Learn how to install Visual Studio Code, a free and open-source cross-platform code editor with built-in debugging support, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, and more, on Debian Buster in this tutorial. Extend Visual Studio Code’s functionality with its wide range of extensions for an even more powerful coding experience. Follow these simple steps to install the editor on your system.
Note
It is assumed that you are logged in as a user with sudo privileges, according to the provided instructions.
Installing Visual Studio Code on Debian
To easily install Visual Studio Code on Debian, it is recommended to enable the VS Code repository and use the command line to install the VS Code package. Follow the steps below:
- Update the packages index and install the necessary dependencies by executing the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gnupg2 software-properties-common apt-transport-https curl- Import the Microsoft GPG key with this
curlcommand:
curl -sSL https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -You should see OK as output on successful import.
- Add the Visual Studio Code repository to your system:
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main"- Finally, install the Visual Studio Code package using:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install codeThat’s it! You have now installed Visual Studio Code on your Debian 10 desktop and can start using it.
Launching Visual Studio Code
To launch VS Code, you have two options: either type code in the command line or click on the VS Code icon found under “Applications -> Programming -> Visual Studio Code”.
When you open VS Code for the first time, you will be presented with a window that looks like the following:
You are now ready to install extensions and customize the settings of VS Code to suit your preferences.
Updating Visual Studio Code
You can update Visual Studio Code to the latest version using your computer’s standard Software Update tool on the desktop, or by executing the following commands in your terminal:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgradeConclusion
In this tutorial, we walked you through the process of installing VS Code on Debian systems. Now that you have VS Code up and running, you can take advantage of its full potential by installing additional components and customizing your user and workspace settings.
To enhance your coding experience, VS Code offers a vast range of extensions that can be easily installed via the built-in Extension Marketplace. You can browse through the marketplace to find extensions that fit your coding needs, such as language-specific syntax highlighting, code formatting, and debugging tools.
Moreover, you can customize your user and workspace settings to tailor your coding environment to your preferences. The user settings apply to your VS Code instance globally, while the workspace settings are specific to a particular project. You can modify various aspects of VS Code’s behavior, such as the font size, theme, and keybindings, to improve your coding efficiency and comfort.
If you encounter any issues or have any questions regarding the installation process or customizing your settings, feel free to leave a comment below. We’re here to help you make the most out of VS Code.
