Visual Studio Code Gene

This geneset provides automated installation and configuration of Visual Studio Code with development extensions and optional Dev Drive integration for enhanced performance.

Features

• Automated Installation: VS Code installation via Chocolatey package manager
• System-Wide Configuration: Settings and keybindings applied to all users
• Extension Bootstrap: Automatic extension installation on first launch
• Dev Drive Integration: Automatic detection and configuration of Dev Drives for optimal development performance
• Reboot Handling: Automatic handling of installation reboots via cloudbase-init

Available Fodder

win-vscode

Installs Visual Studio Code with development extensions and configures it for optimal development workflow.

Variables

Default Extensions

• PowerShell (ms-vscode.powershell) - PowerShell language support
• Python (ms-python.python) - Python development support
• Docker (ms-azuretools.vscode-docker) - Docker container support

Default Settings

{
  "editor.fontSize": 14,
  "editor.tabSize": 2,
  "editor.wordWrap": "on",
  "terminal.integrated.fontSize": 13,
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "files.autoSaveDelay": 1000,
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.minimap.enabled": false
}

Dev Drive Integration

When a Dev Drive is detected (automatically or via dev_drive_letter), the gene configures:

Dev Drive Detection

1. Explicit: Set dev_drive_letter variable (e.g., "E")
2. Automatic: Scans for:
   • Windows 11 Dev Drives (trusted developer volumes)
   • ReFS drives with "Dev" in the label
   • Skips system drives (C:, D:)

Dev Drive Configuration

• Extensions Directory: {DevDrive}:\vscode\extensions
• User Data: {DevDrive}:\vscode\user-data
• Workspace Storage: {DevDrive}:\vscode\workspace-storage
• Default Git Location: {DevDrive}:\source\repos
• Terminal Working Directory: {DevDrive}:\source

Performance Benefits

• ~25% faster file operations and builds
• Reduced antivirus scanning overhead
• Optimized for development workloads

Usage Examples

Basic Installation

name: my-dev-machine
parent: dbosoft/winsrv2022-standard/starter

fodder:
  - source: gene:dbosoft/guest-services:win-install
    variables:
      - name: sshPublicKey
        value: '{{ egskey }}'
  
  - source: gene:dbosoft/vscode:win-vscode

Custom Extensions

name: python-dev-machine
parent: dbosoft/winsrv2022-standard/starter

variables:
  - name: egskey
    secret: true

fodder:
  - source: gene:dbosoft/guest-services:win-install
    variables:
      - name: sshPublicKey
        value: '{{ egskey }}'
  
  - source: gene:dbosoft/vscode:win-vscode
    variables:
      - name: vscode_extensions
        value: "ms-python.python,ms-python.pylint,ms-python.black-formatter,ms-vscode.vscode-json"

With Dev Drive

name: devdrive-vscode-machine
parent: dbosoft/winsrv2022-standard/starter

variables:
  - name: egskey
    secret: true

drives:
  - name: devdrive
    size: 100 GB

fodder:
  - source: gene:dbosoft/guest-services:win-install
    variables:
      - name: sshPublicKey
        value: '{{ egskey }}'
  
  - source: gene:dbosoft/windevdrive:configure
    variables:
      - name: devdrive_name
        value: devdrive
      - name: devdrive_letter
        value: E
      - name: devdrive_label
        value: DevDrive
  
  - source: gene:dbosoft/vscode:win-vscode
    variables:
      - name: dev_drive_letter
        value: "E"

Custom Settings

name: custom-vscode-machine
parent: dbosoft/winsrv2022-standard/starter

variables:
  - name: egskey
    secret: true
  - name: my_vscode_settings
    value: |
      {
        "editor.fontSize": 16,
        "editor.theme": "dark",
        "workbench.colorTheme": "Dark+ (default dark)",
        "terminal.integrated.shell.windows": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe"
      }

fodder:
  - source: gene:dbosoft/guest-services:win-install
    variables:
      - name: sshPublicKey
        value: '{{ egskey }}'
  
  - source: gene:dbosoft/vscode:win-vscode
    variables:
      - name: vscode_settings_json
        value: '{{ my_vscode_settings }}'

Post-Installation

User Configuration

Each user should run the configuration script on first login:

C:\ProgramData\configure-vscode-user.ps1

This script:

• Copies default settings and keybindings to user profile
• Shows Dev Drive configuration details (if applicable)
• Provides usage instructions

Extension Installation

Extensions are installed automatically when users first launch VS Code through the bootstrap mechanism.

Verification

To verify the installation:

# Check VS Code installation
code --version

# Check extensions (after first launch)
code --list-extensions

# Check Dev Drive configuration (if applicable)
fsutil devdrv query E:

Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

• Reboot Required: The gene handles reboots automatically via cloudbase-init
• Chocolatey Issues: The gene will install Chocolatey if not present
• Path Issues: VS Code is automatically added to system PATH

Dev Drive Issues

• Not Detected: Manually specify dev_drive_letter variable
• Wrong Drive: Check that the specified drive exists and is a fixed drive
• Performance: Ensure the drive is properly formatted as ReFS with Dev Drive flag

Extension Issues

• Download Failures: Extensions download from VS Code Marketplace during bootstrap
• Missing Extensions: Check internet connectivity during installation
• Manual Installation: Extensions can be installed manually via VS Code UI

Requirements

• Windows Server 2022 or Windows 10/11
• Internet Connection for downloading VS Code and extensions
• PowerShell 5.1 or later
• Optional: Dev Drive (Windows 11 22621+ for full Dev Drive support)

Related Genes

• dbosoft/windevdrive:configure - Create and configure Dev Drives
• dbosoft/guest-services:win-install - SSH access via Eryph Guest Services
• dbosoft/chocolatey - Chocolatey package manager setup