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  • Getting started
    • Meshnet explained
    • How to start using Meshnet
      • Using Meshnet on Windows
      • Using Meshnet on Android
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      • Using Meshnet on macOS
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  • Features
    • Linking devices in Meshnet
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  • How-to guides
    • Gaming
      • How to set up a private Minecraft server with Meshnet
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      • How to set up a private Team Fortress 2 server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote game-streaming server for Moonlight
      • How to set up a Palworld dedicated server
      • How to play Fallout: New Vegas multiplayer over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Factorio server with Meshnet
    • Remote files and media access
      • How to set up and access shared folders
        • Configure and access shared folders on Windows
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        • Configure and access shared folders on Linux
        • Access shared folders from Android
        • Access shared folders from iPhone/iPad
        • Access shared folders from Android TV
      • How to watch videos over Meshnet using Kodi
      • How to configure and access a Jellyfin media server remotely
      • How to set up a Plex media server and access it remotely
      • How to set up a remote NAS using OpenMediaVault and Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote picture library with LibrePhotos and Meshnet
      • How to use Syncthing for remote continuous file synchronization
      • How to set up a remote Airsonic music server
      • How to set up HTTP File Server for remote file access
      • How to set up a remote audiobook server
      • How to host a remote Kavita e-book server
      • How to set up and remotely access Immich using Meshnet
    • Remote device access
      • How to log in to your PC remotely over Meshnet
        • Connect to a Windows device
        • Connect to a macOS device
        • Connect to a Linux device
      • How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH
      • How to access your IP camera over Meshnet
      • How to use Home Assistant remotely over Meshnet
      • How to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhere
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      • How to access files in your NAS from anywhere without compromising its security
      • How to set up a phone as a security camera with remote access
      • How to assign custom host names to Meshnet services using Nginx proxy manager
      • How to use Proxmox VE remotely over Meshnet
      • How to set up a remotely controlled 3D printer
      • How to set up and remotely access a CasaOS server
    • Joint projects
      • How to set up an NGINX web server and remotely access it over Meshnet
      • How to use Nextcloud file syncing with Meshnet
      • How to set up pair programming using tmux
      • How to set up a Visual Studio Code server for remote development over Meshnet
      • How to host a Focalboard server for remote project management
      • How to use Meshnet for multi-screen Node.js development
      • How to use the Multi-user editing plugin in Unreal Engine over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Mumble voice chat server
      • How to host a private Rocket.Chat server
    • Own VPN server setup
      • How to set up a VPN server through self-hosting or with DigitalOcean
      • How to create a VPN server with Microsoft Azure
      • How to create a VPN server with AWS
      • How to create a VPN server with Google Cloud
      • How to create a VPN server with Linode
      • How to create a VPN server with Hetzner
    • Network protection
      • How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole
      • How to set up your own DNS server
      • How to protect your network with AdGuard Home
      • How to use the self-hosted Whoogle search engine remotely
      • How to set up a VPN router using Meshnet
  • Troubleshooting
    • Common issues on Windows
    • Common issues on Android
    • Common issues on iPhone/iPad
    • Common issues on macOS
    • Common issues on Linux
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On this page
  • Introduction
  • Install code-server
  • Allow connections to your VS Code server
  • Start your VS Code server
  • Access your VS Code server over Meshnet

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  1. How-to guides
  2. Joint projects

How to set up a Visual Studio Code server for remote development over Meshnet

Learn how to set up a Visual Studio Code server on Linux and macOS and access it remotely using Meshnet.

PreviousHow to set up pair programming using tmuxNextHow to host a Focalboard server for remote project management

Last updated 8 months ago

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Introduction

(VS Code) is a free and open-source code editor. It is a more lightweight alternative to the integrated development environment (IDE). VS Code provides a heavily customizable and easy-to-use interface for most development needs.

With traveling and work from anywhere (WFA) becoming more popular, the need for a centralized and easily accessible development environment is growing. With the combination of and the open-source project , you can host your own VS Code server and securely work on all of your projects using any device from anywhere in the world.

The code-server tool creates a VS Code instance that can be accessed using an internet browser. Meshnet ensures an encrypted network tunnel between the connecting devices and the server. This network configuration allows you to work on your projects remotely and securely.

This article contains instructions on how you can install code-server on Linux and macOS and access the created VS Code server from remote devices over Meshnet.

Install code-server

Note

Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS distribution is used as an example in this article.

To install code-server on Linux:

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Download and execute the installation script by running this command:

    curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh

  3. Once the script finishes, enter this command to ensure that the code-server background process is started each time the system reboots:

    sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER

Tip

If you want a preview of the installation process before proceeding, you can use this command:

curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh -s -- --dry-run

For convenient deployment and control, use the package manager to install code-server on macOS.

Installing Homebrew

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Enter the following command to install Homebrew:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

    For additional information about the installation process, refer to the .

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the Homebrew installation.

Installing code-server using Homebrew

  1. Install code-server by running the following command in the terminal:

    brew install code-server

  2. Generate the required configuration files by restarting code-server with this command:

    brew services start code-server

  3. Check the status of the code-server service using the provided command. The output should indicate that the service is started.

    brew services list

Allow connections to your VS Code server

Some changes to the code-server configuration file are required to allow connections from other devices. By default, the server listens only on 127.0.0.1:8080. This means that no other devices can reach it.

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Open the code-server configuration file using the Nano text editor by running this command:

    nano ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

  3. Change the IP and port combination in the first line to 0.0.0.0:8080 as shown:

  4. Press Ctrl + X, Y, and Enter to save changes and exit the file.

Note

In the same config.yaml file, you can find the login password for your VS Code server, which is necessary for every device that connects to the server.

To change the password, edit the string following password: in the config.yaml file.

Start your VS Code server

After altering the configuration file, you can restart the code-server process.

Run the following command to apply changes and restart the code-server process:

sudo systemctl restart code-server@$USER

Run the following command to apply changes and restart the code-server process:

brew services restart code-server

Access your VS Code server over Meshnet

Your VS Code server is now up and running. Due to the changes in the config.yaml file, the server can be reached from the same local area network (LAN) and by your Meshnet peer devices.

To access your server using Meshnet:

  1. Copy the Nord name of the VS Code server device from the NordVPN app.

  2. Open your internet browser.

  3. Paste the copied Nord name followed by :8080/ to the URL field and press Enter. Example secret.meerkat-atlas.nord:8080/

  4. Enter the login password and click Submit.

  5. Select the Trust the authors of all files in the parent folder option and click Yes, I trust the authors.

  6. Follow the on-screen guidelines to customize your VS Code interface.

You now have access to a fully functional VS Code instance and can work on your development projects directly from the internet browser. In addition, your Meshnet peer devices can connect to your VS Code server and work on the same project in real time.

Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio
Meshnet
code-server
Homebrew
Homebrew documentation
Status of the 'code-server' process is started
Status of the 'code-server' process is started
Changing bind-addr to 0.0.0.0:8080 in the config.yaml file
The code-server login screen after entering the Nord name and port 8080 to the internet browser
Confirmation that the authors of the files are trusted
Confirmation that the authors of the files are trusted