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The reliable way to connect to a VPS in Visual Studio Code is Microsoft’s Remote – SSH extension. First prove that ordinary SSH works from your computer, then let Remote-SSH install VS Code Server on the VPS. Once connected, File > Open Folder opens directories that remain on the VPS while the editor, terminal, and compatible extensions operate in the remote context.
What the connection actually does
Remote-SSH does not copy your VPS project to your laptop. Your local Visual Studio Code window becomes the interface, while files, terminals, language services, and other compatible extensions run against the remote machine. The extension connects through the VPS’s SSH server and installs a component called VS Code Server on the remote operating system. The server handles the editor’s remote operations; your source files stay in their VPS directories.
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Check the prerequisites
Local computer
- Install Visual Studio Code.
- Have an OpenSSH-compatible client available. On many Linux and macOS systems this is already present; Windows can use a supported OpenSSH client from PowerShell or another terminal.
- Install the Microsoft Remote – SSH extension. The Remote Development extension pack also includes it.
VPS
- The VPS must be running an SSH server and must be reachable on its configured SSH port, normally port 22.
- You need a login account, its host name or IP address, and either its password or a usable SSH private key.
- The operating system must be supported by VS Code Server. Microsoft lists x86_64 Debian 8 or later, Ubuntu 16.04 or later, CentOS/RHEL 7 or later, supported ARM Ubuntu/Raspberry Pi systems, and Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016/2019 (version 1803 or later) with the official OpenSSH Server.
- For remote hosts, Microsoft lists 1 GB of RAM as the minimum and recommends at least 2 GB of RAM with a two-core CPU.
Remote Linux requirements
On Linux, the account used for the connection needs Bash at /bin/bash, tar, and either curl or wget. Current support is for glibc-based distributions. Alpine Linux, which uses musl libc, is not supported by Remote-SSH. Some ARM extensions can also fail if they contain native code built only for x86.
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Install Remote-SSH in Visual Studio Code
- Start Visual Studio Code.
- Open the Extensions view with the activity-bar Extensions icon or the
Ctrl+Shift+X(Windows/Linux) orCmd+Shift+X(macOS) shortcut. - Search for Remote – SSH, select Microsoft’s extension, and choose Install. If you prefer, install the Remote Development extension pack instead.
- Leave Visual Studio Code open; the extension adds the Remote Explorer view and the Remote-SSH commands used later.
Choose and prepare authentication
Remote-SSH can use a password, but Microsoft recommends key-based authentication. A password may be requested more than once during setup, whereas an accepted key lets the SSH client authenticate consistently and can be protected by a local passphrase.
| Method | Security and convenience | What you must manage |
|---|---|---|
| Password | Simple to start, but repeated prompts are common and the password must be entered during the connection process. | The VPS account password and any provider or firewall policy that permits password login. |
| SSH key | Recommended for recurring connections; the private key can remain protected by a passphrase and is not transmitted to the VPS. | Generate the key, install its public half for the VPS account, protect private-key permissions, and keep a recovery route if the key is lost. |
Generate a key when you need one
- Open a terminal or PowerShell window on your local computer.
- Run
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -b 4096. Accept the proposed file location or choose a location you can identify later, and set a passphrase when prompted. - Add the generated public key to the VPS account using the access method supplied by your VPS administrator or provider. The private key stays on your local computer.
- Restrict access to the private-key file according to your operating system’s SSH requirements. If permissions are too broad, OpenSSH may refuse to use the key.
Do not paste a private key into Visual Studio Code settings or into a project repository. Remote-SSH reads the key through your normal OpenSSH configuration.
Test SSH outside Visual Studio Code first
Before investigating the extension, verify the underlying connection from a terminal. Replace the placeholders with the same account and address you intend to use in VS Code:
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ssh user@hostname
- Run the command in a terminal or PowerShell window.
- If this is the first connection, review the host-key prompt and accept it only when the host identity is expected.
- Enter the account password or allow the SSH client to use your private key.
- Confirm that you receive a shell prompt on the VPS, then type
exitto return to your local computer.
A successful command-line login proves that DNS or the IP address, the SSH port, the firewall path, the account, and the basic credentials are working. Remote-SSH uses this same SSH path, so fix ordinary SSH errors before trying to diagnose VS Code.
Connect with Remote-SSH
- In Visual Studio Code, open the Command Palette with
F1orCtrl+Shift+Pon Windows/Linux, orCmd+Shift+Pon macOS. - Run Remote-SSH: Connect to Host….
- Enter the same destination that worked in your terminal, such as
user@hostname. If you have saved SSH hosts, choose one from the list instead. - If Visual Studio Code asks which operating system runs on the VPS, select the appropriate remote platform. This lets the extension install the correct VS Code Server build.
- Wait while Remote-SSH connects and initializes VS Code Server on the VPS. The first connection can take longer because the server component must be downloaded and started.
- When the process succeeds, the status bar identifies the connected remote host. The window is now operating in a remote context.
