VSCode Integration

Visual Studio Code has an extension that enables integration with WSL.

Install the WSL extension for Visual Studio Code:

WSL extension in Visual Studio Code marketplace

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-wslmarketplace.visualstudio.com

WSL Visual Studio Code extension webpage

With this, you can open VSCode in "Linux" mode. That means you can open any folder from Windows and work with it in a Linux environment.

It's like VSCode was runing natively on Linux! Everything you do in this mode is inside WSL (open folders, create files, install extensions, modify settings, etc.)

Installing extensions in WSL mode in Visual Studio Code

Notice the "WSL Ubuntu-20.04 - Installed" and "Local - Installed" groups. The extensions installed on WSL will remain in WSL and not in Windows. Extensions installed on Windows are called "local".

You can open a folder from WSL directly in VSCode using the command:

code .

Don't forget the final dot.

Opening a folder from WSL directly into Visual Studio Code

👏 Congratulations! Now you can use Visual Studio Code inside WSL.

You can stop here if you want.

Now some advanced topics are coming...