How to install VSCodium and import your VS Code settings and extensions

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Install VSCodium with the package manager for your operating system, then migrate your VS Code profile by copying the documented user files and extension directory. A third-party Sync Settings extension can automate much of the transfer, but VSCodium uses Open VSX rather than Microsoft’s gallery, so some extensions may be unavailable, build-specific or incompatible.

Install VSCodium before moving your profile

Install VSCodium and open it once before copying anything. This creates the destination folders and lets you confirm that the editor launches normally. The project’s repository contains the current installation guidance and release links; package-manager commands can change as releases and operating systems change, so check the VSCodium repository and installation instructions if your platform is not covered below.

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Windows: install with WinGet

1. Open Windows Terminal, PowerShell or Command Prompt.
2. Run winget install -e --id VSCodium.VSCodium.
3. Accept any package-manager prompts, then launch VSCodium from the Start menu.
4. Open the Extensions view once so VSCodium can initialize its extension storage.

The command installs the stable VSCodium package identified by VSCodium.VSCodium. The project also lists Insiders variants; use the exact identifier shown in the current repository if you intentionally want a preview build rather than stable VSCodium.

macOS: install the Homebrew cask

1. Install Homebrew first if it is not already available.
2. In Terminal, run brew install --cask vscodium.
3. Start VSCodium from Applications or with Spotlight.
4. Open the editor once and quit it before beginning a file copy.

This is the stable macOS cask command documented by the project. Apple-silicon and Intel users should use the current Homebrew and VSCodium instructions for their machine rather than assuming that a package built for one architecture applies to the other.

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Linux and other platforms

VSCodium supports additional installation routes, including downloadable releases and distribution-specific methods. Because those commands and package names vary by distribution, use the current instructions in the project repository instead of applying the Windows or macOS commands to Linux. After installation, launch VSCodium once, then close it before migration.

Confirm the new editor works

• VSCodium opens without an error or an immediate crash.
• The Extensions view loads and can display available extensions.
• You can open Settings and Keyboard Shortcuts, even before importing your old files.
• You know which VSCodium build you installed, especially if you chose an Insiders or distribution package.

Choose a migration method

There are two practical ways to move a VS Code setup. Manual copying gives you the most control and uses the folders documented by VSCodium. Sync Settings transfers supported settings and extensions through a repository-backed, third-party extension, but it requires configuration in both editors. Neither method can bypass an extension’s license, marketplace availability or technical compatibility.

Prepare a safe manual migration

Close both editors

Quit VS Code and VSCodium before copying. Open editors can rewrite settings.json, keybindings or extension metadata while you are replacing files, producing a partial or confusing migration.

Back up the VSCodium destination

Before replacing any VSCodium files, make a dated backup of its existing user directory and, if present, its extension directory. A backup lets you restore the new editor’s original state if a setting, profile or extension causes a problem. Do not delete the VS Code source until VSCodium has been tested.

Know the two kinds of data

• Extensions: VSCodium documents its extension files under ~/.vscode-oss. The migration procedure copies VS Code’s ~/.vscode/extensions directory to ~/.vscode-oss/extensions.
• User configuration: The migration guide identifies settings.json and keybindings.json in platform-specific user folders. Copy these files to VSCodium’s equivalent user folder.

Copy only the files you recognize or intentionally maintain. If you use additional VS Code profile data, inspect it separately rather than overwriting VSCodium’s entire directory without a backup.

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Copy settings and keybindings to VSCodium

Use the following source and destination pairs from VSCodium’s migration documentation. The Code/User folder is the VS Code source; the VSCodium/User folder is the destination. Preserve the directory structure and file names.

Windows file-copy procedure

1. Open File Explorer and enter %APPDATA%CodeUser in the address bar.
2. Copy settings.json and keybindings.json to a temporary backup location.
3. Open %APPDATA%VSCodiumUser in another Explorer window. Create the folder if VSCodium has not already done so.
4. Copy the two files from the VS Code folder into the VSCodium folder, choosing to replace existing files only after you have backed them up.

