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VS Code Remote-SSH ​

When you’re working on a remote server but still want the comfort of your VS Code interface, the Remote-SSH extension is your best friend. It lets you open folders, edit code, and even run notebooks directly on your remote machine — all while working through VS Code on your local computer.

It feels like you’re coding locally, but everything actually runs on the remote system.

Why Use VS Code Remote-SSH? ​

Normally, when you connect to a remote server using SSH, you do everything from the terminal — editing files with nano or vim, manually transferring data, etc. That works, but it’s not always the most comfortable workflow.

With VS Code Remote-SSH, you can:

  • Edit remote files directly in VS Code
  • Run Python or FEniCS code on the remote server
  • View logs, terminals, and outputs — just like you do locally
  • Avoid constant scp or rsync transfers back and forth

In short, it gives you the full VS Code experience — just connected to your remote machine.

Step 1 — Install the Remote-SSH Extension ​

  1. Open VS Code on your local machine.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab (📦 icon on the left sidebar).
  3. Search for “Remote - SSH” by Microsoft and click Install.

Once installed, you’ll see a small green icon in the bottom-left corner of VS Code — that’s your remote connection control.

Step 2 — Connect to Your Remote Server ​

  1. Click on the green icon (bottom-left corner).

  2. Choose “Connect to Host…” → then “Add New SSH Host”.

  3. Enter your SSH command, like:

    bash
    ssh username@server_ip

  4. Choose your SSH config file (usually ~/.ssh/config) when prompted.

  5. Now click again on the green icon → “Connect to Host…” → and select the saved host.

VS Code will open a new window, connect to your server, and set up everything automatically. You’ll see a message like “Installing VS Code Server on remote host…” — that’s normal, it happens only the first time.

Step 3 — Open Folders and Start Working ​

Once connected, you can:

  • Open any remote folder (File → Open Folder)
  • Edit scripts and notebooks directly
  • Run terminals (they’ll execute on the remote machine)
  • Use extensions like Python or Jupyter — they’ll work remotely too

You’re now effectively coding inside the server, but with your familiar VS Code setup.

Notes ​

  • Make sure you can SSH into your server normally before trying Remote-SSH — it uses the same SSH keys.
  • You can switch between local and remote windows easily — VS Code shows a green bar with the host name when you’re connected remotely.
  • The first connection might take a minute while it installs the VS Code Server on the remote machine.
  • You can also manage multiple servers — just add them to your ~/.ssh/config for quick access.
  • Works great with cloud machines (AWS, DigitalOcean, GCP) or university HPC systems.

Summary ​

  • VS Code Remote-SSH lets you code, run, and debug directly on remote machines — using the same editor you already love.
  • You get all the comfort of VS Code while your code runs where the real computing power is — the remote server.
  • Once set up, it’s seamless — no more messy file transfers, just pure remote productivity.

If you do most of your heavy simulations or coding on remote systems, Remote-SSH will make your workflow smoother, faster, and way more enjoyable.