VS Code installation and extension setup: OS-specific installers, PATH registration, marketplace

OS-specific installers and execution requirements

On Windows, choose between User Installer (x64, Arm64), System Installer, ZIP, or CLI. The User Installer installs per-user without admin rights and automatically adds the code command to PATH during installation. On macOS, download the .dmg file and drag it to the Applications folder to run. To use the terminal command code on macOS, open the Command Palette (⇧⌘P) and execute 'Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH'. On Linux, use the .deb package for Debian/Ubuntu or the .rpm package for Fedora/RHEL; the package manager configures automatic update repositories. Insiders builds are nightly releases that can run alongside the Stable version and use separate icons and configuration directories.

PATH registration and terminal verification after installation

1. After running the Windows User Installer, confirm the 'Add to PATH' option was selected during installation.
2. In PowerShell or cmd, run code --version and verify the version number (e.g., 1.97.0) is displayed.
3. On macOS, after copying the .dmg to the Applications folder, launch VS Code.
4. Open the Command Palette (⇧⌘P) and select 'Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH', then confirm the 'Installed' notification.
5. In the terminal, run code --version and verify the same version number is output to confirm PATH registration.
6. On Linux, after package installation completes, verify the version with code --version and test opening the current directory with code ..

Opening the extension marketplace and searching for extensions

Open the extension view by clicking the extension icon in the activity bar or using the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or ⇧⌘X (macOS). Enter keywords such as 'python', 'docker', or 'todo' in the search box to filter items in the marketplace in real time. Each item displays its description, publisher, download count, and 5-star rating. Clicking an item shows the extension ID (e.g., wayou.vscode-todo-highlight) on the detail page. In network environments using a proxy server, separate proxy configuration in settings is required.

Installing extensions and handling the trust confirmation dialog

1. Click the 'Install' button on the desired extension item.
2. After installation completes, the button changes to a 'Manage' gear icon.
3. From v1.97, a dialog appears when installing a third-party publisher's extension for the first time: 'Do you trust the publisher of this extension?'
4. Verify the publisher name and extension ID, then select 'Trust' to proceed with installation; selecting 'Cancel' aborts installation.
5. After installation, check the 'Feature Contributions' section on the detail page to view added commands, settings, and keyboard shortcuts.
6. Installing an extension pack displays the included sub-extensions in the 'Extension Pack' section and installs them collectively.

Settings Sync and separating installations per machine

When Settings Sync is enabled, installing an extension installs it by default on all synchronized machines. To retain an extension only on a specific machine, right-click the extension item and select 'Install (Do not Sync)'. Sync settings can be controlled individually per extension via the gear icon's 'Settings Sync: Configure' menu. To disable a synchronized extension on a specific machine only, select 'Disable (Workspace)' or 'Disable (Global)' in the extension management menu.

Enabling AI features and logging in to Copilot

Click the 'Sign In' button in the title bar or hover over the Copilot icon in the status bar and click 'Enable AI features' to begin login. Logging in with a GitHub account automatically connects any existing Copilot subscription. Accounts without a subscription are automatically enrolled in the Copilot Free plan, which provides monthly inline suggestion limits and AI credits. To use a custom language model API key, register the key in the 'Language Models' section of settings to enable AI features without a Copilot subscription. After login, issue tasks via natural language commands in the Agents window or Chat view.

Installation validation and troubleshooting paths

A successful installation is confirmed when code --version returns a version number, code . opens the current directory, and the installed extensions list appears in the extension view. On Windows, if the code command is unrecognized, verify the 'Add to PATH' option was selected during installation and restart the shell. On macOS, if Shell Command installation fails, manually run sudo ln -s "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code in an admin terminal. On Linux, if package repository errors occur, run sudo apt update or sudo dnf check-update before reinstalling. If the installation log shows 'Exit code 1603' or 'Signature verification failed', submit a ticket to Microsoft official support.

Conditional conclusions and next actions

• If only user permissions are available on Windows: Run the User Installer (.exe) to automatically register PATH and begin using immediately.
• If the terminal code command is required on macOS: After .dmg installation, execute Shell Command from the Command Palette.
• If operating behind a proxy: Enter the proxy address and port in the 'http.proxy' setting and reconnect to the marketplace.

Reusable installation verification commands

# Version check and PATH validation

code --version

# Test opening the current directory

code .

# List installed extensions

code --list-extensions

# Install a specific extension (e.g., Python)

code --install-extension ms-python.python

# Install an extension without syncing

code --install-extension <extension-id> --disable-sync

Common oversights and limitations

First, selecting 'Cancel' in the third-party extension trust confirmation dialog introduced in v1.97 prevents installation. Second, if Settings Sync is enabled and 'Install (Do not Sync)' is not selected, the extension will be forcibly installed on all synchronized machines.

Failure diagnosis: code command not recognized

Symptom: Terminal output shows 'command not found' or 'code is not recognized as an internal or external command'. Cause determination: On Windows, verify the 'Add to PATH' option was not selected during User Installer execution; on macOS, confirm Shell Command was not executed; on Linux, check if package installation completed. Recovery: On Windows, rerun the installer and check 'Add to PATH'; on macOS, rerun Shell Command from the Command Palette. Escalation: If issues persist after reinstallation, attach the installation log (%TEMP%/vscode_setup_*.log) and create a GitHub issue.

Completion validation checklist

• code --version outputs a version number
• code . opens the current directory as a workspace
• Ctrl+Shift+X displays the extension view correctly
• Extension installation button changes to 'Manage' gear icon
• Copilot icon appears in the status bar

Alternatives and upgrade paths

In environments where installer execution is not possible, use vscode.dev in a browser to edit local files. For remote development, install the 'Remote - SSH' or 'Remote - Containers' extensions to work on remote machines. For organization-wide deployment, use the System Installer with admin rights or an Intune package.