Editing Files in Linux VM Using Remote Visual Studio Code

Editing files directly on a Linux VM using Visual Studio Code can be a convenient way to manage code or configuration files. This guide will walk you through the process using the Remote - SSH extension in VS Code.

1. Launch Visual Studio Code: Make sure you can connect to the bash of the remote machine from VS Code.

2. Install Remote Extension:
   • Go to the ‘Extensions’ tab in VS Code.
   • Search for ‘Remote - SSH’.
   • Install the extension. You might not need to restart VS Code after installation.
3. Prepare the Linux VM:
   • On your Linux VM, install the rmate script, which enables remote file editing.
   • Execute these commands in your VM’s terminal:

mkdir /opt/rmate
$ sudo wget -O /opt/rmate/rmate https://raw.github.com/aurora/rmate/master/rmate
$ sudo chmod a+x /opt/rmate/rmate
ln -s /opt/rmate/rmate /usr/local/bin/rmate 

1. Start the Remote Server in VS Code:
   • Open the command palette in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac).
   • Type Remote: Start Server and execute the command.
2. SSH Connection to Your Linux VM:
   • Open a new terminal in VS Code.
   • Connect to your Linux VM with SSH, ensuring you set up a reverse tunnel for the rmate port:

 $ ssh -R 52698:localhost:52698 VIRTUAL_MACHINE_IP_ADDRESS 

Replace user with your username and VIRTUAL_MACHINE_IP_ADDRESS with your VM’s IP address.

1. Edit Files Remotely:
   • In your VM’s terminal (via the SSH session in VS Code), use the rmate command followed by the path to the file you want to edit:

 $ rmate demo.py 

This will open the file directly in your local VS Code instance for editing.

This approach allows you to conveniently edit files on a remote Linux VM as if they were local, leveraging the powerful features of Visual Studio Code.