VS Code Installation and Setup

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for installing and configuring Visual Studio Code with a focus on PowerShell development across Windows and Linux platforms.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the installation process, ensure you have:

Administrative privileges on your system
Active internet connection for downloading packages
Basic familiarity with command-line interfaces

Method 1: WinGet (Recommended)

Install without customization:

winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e --source winget

Install with custom options (silent install, add context menu entries):

winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/SILENT /mergetasks="!runcode,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders"'

Method 2: Manual Download

Visit VS Code Download Page
Download the Windows installer (.exe)
Run the installer and follow the setup wizard

Method 3: Chocolatey

choco install vscode

Method 1: APT Repository (Debian/Ubuntu)

Setup Microsoft repository and install:

# Update package index
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt install wget gpg software-properties-common apt-transport-https

# Add Microsoft GPG key and repository
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg
echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list > /dev/null
rm -f packages.microsoft.gpg

# Update package index and install VS Code
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

Method 2: Snap Package

sudo snap install --classic code

Method 3: Flatpak

flatpak install flathub com.visualstudio.code

Method 4: Direct Download (.deb)

# Download and install .deb package
wget -O code.deb 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64'
sudo dpkg -i code.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Fix dependencies if needed
rm code.deb

Install Git

Git is essential for version control and is required for many VS Code features and extensions.

Windows
Linux

Method 1: WinGet

winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget

Method 2: Chocolatey

choco install git

Method 3: Manual Download

Download from Git for Windows and run the installer.

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

RHEL/CentOS/Fedora

# Fedora
sudo dnf install git

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install git

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S git

Verify Git Installation

git --version
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Install PowerShell

PowerShell 7+ provides cross-platform scripting capabilities and enhanced features for modern development.

Windows
Linux

WinGet Installation

winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget

Alternative: Microsoft Store

Search for "PowerShell" in the Microsoft Store and install.

Verify Installation

pwsh --version

Debian/Ubuntu - Package Repository Method

# Update package index
sudo apt update

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https software-properties-common

# Get Ubuntu version and download Microsoft repository key
source /etc/os-release
wget -q https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$VERSION_ID/packages-microsoft-prod.deb

# Register Microsoft repository
sudo dpkg -i packages-microsoft-prod.deb
rm packages-microsoft-prod.deb

# Update package index and install PowerShell
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y powershell

Direct Download Method

# Download latest PowerShell package
wget https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/download/v7.4.11/powershell_7.4.11-1.deb_amd64.deb

# Install the package
sudo dpkg -i powershell_7.4.11-1.deb_amd64.deb

# Fix any dependency issues
sudo apt-get install -f

# Clean up
rm powershell_7.4.11-1.deb_amd64.deb

Verify PowerShell Installation

pwsh --version

Essential VS Code Extensions for PowerShell

After installing VS Code, install these essential extensions for PowerShell development:

Core Extensions

# PowerShell extension (essential)
code --install-extension ms-vscode.PowerShell

# Additional recommended extensions
code --install-extension ms-vscode.vscode-json
code --install-extension redhat.vscode-yaml
code --install-extension streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker
code --install-extension davidanson.vscode-markdownlint

Extension Details

Extension	Publisher	Purpose
PowerShell	Microsoft	Syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, debugging
JSON	Microsoft	JSON file support and validation
YAML	Red Hat	YAML syntax support
Code Spell Checker	Street Side Software	Spell checking in code and comments
markdownlint	David Anson	Markdown linting and formatting

Initial Configuration

PowerShell Extension Settings

Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,) and configure:

{
    "powershell.codeFormatting.preset": "OTBS",
    "powershell.codeFormatting.openBraceOnSameLine": false,
    "powershell.codeFormatting.newLineAfterOpenBrace": true,
    "powershell.codeFormatting.newLineAfterCloseBrace": true,
    "powershell.scriptAnalysis.enable": true,
    "powershell.integratedConsole.showOnStartup": false
}

Verify Setup

Open VS Code: Launch Visual Studio Code
Open PowerShell Terminal: Terminal → New Terminal → Select PowerShell
Test PowerShell: Run $PSVersionTable to verify PowerShell is working
Create Test Script: Create a new .ps1 file and verify syntax highlighting works

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

PowerShell Extension Not Loading

# Update PowerShell to latest version
winget upgrade Microsoft.PowerShell

# Reload VS Code window
# Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"

Git Not Recognized

# Restart VS Code after Git installation
# Check PATH includes Git installation directory

Linux Permission Issues

# Fix VS Code desktop entry permissions
sudo chmod +x /usr/share/applications/code.desktop

# Fix executable permissions
sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/code

Next Steps

After completing the installation:

Configure PowerShell Development: See the VS Code Configuration Guide for optimal PowerShell settings
Learn Productivity Tips: Explore VS Code Tips and Tricks for keyboard shortcuts and advanced features
Set Up Code Snippets: Create custom templates with the VS Code Snippets Guide
Set Up Version Control: Configure Git repositories for your PowerShell projects
Install Additional Extensions: Explore the VS Code marketplace for productivity extensions

References and Additional Resources

Official Documentation

Visual Studio Code Documentation - Comprehensive VS Code documentation
PowerShell Documentation - Official PowerShell documentation by Microsoft
Git Documentation - Official Git documentation and tutorials

Installation Guides

VS Code on Linux - Official Linux installation guide
Installing PowerShell on Ubuntu - Microsoft's Ubuntu installation guide
Git for Windows - Git installation for Windows systems

PowerShell Extension Resources

PowerShell Extension for VS Code - Official extension page
PowerShell Extension Documentation - Usage guide and features
PowerShell Development in VS Code - Microsoft's development guide

Package Managers

WinGet Documentation - Windows Package Manager guide
Chocolatey - Package manager for Windows
Snap Store - Universal Linux packages

Community Resources

VS Code Tips and Tricks - Productivity tips
PowerShell Community - PowerShell GitHub repository
r/PowerShell - PowerShell community on Reddit

Advanced Configuration

VS Code User and Workspace Settings - Configuration guide
PowerShell Profiles - Customizing PowerShell environment
Git Configuration - Git setup and customization

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