Local VSCode Desktop extensions have to be installed manually (Install in SSH) on workspace open

[shaal]

Bug description

When you have local VSCode extensions installed, and you open a Gitpod workspace locally.
You'll get this action button next to some extensions (e.g. Composer, Gitlens, etc)
Install in SSH: <name_of_workspace>
Clicking on that button works as expected.
But it's very annoying that the on every new Gitpod workspace I open locally, I have to repeat the whole process on dozens of extensions.

cc: @JSchreff

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Gitlens VSCode extension locally on your computer.
2. Open any Gitpod workspace, and choose to open it locally in VSCode
3. Under Extensions -> Local - Installed section, find Gitlens extension.
4. Click on the button Install in SSH: <name_of_workspace>
5. Close this workspace and open a new workspace.
6. Repeat all the steps above, you'll see that you have to reinstall Gitlens extension again.

Workspace affected

No response

Expected behavior

Similar to how Gitpod 'remembers' the VSCode extensions I like to use when I open a workspace in the browser, I'd like it to rememebr and carry over all my installed extensions when I work locally on my computer.

Example repository

No response

Anything else?

No response

[sagor999]

Does it happen to all of your local extensions?
I have a feeling this is due to extension wanting to run on the host itself, hence a prompt to install it on the host via ssh.

[mustard-mh]

You can add these extension to .gitpod.yaml then they will automatic install

[axonasif]

@shaal do you have this button?

Other than that, what @mustard-mh said is correct, you can list your extensions in .gitpod.yml since remote.SSH.defaultExtensions¹ vscode-settings gets automatically set to gitpod.gitpod-remote-ssh.

Not sure if this will work but you can try adding:

#!/usr/bin/bash -eui
_exts=(
   one.two
   three.four
)
for _ext in "${_exts[@]}"; do {
   code --install-extension "$_ext";
} done

in your dotfiles repo install.sh, this way it can be less manual for all of your workspaces.

Footnotes

1. https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/ssh#_always-installed-extensions ↩

[shaal]

@axonasif @mustard-mh thank you, but I think it's missing the point of this bug/feature request, what you suggested is a workaround and not solving the actual problem.

Gitpod is a service that improves developer experience.
When working on Gitpod workspaces (without any special setup (ie. dotfiles), every extension I add will be installed for me the new workspace I open, without updating .gitpod.yml file.
It's nice because I don't need to remember to do it, it just "does it for me", it improves the developer experience by providing a workflow automate some of the things without requiring additional manual steps.

That behavior is different when opening a workspace in a local VSCode, because all of a sudden, my favorite VSCode extension do not "carry over" to the project that runs on Gitpod workspace.
The desired developer experience would be that when I work locally, my favorite VSCode extensions are available.
In the current state, I have 20 VSCode extensions on my local that I have to manually click to install each and every time I open a Gitpod workspace.

[axonasif]

@shaal: thank you, but I think it's missing the point of this bug/feature request, what you suggested is a workaround and not solving the actual problem.

Yeah, that's true, if it was then we'd be already closing the issue you know.
Perhaps all we can do is wait for this to become a reality in the future when one of our engineers pick up this issue for making this process convenient 😄

[sagor999]

@akosyakov is that something that can be added? or not possible?
maybe via local companion app that can detect those extensions and send an event to install them on remote?

[akosyakov]

What is wrong with remote.SSH.defaultExtensions ? We do change it to add one extension, but if you have others there they should be installed in each remote machine regardless whether it is Gitpod container or not.

[akosyakov]

There is also a command Install local extension on remote where you can check box all extensions. We could consider to add an option to run this command programatically.

[loujaybee]

Relates to: #9136