distrobox/docs/posts/integrate_vscode_distrobox.md

- [Distrobox](../README.md)
  - [Integrate VSCode and Distrobox](#integrate-vscode-and-distrobox)
    - [From distrobox](#from-distrobox)
    - [From flatpak](#from-flatpak)
      - [First step, install it](#first-step-install-it)
      - [Second step, extensions](#second-step-extensions)
      - [Third step, podman wrapper](#third-step-podman-wrapper)
    - [Final Result](#final-result)

---

# Integrate VSCode and Distrobox

VScode doesn't need presentations, and it's a powerful tool for development.
You may want to use it, but how to handle the dualism between host and container?

In this experiment we will use [VSCodium](https://vscodium.com/) as an opensource
alternative to VSCode. Dev Containers extension works only
for non-opensource version of VS code. There are community made extensions like
[DevPod Containers](https://open-vsx.org/extension/3timeslazy/vscodium-devpodcontainers) that work in VSCodium

This guide has become outdated and you will need to expect that some things broke since then.

## From distrobox

Well, you could just install VSCodium in your Distrobox of choice, and export it!

For example using an Arch Linux container (We use --home so to not clutter our home directory.
You can change it if you have VSCode configuration in your home directory that you like):

```shell
~$ distrobox create --image archlinux:latest --name arch-distrobox --home ./devcontainer
~$ distrobox enter --name arch-distrobox
user@arch-distrobox:~$
```

Download the deb file
[HERE](https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/releases), or in Arch case just install

```shell
user@arch-distrobox:~$ sudo pacman -S code
```

Now that we have installed it, we can export it:

```shell
user@ubuntu-distrobox:~$ distrobox-export --app code
```

For proprietary version you need to use the binary hosted on [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/visual-studio-code-bin).

To enable and install from AUR do:

```bash
sudo pacman -Syu git base-devel &&\
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git &&\
cd yay &&\
makepkg -si &&\
yay -S visual-studio-code-bin &&\
distrobox-export --app code
```

And that's really it, you'll have VSCode in your app list, and it will run from
the Distrobox itself, so it will have access to all the software and tools inside
it without problems.

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149206335-1a2d0edd-8b2f-437d-aae0-44b9723d2c30.png)
![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149206414-56bdbc5a-3728-45ef-8dd4-2e168a0d7ccc.png)

### Manage podman from Distrobox

We will use the
[podman-remote](https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8/html/building_running_and_managing_containers/using-the-container-tools-api)
to manage our containers running on host

1. Install
[Dev Containers extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
in VSCode
2. Make sure that podman sockets is enabled on the host system
  `
ls -l /run/user/$(id -u)/podman/podman.sock
  `
  if it isn't, enable it with:
  `
systemctl --user enable --now podman.socket
  `
3. Inside the Distrobox install podman to provide `podman-remote`
  `
sudo pacman -Syu podman
  `
4. Check if it's working by running:
  `
podman-remote info
  `
5. Configure Dev Containers Extension by putting `podman-remote` in
[vscode://settings/dev.containers.dockerPath](vscode://settings/dev.containers.dockerPath)
6. If you click refresh in Dev Containers extension you should see your host's containers

![image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/450e2bd06294558fb5ed70fdda1004716c5bd3b6/docs/assets/png/integrate_vscode_distrobox.png)

## From flatpak

Alternatively you may want to install VSCode on your host. We will explore how
to integrate VSCode installed via **Flatpak** with Distrobox.

For this one you'll need to use VSCode from Microsoft, and not VSCodium, in order
to have access to the remote containers extension.

### First step install it

```shell
~$ flatpak install --user app/com.visualstudio.code 
```

### Second step, extensions

Now we want to install VSCode [Dev Containers extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149207447-76a82e91-dd3f-43fa-8c52-9c2e85ae8fee.png)

### Third step podman wrapper

Being in a Flatpak, we will need access to host's `podman` to be
able to use the containers. Place this in your `~/.local/bin/podman-host`
In case of access to host's `docker` to be
able to use the containers, use `~/.local/bin/docker-host`

For podman:

```shell
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/extras/podman-host -o ~/.local/bin/podman-host
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/podman-host
```

For docker:

```shell
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/extras/docker-host -o ~/.local/bin/docker-host
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/docker-host
```

Open VSCode settings (Ctrl+,) and head to `Remote>Containers>Docker Path` and
set it to the path of `/home/<your-user>/.local/bin/podman-host` (or docker-host in case of docker), like in the example

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149208525-5ad630c9-fcbc-4ee6-9d77-e50d2c782a56.png)

This will give a way to execute host's container manager from within the
flatpak app.

## Final Result

After that, we're good to go! Open VSCode and Attach to Remote Container:

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149210561-2f1839ae-9a57-42fc-a122-21652588e327.png)

And let's choose our Distrobox

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149210690-8bcb9a0d-1dc5-4937-9494-8c6aa6b26fd5.png)

And we're good to go! We have our VSCode remote session inside our Distrobox container!

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/598882/149210881-749a8146-c69d-4382-bbef-91e4b477b7ba.png)

# Open VSCode directly attached to our Distrobox

You may want to instead have a more direct way to launch your VSCode when you're already in your project directory,
in this case you can use `vscode-distrobox` script:

```shell
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/extras/vscode-distrobox -o ~/.local/bin/vscode-distrobox
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/vscode-distrobox
```

This will make it easy to launch VSCode attached to target distrobox, on a target path:

`vscode-distrobox my-distrobox /path/to/project`