VS Code & SSH Setup Guide

This guide will walk you through setting connecting to a Remote Virtual Machine (VM) via SSH (to the robot), and installing the essential extensions for ROS 2 and Python development.

1. Install the Remote - SSH Extension

VS Code does not support SSH out of the box; you need the official extension from Microsoft.

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Click on the Extensions icon on the left-hand sidebar (the four squares) or press Ctrl+Shift+X.
  3. Search for "Remote - SSH".
  4. Click Install on the version published by Microsoft.

2. Connect to a remote machine

  1. In VS Code, press F1 or Ctrl+Shift+P to open the Command Palette.
  2. Type Remote-SSH: Connect to Host... and select it.
  3. Select Add New SSH Host.
  4. Enter: ssh username@remote_machine_ip
  5. Select the SSH configuration file to update (usually the first option in the list).
  6. When prompted, click Connect in the bottom-right notification.
  7. Important: Once connected, the bottom-left corner should display SSH: [IP_ADDRESS].

Note: When working over SSH, you must install extensions on the Remote VM. In the Extensions view, look for the button that says "Install on SSH: [IP]".

ROS 2 & Robotics

  • Robot Developer Extension for URDF/Xacro: Essential for visualizing and editing your TurtleBot 4 robot models.
  • YAML (Red Hat): Provides syntax checking for ROS 2 launch files and parameter files.

Python & Quality Control

  • Python (Microsoft): The base extension for all Python development.
  • Pylance: High-performance "IntelliSense" (autocompletion and type checking).
  • Ruff: The fastest linter and formatter available in 2026.
  • Error Lens: Highlights errors and warnings directly in the line of code where they occur, so you don't have to check the "Problems" tab.

General Productivity

  • GitLens: Helps you see who changed a line of code and provides a deep history of your repository.
  • Peacock: Changes the color of your VS Code window border. This is very helpful when you have multiple SSH windows open (e.g., one for the VM, one for the TurtleBot).
  • Path Intellisense: Autocompletes filenames when you are typing paths in your code.

4. Format on Save

To ensure your code always follows professional standards, enable Format on Save.

  1. Open Settings (Ctrl + ,).
  2. Search for "Format on Save" and check the box.
  3. Search for "Default Formatter" and set it to Ruff for Python files.

5. Powering OFF

To prevent data loss, always shut down the software before cutting hardware power.

  1. Shutdown the Pi/VM: In the VS Code terminal, run: 
    sudo shutdown now
  2. Close Connection: Once the VM shuts down, VS Code will notify you that the connection was lost. You can then safely close the window.

Troubleshooting & Links