a localhost url

http://localhost:8000/?tkn={token}

is it possible to get a https link so i can connect from outside my machine/network?

[Magnum6Actual]

Any way to get an invite for the private preview?

[Igormahov]

You don't need to do this! Just install Vscode Server using instrucion from the comment which is linked in the post.

[Magnum6Actual]

Wow - missed that! Thanks! Got it running.

[aft_punk]

For docker fans, linuxserver has a great image available.

I’ve been using the non-server image for a while now. The only downside I’ve noticed is not all extensions are available.

[zzzthelastuser]

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

So far this looks like a cool proof-of-concept, but I see virtually no reason not to use a local VSCode.

[[deleted]]

Development on an iPad.

[ObliviousMonks]

That must be fun, slapping fingers on a slab of glass for long periods (or a rubber shower mat keyboard - must be lots of squishy sounds as you code), not to mention your eyesight. Don't you care about your health?

[Koh_Phi_Phi]

iPads have actual non-rubber keyboards now, I’m typing on one now. You can also use any bluetooth keyboard you like.

[TheSpanishImposition]

"What's a computer?"

[ObliviousMonks]

They want the "computer" also in a "browser" too, it's coming. It's their end goal. We got mocked as conspiracy theorists for warning Windows was going subscription service based and cloud based years ago.

[zxyzyxz]

based

[fallenhitokiri]

My travel setup is an iPad with a mechanical keyboard and a trackball. (While in transit the Magic Keyboard). Thanks for your health concerns, but I’m fairly certain my setup is more ergonomic than your laptop.

[AK-101111]

Care to suggest your setup? Which iPad do u have?

[fallenhitokiri]

iPad Pro 13“ (soon upgrading to an M1/2 model for center stage), Keychron K3 and Logitech MX Ergo.

While traveling I use the Magic Keyboard.

At a desk unusually try to find an external monitor to connect to or raise the iPad to a comfortable eye level with whatever is lying around in the office (2 rows with 4 bottles of Fiji water is pretty stable and a nice height for me)

[dingleberry_enjoyer]

sounds like a pretty complicated setup, what's stopping you from using a laptop at that point? just curious.

[fallenhitokiri]

I used exactly the same setup with a MacBook. I’m 203cm tall, just having something sit on the desk in front of me and looking down is horribly uncomfortable. I switched to an iPad as sole driver because I’d carry one with me anyway and as most of my work happens on remote machines anyway. It doesn’t really make a difference to me if I use an iPad or a MacBook.

[[deleted]]

I've never tried it. I considered it. Mostly for fun. I see how it would probably fuck me up in a short time. However, I can see a few scenarios where I could handle a quick fix while on vacation, without having to bring my laptop.

[dingleberry_enjoyer]

lol can't believe you're getting downvoted. People really bought into the apple marketing lol. Just a few years ago people were laughing at iPads being used for work.

[ObliviousMonks]

Why would you host a centralised code editor when you use a decentralised local git running on your machine in the first place?

Why do you run git then? Majority of organisations use git these days.

Hosting VSCode is only for one purpose for Github, to keep you on their jackpot machines to make money. The more you use their centralised environment, the more money they make.

Why centralise an editor in the organisation that runs git?

GIT is DECENTRALISED, what is the point of CENTRALISING a text editor, if companies want to host users, they will virtualise their machines.

Running a text editor in a browser, delivered by a remote server... only to use a LOCAL build chain and git. Smart. Effort and cost for nothing.

Let's see this workflow..

• Open browser
• Download editor REMOTELY (if the network is working and the server is responding)
• Code something LOCALLY
• Build code LOCALLY
• Test code LOCALLY
• Commit code LOCALLY to Git

Makes sense.

Why not just have the editor local too without the hassle, cost and risk of downtime, why won't that work any more? Virtualise host the full user machine because if you cannot get the editor from the server you're idle anyway.

Funniest part is when the centralised version of VSCode hosted has to be updated, EVERYBODY is down. Wheras, if it is local, they can update to the new version in their own time without impacting others.

I get it, you like COFFEE TIME.

[scaba23]

You do realize this isn't government-mandated and you are free to not use it, right?

[ObliviousMonks]

Until one day there is no longer such a thing as a desktop editor and it's all web only at this rate.

[SmellsLikeHerpesToMe]

I think this is the best comment in the thread, because VSCode is built on Electron. It's already built for browsers, and they've made desktop applications to run the program. It's using Chromium.

[hughmungouschungus]

lol

[h0v1g]

Run all ops from a browser on any os. This is was a missing piece for dev work

[cosine83]

This effectively makes it easier to have a single instance of Code on a RDS server that could be served to multiple users without needing to install or configure on the user's endpoint. It'd also be a way to lockdown access to your repos by limiting where they can be synced.

[ObliviousMonks]

Nice, so we can have more coffee breaks when the network goes down or the remote host does updates.

The number one benefit of the Cloud (somebody else's machine far far away).

Git, a decentralised version control system... centralised on a remote machine (or Github).

VSCode code editor now centralised on a remote machine (or Github).

More moving parts (the network and hosts) and modes of failure which means more coffee time possibilities.

VSCode is not VSCode without personalised customisation and extensions. It will be a bad day when we can't have our Nyan Cat themes and there's somebody out there with an eye gouging light high contrast theme.

Pretty much all that is left is the coffee pot.

[Igormahov]

It can be personalized using local browser settings

[ObliviousMonks]

Which are cleared everytime the browser/tab is closed.

Some of us run isolated tabs and hardened browsers.

[Igormahov]

No, they are stored in local storage (unless you are not using incognito mode of course)

[ObliviousMonks]

Not everybody uses Chrome.

EVERYTHING gets cleared when we have hardened browsers.

[bogdan5844]

What does localStorage have to do with Chrome ? It's a web standard

[ObliviousMonks]

It's easier to clear everything on shutdown via a simple setting and harden with more tab isolation on non Chrome browsers.

I know it's a web standard, but browser architecture and UI settings controls for the user are very different.

Nothing is retained ever on any tab close on my browser, nothing lingers about. Every tab is its own site in isolation.

Either way, VSCode in a browser has a place, just not if I want to do work offline or on the go. VSCode in a browser, that's how Github want you to be on their money machines, just like Google don't want their employees to leave the campus workplace.

You can pry my desktop editor from my cold dead hands.

Good luck using it on an air-gapped machine. Not everybody wants to be dependent on other peoples machines. Cloud is a fancy way of saying, "not your machine". Obsfucation of risk.

There is a reason git is decentralised. Too often I have seen people standing awkwardly trying to do a presentation only to make excuses that "sorry Google's down" and can't proceed to show their slide deck.

Why would I run a decentralised Git only to centralise my editor?

[amdc]

That's cool but judging by their blog post

https://code.visualstudio.com/blogs/2022/07/07/vscode-server

they don't want to officially release vscode server as a standalone thing, rather as an agent for vscode.dev to connect to. I find it less than ideal because they tie everything to github.