5.8a VS Code Extension

Use OpenCode in VS Code, Cursor, and other editors.

📝 Course Notes

Key points from this lesson:

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What You'll Learn

• Install the VS Code extension
• Use keyboard shortcuts for quick access
• Send selected code to OpenCode
• Configure external editors

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Supported Editors

• VS Code
• Cursor
• Windsurf
• VSCodium

If you use Zed, JetBrains, Neovim, or other editors, see 5.8b ACP Protocol.

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Installation

Automatic Installation (Recommended)

1. Open VS Code
2. Open the integrated terminal (not an external terminal)
3. Run opencode - the extension installs automatically

Manual Installation

1. Open the Extensions Marketplace (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for "OpenCode"
3. Click Install

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux
Open Panel	Cmd+Esc	Ctrl+Esc
New Session	Cmd+Shift+Esc	Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Insert File Reference	Cmd+Option+K	Alt+Ctrl+K

Feature Descriptions

• Open Panel: Opens the OpenCode terminal, or focuses an existing session
• New Session: Starts a new OpenCode session (even if one exists)
• Insert File Reference: Inserts the current file reference, formatted as @File#L37-42

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Usage Workflow

1. Cmd+Esc to open the OpenCode panel
2. Select code in the editor
3. Cmd+Option+K to insert a file reference
4. Type your question, press Enter to send

Context Awareness

The extension automatically shares your current selection or tab with OpenCode, no manual copy-paste needed.

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External Editor Configuration

When you use the /editor or /export commands in the TUI, OpenCode opens an external editor.

Linux / macOS

# VS Code
export EDITOR="code --wait"

# Cursor
export EDITOR="cursor --wait"

# Vim
export EDITOR="vim"

# Nano
export EDITOR="nano"

Add to your shell configuration (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) to make it permanent.

Windows CMD

set EDITOR=notepad

rem VS Code (requires --wait)
set EDITOR=code --wait

Use System Properties > Environment Variables to make it permanent.

Windows PowerShell

$env:EDITOR = "notepad"

# VS Code (requires --wait)
$env:EDITOR = "code --wait"

Add to your PowerShell profile to make it permanent.

Common Editors

Editor	Command	Needs --wait
VS Code	code	Yes
Cursor	cursor	Yes
Windsurf	windsurf	Yes
Neovim	nvim	No
Vim	vim	No
Nano	nano	No
Sublime Text	subl	Yes
Notepad	notepad	No

The --wait flag makes the editor process block until closed, which is required for the /editor command to work properly.

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Troubleshooting

Extension Not Auto-Installing

Ensure the following conditions are met:

1. Run opencode in VS Code's integrated terminal (not an external terminal)
2. The IDE CLI is installed:
   • VS Code: code command available
   • Cursor: cursor command available
   • Windsurf: windsurf command available
   • VSCodium: codium command available

If the CLI is not installed:

• Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) / Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows)
• Search for "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

3. VS Code has permission to install extensions

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Common Issues

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Extension didn't auto-install	Not running in integrated terminal	Run opencode in VS Code's built-in terminal
Shortcuts not working	Conflict with other extensions	Check keyboard shortcut settings, modify conflicts
Editor won't open	EDITOR variable not set	Set export EDITOR="code --wait"
Editor closes immediately	Missing --wait flag	Add the --wait parameter

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Further Reading

• 5.8b ACP Protocol - Zed, JetBrains, Neovim, and other editor integrations
• Cheatsheet / Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete keyboard shortcut list

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Lesson Summary

You learned:

1. VS Code extension installation methods (automatic/manual)
2. Common keyboard shortcuts (open panel, new session, insert reference)
3. External editor configuration (multi-platform support)
4. Common troubleshooting

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Next Lesson Preview

In the next lesson, we'll learn about the ACP Protocol, enabling you to use OpenCode in Zed, JetBrains, Neovim, and other editors.