If a password or key passphrase prompt appears, complete it in the dialog or terminal requested by your SSH client. Do not start a second connection while the server installation is still running; check the Remote-SSH output panel if the status does not change.
Open the VPS project and edit remote files
- With the remote window active, choose File > Open Folder.
- Browse to a directory on the VPS and select it. You can also use Open Workspace when the project is represented by a workspace file.
- Confirm that the Explorer shows the remote directory, not a similarly named local folder.
- Open the integrated terminal. Commands entered there run on the VPS, so tools such as package managers, build systems, and version-control commands affect the remote project.
- Install extensions when prompted for the correct context. Some extensions run locally, while language servers, debuggers, and tools that inspect project files need to be installed on the remote side.
Saving a file writes directly to the VPS. The editor does not create a hidden local copy that you must upload afterward. Use the VPS account’s normal file permissions; if a directory is not writable, select a location owned by the account or correct permissions through your server administration process rather than running the editor as an unnecessarily privileged user.
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Save the VPS in an SSH configuration
For a host you use repeatedly, a local SSH configuration entry is more reliable than retyping an address. In Visual Studio Code, run Remote-SSH: Open Configuration File… from the Command Palette and choose the configuration file used by your OpenSSH client. Add an entry like this:
Host my-vps
User deploy
HostName 203.0.113.10
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519Host is the short name shown in Remote Explorer and the host picker. User selects the VPS account, HostName is the DNS name or IP address, and IdentityFile points to the private key. If the server listens on a nonstandard SSH port, add the OpenSSH Port setting to that host entry, then test the alias from a terminal with ssh my-vps.
After saving the file, run Remote-SSH: Connect to Host… again and select my-vps. Saved hosts also appear in the Remote Explorer view.
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| Connection style | Best use | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
Enter user@hostname manually |
A one-time connection or a quick test. | Fastest initial setup, but you must retype the destination and separately manage key or port details. |
| SSH configuration alias | Daily work, several VPSs, a nonstandard port, or a specific identity file. | Requires one local configuration entry, then gives repeatable selection and centralized connection settings. |
Troubleshoot the connection
The SSH command times out
A timeout normally means the network path is not reaching the SSH service. Check that the VPS is running, the DNS name resolves to the current IP address, and the VPS firewall and provider network permit the SSH port, normally 22. Test ssh user@hostname again after correcting those values. Remote-SSH cannot bypass a blocked port.
The host name or address is wrong
Compare the address in your provider’s control panel with the value in your command and SSH configuration. If you recently rebuilt the VPS, its IP address may have changed. Correct HostName or use the current address, then repeat the command-line test.
Authentication is rejected
Confirm that the account name is correct and that the public key was installed for that account. If you use a key, verify that IdentityFile points to the matching private key and that the file permissions are restricted. Test the exact alias or destination in a terminal; an authentication failure there must be resolved before VS Code can connect.
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VS Code Server cannot download or start
After SSH succeeds, Remote-SSH must obtain and launch VS Code Server on the VPS. The remote machine may need outbound HTTPS access on port 443 to update.code.visualstudio.com and vscode.download.prss.microsoft.com. Extension installation may also need access to the Visual Studio Code Marketplace and its content-delivery network. Check egress firewall rules, proxy requirements, available disk space, and the Remote-SSH output panel. On Linux, verify that /bin/bash, tar, and either curl or wget are installed.
The remote platform is unsupported
Alpine Linux and other non-glibc systems are outside current Remote-SSH support. A supported ARM operating system can connect, but an extension that includes x86-native code may fail on ARM. In that case the SSH connection can still work while that particular extension remains unavailable.
You are trying to use PuTTY on Windows
Remote-SSH does not support PuTTY as its SSH client. Configure and test a supported OpenSSH client instead, then point your SSH configuration at the appropriate OpenSSH key.
The folder opens but tools do not behave remotely
Check the status bar before running commands. If the window is not marked as connected to the VPS, you opened a local window or the connection ended. Reconnect through Remote-SSH: Connect to Host…, open the project folder again, and install the needed extension in the remote context when Visual Studio Code offers that choice.
Disconnect safely and reconnect later
When you finish, choose File > Close Remote Connection. This closes the remote VS Code window; it does not shut down the VPS or stop services running there. The next session is quicker when the VPS remains available and its SSH alias is saved, but the SSH test remains a useful check after firewall, DNS, account, or key changes.
Quick Recap
Practical connection checklist
- Visual Studio Code and Microsoft Remote – SSH are installed locally.
- The VPS runs a supported SSH server and operating system.
- Your computer can run an OpenSSH-compatible client.
ssh user@hostnamesucceeds before you open Remote-SSH.- Key permissions are restricted when key authentication is used.
- The VPS has at least 1 GB RAM; 2 GB and two CPU cores are Microsoft’s recommendation.
- Linux hosts provide Bash,
tar, andcurlorwget. - Outbound HTTPS is allowed if VS Code Server or extensions need to download.
- You select the remote host, then use File > Open Folder to open the VPS directory.
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