VS Code and Editor Integration

coop vscode connects VS Code to a running guest VM over SSH. The same SSH config entry works with JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, and any editor that supports SSH remote development.

Quick start

coop vscode my-instance

This command:

1. Writes an SSH config block for the instance into ~/.ssh/config.
2. Launches VS Code with code --remote ssh-remote+coop-{name} /workspace.
3. Prints the SSH config entry to stderr for manual use with other editors.

The coop vscode command

coop vscode [NAME] [--project PATH] [--editor EDITOR] [--clean]

NAME is the instance name. Required when multiple instances exist.

--project sets the remote directory VS Code opens. Defaults to /workspace.

--editor overrides editor auto-detection. Currently only code is supported.

--clean removes the SSH config entry for the specified instance and exits. Useful for manual cleanup without destroying the instance.

coop vscode my-instance --project /workspace/frontend

Installing the code CLI

The code command must be on your PATH. If it is not installed, open VS Code and run:

Cmd+Shift+P, then "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

coop prints an error with this instruction when code is not found.

SSH config management

coop writes SSH config entries to ~/.ssh/config, delimited by marker comments:

# coop START coop-my-instance
Host coop-my-instance
    HostName 127.0.0.1
    Port 22222
    User ubuntu
    IdentityFile /path/to/.coop/ssh_key
    StrictHostKeyChecking no
    UserKnownHostsFile /dev/null
    LogLevel ERROR
# coop END

Each run of coop vscode replaces the existing block for that instance, or creates one if none exists. To install the same block without launching an editor — for plain ssh/scp/rsync — use coop ssh-config.

Cleanup

• coop vscode NAME --clean (or coop ssh-config NAME --clean) removes the SSH config entry for the specified instance and exits. This cleans up the config without destroying the instance.
• coop destroy removes the SSH config block for the destroyed instance.
• coop destroy --all removes all coop SSH config blocks.
• coop stop leaves the SSH config block in place. A stale entry has no effect when the VM is not running, and coop start refreshes it on the next boot (the Lima SSH port changes per start).

Other editors

coop vscode prints the SSH config entry to stderr. Any SSH-capable editor can use it.

JetBrains (IntelliJ, GoLand, CLion, etc.)

1. Run coop vscode my-instance to generate the SSH config.
2. In your JetBrains IDE, open File > Remote Development > SSH Connection.
3. Select the coop-{name} host.
4. Set the project directory to /workspace.

Cursor

Cursor uses the same Remote SSH extension as VS Code. Run coop vscode and the host appears in Cursor's SSH targets. You can also launch it directly:

cursor --remote ssh-remote+coop-my-instance /workspace

Manual SSH

The host alias works from any terminal:

ssh coop-my-instance

The SSH config block supplies the hostname, port, user, key, and host-key verification settings.

Port forwarding

coop does not manage port forwarding. Use SSH directly:

ssh -L 3000:localhost:3000 coop-my-instance

This binds local port 3000 to port 3000 inside the guest. Stack multiple -L flags for additional ports:

ssh -L 3000:localhost:3000 -L 5432:localhost:5432 coop-my-instance

VS Code's Remote SSH extension exposes a Ports panel that handles forwarding once connected.

Interaction with push and pull

coop push and coop pull sync files between host and guest. Both work while VS Code is connected; there is no need to disconnect.

Watch for conflicts. coop push overwrites guest files, and coop pull overwrites local files. Both commands check for uncommitted git changes and refuse to proceed unless you pass --force.