Do not paste the files into the parent %APPDATA%VSCodium folder; they belong in its User subfolder.

macOS file-copy procedure

1. In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder….
2. Enter $HOME/Library/Application Support/Code/User. Finder may expand the home-directory variable; you can also navigate through your home folder to Library/Application Support.
3. Copy settings.json and keybindings.json to a backup location.
4. Open $HOME/Library/Application Support/VSCodium/User and copy the files there, preserving their names.

If Finder hides the Library folder, use Go → Go to Folder… rather than changing visibility settings globally.

Linux file-copy procedure

1. Open your file manager and enable viewing hidden files if necessary.
2. Go to $HOME/.config/Code/User and copy settings.json and keybindings.json to a backup location.
3. Open $HOME/.config/VSCodium/User. Create it if the first launch did not create it.
4. Paste the files into the VSCodium User directory and retain the original names.

Home-directory folders beginning with a dot are hidden by default in many Linux file managers, so use the file manager’s “show hidden files” command if .config is not visible.

Copy the VS Code extensions directory

1. With both editors closed, locate VS Code’s extension directory at ~/.vscode/extensions.
2. Copy the entire extensions directory, including its extension subfolders.
3. Place that copy at VSCodium’s documented location, ~/.vscode-oss/extensions. If ~/.vscode-oss does not exist, launch VSCodium once and check again.
4. Do not merge unrelated files from the VS Code installation directory into VSCodium’s application files; this step concerns the extension directory only.
5. Start VSCodium and wait while it scans and initializes the copied extensions.

A copied folder is not a guarantee that every extension will activate. VSCodium uses Open VSX as its preset gallery, and an extension may contain build checks, licensing restrictions or dependencies that assume the official VS Code build.

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Use Sync Settings instead of copying files

Sync Settings is a semi-automatic alternative documented by VSCodium. It is a third-party extension workflow, not a built-in VSCodium import command. You install and configure the extension in both editors, use VS Code to publish your setup, then use VSCodium to retrieve it.

1. Install and configure the extension in both editors

1. Open VS Code and install the Sync Settings extension.
2. Open VSCodium and install the same extension there.
3. Configure the repository used by Sync Settings in both editors. Use the same repository and authentication details so that the download in VSCodium can see the upload from VS Code.

The extension’s own settings and authentication requirements are separate from VSCodium’s editor settings. If your organization controls the repository, verify that you are allowed to store editor configuration and extension information there.

2. Upload from VS Code

In VS Code, open the Command Palette and run Sync Settings: Upload (user -> repository). Wait for the command to complete before closing VS Code. The arrow in the command name indicates the direction: your local VS Code user data is being sent to the configured repository.

3. Download into VSCodium

In VSCodium, open the Command Palette and run Sync Settings: Download (repository -> user). Allow the extension to install or restore the items it supports. Do not interrupt the process while files are being written.

4. Monitor installation and restart

• Wait until extension installation finishes.
• Open the Output panel and watch the Sync Settings and extension-related logs for errors.
• Restart VSCodium after the download and installation phase completes.
• Check Settings, Keyboard Shortcuts and the Extensions view after the restart.

Sync Settings can reduce repetitive copying, but it does not change where VSCodium stores its local profile and it cannot make an unavailable or incompatible extension work.

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Handle extensions that are missing or incompatible

Why an extension may not appear

VSCodium defaults to the Open VSX extension gallery. The project notes that some extensions familiar from Microsoft’s Visual Studio Marketplace are not published there. An extension may also be restricted to official Visual Studio Code builds or depend on APIs that differ in VSCodium. Seeing an extension name in a copied directory does not prove that it can activate.

Read VSCodium’s Extensions + Marketplace documentation for the current gallery configuration and project-supported options.

Preferred ways to obtain an unavailable extension

• Ask the extension maintainer to publish the extension on Open VSX.
• Use the publication-request route documented by the VSCodium project.
• If the maintainer provides a release package, obtain a VSIX from that release source and review its license and compatibility notes before installing it.

