How to Connect to a Remote Ubuntu Server Using VS Code in Windows

It can be very helpful to connect VS Code to your Ubuntu server through SSH, allowing you to edit files directly on the server. Here, I'll guide you step by step on how to do this.

Install the Extension

The first step is to install the extension for SSH connections. It's called Remote - SSH. You can easily find it in the VS Code Extensions tab by searching for SSH.

Install the extension and then we'll move to the next step.

Generate Key Pair

Open Powershell or CMD, enter the following command:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "some comments for distinguish"

The comment is optional and will be appended to the tail of the public key for identification purposes.

> ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "some comments for distinguish"
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\Administrator/.ssh/id_rsa):
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:

The passphrase is optional too; it increases security by adding a password to your secret key.

The file location is relative to your home directory. For example:

Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\Administrator/.ssh/id_rsa): test
Generated keys:
 - C:\Users\Administrator\test
 - C:\Users\Administrator\test.pub

Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\Administrator/.ssh/id_rsa): .ssh/test
Generated keys:
 - C:\Users\Administrator\.ssh\test
 - C:\Users\Administrator\.ssh\test.pub

After generating, find your keys and proceed to the next step.

Copy the Public Key to Your Server

On your server, edit the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file (note: it's a file, not a folder):

vim ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

If you're opening it for the first time, it's okay if it's empty. You should open the <keyname>.pub file you generated earlier and copy its contents into authorized_keys on a new line:

... maybe old keys added before ...
ssh-rsa AAAA....../BB23SUe......0FmUdWw== your_comment

Configure SSH in VS Code

Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command palette, and type ssh configuration into it. You will find an option named Remote-SSH: Open SSH Configuration File.... Click it, and you'll be prompted to select an SSH configuration file to update. The first one is fine.

Then, a configuration file will open in VS Code. Add these lines to it:

Host <random_name_you_want>
  HostName <your_server_ip_address_without_port>
  User <the_user_you_want_to_log_in_to_your_server>

Save the file, then navigate to the Remote Explorer in the left sidebar. You will see an SSH configuration entry with the <random_name_you_want>. Click the connect button.

Then, click Open Folder and select a folder on your server to open.

Well done! Now you're able to directly edit files on your Ubuntu server. Other systems work similarly, so feel free to explore on your own.