Remote Host

A VS Code extension that works like the Remote Host tool window in JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PhpStorm, WebStorm...). Connect to multiple servers over SFTP / FTP / FTPS, browse and edit files directly on the server, upload on save, diff local against remote, and open SSH terminals — without leaving VS Code and without syncing the whole project.

Reusable SSH configurations (user@host:port) are managed in their own window and shared by any number of hosts — passwords go to the OS keychain, never into JSON:

Features

Hosts

• Host manager UI — add, edit and delete hosts in a dedicated panel (Remote Host: Add / Edit Hosts...); hosts are listed in a sidebar grouped by scope, with unsaved-draft indicators, Test Connection and Save & Connect
• Reusable SSH configurations — define user@host:port + auth once, reference it from any number of hosts; managed in their own window
• Passwords stay out of JSON — passwords and key passphrases are stored in the OS keychain (VS Code SecretStorage); legacy plaintext configs migrate automatically on save
• Workspace and global scope — per-project hosts in .vscode/remote-hosts.json, global hosts in ~/.vsremote/hosts.json, available in every project
• Default host auto-connects when the workspace opens; switch hosts via the status bar item or the ⇄ button in the tree
• Remote folder browser — pick remotePath from a live folder tree instead of typing it

Files

• Remote file tree in the activity bar — browse, open and edit files straight on the server; saving uploads back automatically (no temp files)

• Upload / Download — files and folders, recursive, with multi-select; drag & drop from your file manager into the tree to upload

• Upload on save — optionally push local edits on every save (uploadOnSave)

• Compare with Remote / Compare with Local — one-click diff between the local and server copy of a file

• New File / New Folder / Rename / Delete / Copy Remote Path from the context menu

• File Transfer log — a panel showing every transfer with progress; long transfers can be cancelled:

  

Connection

• SFTP (password, private key or ssh-agent), FTP and FTPS (implicit TLS is picked automatically on port 990)
• SSH terminal in VS Code's integrated terminal, cd'd into remotePath
• Auto-reconnect when a dropped connection is used again
• Multi-root workspaces — uploads pick the host whose localPath contains the file

Getting started

1. Open the Remote Host icon in the activity bar.
2. Click Add / Edit Hosts... and fill in the form:
   • pick or create an SSH configuration (user@host:port + password or key) for SFTP, or enter host/username inline for FTP/FTPS,
   • choose the remote path (the Browse... button lets you pick it from the server),
   • optionally tick Upload on save or Save globally.
3. Hit Save & Connect — the server appears in the file tree.

Configuration files

Hosts live in .vscode/remote-hosts.json (this project) and ~/.vsremote/hosts.json (global). The host form maintains them for you — hand-editing is possible but never required:

{
  "defaultHost": "My Server",
  "hosts": [
    {
      "name": "My Server",
      "protocol": "sftp", // sftp | ftp | ftps
      "sshConfig": "[email protected]:22", // reference to an SSH configuration
      "remotePath": "/var/www/html",
      "localPath": ".", // default: workspace root
      "uploadOnSave": false,
    },
  ],
}

SSH configurations are stored next to the hosts (ssh-configs.json), identified by user@host:port. Passwords / passphrases are never written to these files — they live in the OS keychain.

Usage

License

MIT