Do not assume that a package downloaded from a marketplace mirror is authorized for VSCodium or that it will receive updates there.

Install a local VSIX cautiously

Microsoft’s Extension Marketplace documentation describes the VS Code procedure: open the Extensions view, choose Install from VSIX, and select a local .vsix file. It also documents the command code --install-extension path/to/file.vsix for VS Code. These instructions establish the VS Code workflow; they do not guarantee that a Microsoft-distributed extension is licensed for, available to or compatible with VSCodium.

For VSCodium, use the Extensions view and the installation option exposed by your build, then restart or reload the window if requested. If activation fails, remove the extension and use an Open VSX release or a maintainer-provided build that explicitly supports VSCodium.

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Verify the migrated setup

Check settings

Open Settings and confirm a few distinctive values from your VS Code setup, such as editor behavior, formatting preferences or workspace display. If a value is missing, close VSCodium and verify that settings.json is in the destination User directory for your operating system, not in the application-installation directory.

Check keybindings

Open Keyboard Shortcuts and test a small number of custom commands. A keybinding can appear in the file but still fail if its command belongs to an extension that did not install or activate.

Check extensions individually

1. Open the Extensions view and look for the extensions you actually use.
2. Read any “disabled,” “cannot be installed” or activation-error message instead of repeatedly copying the same folder.
3. For a failing extension, check whether an Open VSX version or a maintainer-provided VSIX exists.
4. Open the Output panel when an extension reports an error; the log usually distinguishes a missing dependency from a build or license limitation.

Test a real project

Open a representative project and exercise the tools that matter to you: language analysis, formatting, debugging, source control and task commands. This catches missing extensions and path-dependent settings that a quick launch cannot reveal.

Troubleshoot common migration problems

VSCodium opens with default settings

Confirm that you copied files into the VSCodium User directory listed for your operating system. A common mistake is copying into the VS Code folder again, into the parent VSCodium directory, or into a different user account. Restore your backup if the copied file contains invalid JSON, then add changes incrementally.

Extensions are absent after a directory copy

Check both sides of the documented path: VS Code’s source is ~/.vscode/extensions, while VSCodium expects ~/.vscode-oss/extensions. Ensure the copied directory contains extension subfolders rather than an extra nested level such as extensions/extensions. Restart VSCodium and allow its extension scan to finish.

An extension is listed but will not activate

Treat this as a compatibility issue rather than a copying failure. Look for an Open VSX release, a maintainer statement supporting VSCodium, or a release-source VSIX. If the extension is licensed only for official Visual Studio Code builds, do not attempt to bypass that restriction.

Sync Settings reports an error

• Verify that the extension is installed and configured in both editors.
• Check that both configurations point to the same repository and that authentication still works.
• Run the upload command in VS Code again, then run the download command in VSCodium.
• Inspect the Output panel for the failing step and restart VSCodium only after installation activity has stopped.

Settings from the two editors conflict

Restore the VSCodium backup, compare the two settings.json files, and copy only the settings you want. This is where manual migration has an advantage: you can preserve VSCodium-specific values instead of replacing the entire file.

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Migration checklist

• Install the current VSCodium build for your operating system.
• Launch it once, then quit both editors.
• Back up VSCodium’s existing user and extension data.
• Choose manual copying or Sync Settings.
• For manual copying, copy settings.json and keybindings.json to the platform-specific VSCodium User folder.
• Copy VS Code’s ~/.vscode/extensions directory to ~/.vscode-oss/extensions if you want to attempt a bulk extension transfer.
• For Sync Settings, upload with Sync Settings: Upload (user -> repository) in VS Code and download with Sync Settings: Download (repository -> user) in VSCodium.
• Wait for extension installation, inspect Output, restart VSCodium and test a real project.
• Resolve missing extensions through Open VSX or a compatible maintainer-provided release; do not assume every VS Code extension can run in VSCodium.

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