Run projects instantly without the hassle of installing system dependencies, managing language versions, or learning Docker. Containless automatically provisions fully isolated, project-local runtimes for Node.js, Python, Java, Go, PHP, and Ruby.

Features

Auto-detection — Detects installed Containless runtimes the moment you open a workspace
Full sandbox — Terminal PATH is overridden so every command uses the local runtime
CLI integration — Run all Containless CLI commands directly from VS Code
Status bar — See active runtimes at a glance with a persistent status bar indicator
Output channel — All CLI output and extension activity is logged to a dedicated panel
Python — Configures the interpreter path and virtual environment
Node.js — Configures Node.js for ESLint, npm, and the terminal
Java — Sets JAVA_HOME for the Java extension pack
Go — Sets GOROOT and alternate tools for the Go extension
PHP — Configures PHP executable for linting and debugging
Ruby — Configures Ruby executable for the terminal and workspace
Live reload — Watches containless.json and reconfigures automatically on changes

How It Works

Open a workspace that contains a containless.json
The extension activates automatically
It scans .containless/runtimes/ for installed runtimes
Workspace settings are updated to point all tools to local runtimes
Terminal PATH is prepended with local binary directories

Result: Every tool in VS Code — IntelliSense, linting, debugging, and the terminal — uses the project-local runtime instead of whatever is installed globally.

Commands

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run:

Command	Description
`Containless: Run Project`	Install runtimes and execute the start command in the terminal
`Containless: Install Runtime`	Select a runtime and version to download and install
`Containless: Initialize Project`	Scan the project and generate `containless.json`
`Containless: Detect and Configure Runtimes`	Re-scan installed runtimes and update VS Code settings
`Containless: Show Runtime Info`	Display installed runtimes and their status
`Containless: Clean Runtimes`	Delete all locally installed runtimes
`Containless: Reset to Global Runtimes`	Remove sandbox settings and restore global defaults
`Containless: Show Commands`	Open the Containless command menu

Status Bar

When a containless.json is present, a status bar item appears at the bottom of VS Code showing the active runtimes (e.g. Containless: [email protected] | [email protected]). Click it to open the command menu for quick access to all Containless actions.

What Gets Configured

Python

python.defaultInterpreterPath → local Python or venv executable

Node.js

eslint.runtime → local Node.js executable
npm.binPath → local Node.js bin directory

Java

java.jdt.ls.java.home → local Java home

Go

go.goroot → local Go SDK root
go.alternateTools → local Go binary

PHP

php.executablePath → local PHP executable

Terminal

terminal.integrated.env.{platform}.PATH → prepended with all local runtime bin directories

Configuration

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`containless.cliPath`	`string`	`""`	Override the path to the containless CLI binary. Leave empty to auto-detect.

Requirements

VS Code 1.85 or later
A project with a containless.json file
The Containless CLI installed globally or in the project

Getting Started

Install the Containless CLI:
```
npm install -g containless
```
Initialize your project:
```
containless init
```
Install runtimes:
```
containless run
```
Open the project in VS Code — the extension takes care of the rest!

Alternatively, after installing the extension, use the Command Palette to run Containless: Initialize Project and Containless: Run Project without leaving VS Code.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
CLI not found	Install with `npm install -g containless` or set `containless.cliPath`
No runtimes detected	Run `Containless: Run Project` from the Command Palette
Terminal still uses global runtime	Close the terminal and open a new one (`Ctrl+``)
Settings not applied	Check `.vscode/settings.json` in your workspace
IDE still using global runtimes	Restart VS Code or reload the window (`Ctrl+Shift+P` → Reload Window)