Connecting to the CS Linux Servers with Visual Studio Code's Remote SSH Extension

Visual Studio Code (VSCode) provides a convenient way to connect remotely to the Computer Science (CS) department's Linux servers from within the IDE itself. This allows you to edit files that live on these servers, as well as interact with them using SSH commands.

To get started, you need to install an extension in VSCode called 'Remote - SSH'. You can search for this extension in the Extensions panel by clicking the Extensions icon (four squares) in the left sidebar of VSCode and typing 'Remote - SSH' into the search bar. Click on the result to open its details page, then click the 'Install' button.

Once you've installed the Remote - SSH extension, you can connect to a CS Linux server using your CNetID and assigned Linux server name. For example, if your CNetID is 'ar0r' and your assigned Linux server name is 'linux3.cs.', you would use these credentials to connect.

To do this, open VSCode and click on the Remote Explorer icon (a green rectangle with an icon that looks like ><) in the top left corner of the window. This will open the Remote Explorer panel, where you can see a list of available connections. Click on the 'New Connection' button to create a new connection.

In the New Connection dialog box, enter your CNetID and Linux server name, then click the 'Connect' button. VSCode will establish a secure SSH connection to the server, allowing you to edit files and interact with the server as if you were sitting in front of it.

Note that you only need to follow these steps once per computer you plan to use to connect remotely. Additionally, if you are using a specific machine rather than connecting directly to the main Linux server (linux.cs.), be sure to enter the correct server name in the New Connection dialog box.

If you have any issues with Remote SSH access, please refer to the 'Remote SSH Access page' for more information and troubleshooting tips.

Visual studio code ssh connection