VS Code Setup on Linux — Windows to Linux Guide

What This Guide Achieves

Goal	Status
Install VS Code on Ubuntu-based OS	Done
Configure essential extensions for Linux development	Done
Set up Stata integration (run do-files from VS Code)	Done
Configure keybindings for productivity	Done
Understand VS Code file locations on Linux	Done

The Problem (Windows User Perspective)

VS Code on Linux works almost identically to Windows — same UI, same extensions, same settings. The main differences are:

Installation method — no .exe installer; you use .deb or apt
Settings location — ~/.config/Code/User/ instead of %AppData%\Code\User\
Terminal integration — VS Code’s built-in terminal gives you a real bash shell
Some extensions need Linux tools — automation tools like wmctrl, xdotool, xclip (X11 only)

Installation

Method 1: Official APT Repository (Recommended)

This adds Microsoft’s repository directly so VS Code installs and updates through apt — no manual .deb downloads needed.

# 1. Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget gpg apt-transport-https

# 2. Import Microsoft's GPG signing key
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

# 3. Add the official repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list > /dev/null

# 4. Install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

Version installed on the tested setup: 1.121.0

Binary: /usr/bin/code → /usr/share/code/bin/code (APT symlink)

Future updates come automatically with sudo apt upgrade.

Method 2: Download .deb and Install

wget -O vscode.deb "https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64"
sudo apt install ./vscode.deb
rm vscode.deb

Installing from .deb also registers the Microsoft repository, so future updates come through sudo apt upgrade as well.

Method 3: Flatpak (Linux Mint Software Manager)

On Linux Mint, open Software Manager, search for “VS Code”, and click the green Install button for the Flatpak (Flathub) version. Unlike Snap, Flatpak is native to Mint and requires no terminal setup.

Method 4: Snap

sudo snap install code --classic

The .deb/APT versions (Methods 1 and 2) have full file system access and are preferred for workflows involving clipboard tools (xclip, xdotool), external scripts, or system-level automation. Flatpak and Snap sandboxing can interfere with these tools.

Verify Installation

code --version
# Should print version info with date and commit hash

which code
# Should print: /usr/bin/code

Launch it from your application menu or by typing code in the terminal.

VS Code File Locations on Linux

File	Linux Path	Windows Equivalent
User settings	`~/.config/Code/User/settings.json`	`%AppData%\Code\User\settings.json`
Keybindings	`~/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json`	`%AppData%\Code\User\keybindings.json`
Extensions	`~/.vscode/extensions/`	`%USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\`
Workspace settings	`.vscode/settings.json` (in project folder)	Same
Tasks	`.vscode/tasks.json` (in project folder)	Same

Essential Extensions

For General Development

Extension	ID	Purpose
GitLens	`eamodio.gitlens`	Git blame, history, and diff tools
Error Lens	`usernamehw.errorlens`	Show errors/warnings inline
Path Intellisense	`christian-kohler.path-intellisense`	Auto-complete file paths
Bracket Pair Colorizer	Built-in (enable in settings)	Visual bracket matching
Material Icon Theme	`pkief.material-icon-theme`	Better file icons in sidebar

For Markdown and Documentation

Extension	ID	Purpose
Markdown All in One	`yzhang.markdown-all-in-one`	Shortcuts, TOC generation, preview
markdownlint	`davidanson.vscode-markdownlint`	Markdown style linting

For Stata Integration

Extension	ID	Purpose
Stata Enhanced	`kylebarron.stata-enhanced`	Syntax highlighting for `.do` files
multi-command	`ryuta46.multi-command`	Chain multiple commands on one keybinding

Install extensions from the command line:

code --install-extension kylebarron.stata-enhanced
code --install-extension ryuta46.multi-command

Stata Integration: Run Do-Files from VS Code

This is the most complex VS Code setup covered in these guides. The full details are in the Stata 19 Complete Guide, but here’s the summary.

Prerequisites

sudo apt install wmctrl xdotool xclip -y

These tools only work on X11 (Xorg), not Wayland. See the Display Server Guide for switching.

How It Works

Two custom shell scripts handle the VS Code → Stata communication:

Script	Location	Purpose
`stata_run_do.sh`	`~/.local/bin/`	Runs an entire `.do` file in Stata GUI
`stata_run_selection.sh`	`~/.local/bin/`	Runs selected code in Stata GUI

The workflow:

VS Code copies code to clipboard (internally, no shell interpretation)
Script writes clipboard to a temp .do file (avoids bash interpreting Stata syntax)
Script sends do "/tmp/stata_selection_run.do" to Stata via clipboard + paste
Stata executes the temp file as a proper do-file

Keybindings

Add to ~/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json:

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+enter",
    "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
    "args": "Run do-file in Stata GUI"
  },
  {
    "key": "shift+enter",
    "command": "extension.multiCommand.execute",
    "args": {
      "sequence": [
        "editor.action.clipboardCopyAction",
        {
          "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
          "args": "Run selection in Stata GUI"
        }
      ]
    },
    "when": "editorTextFocus"
  }
]

Usage

Action	Keybinding
Run entire do-file	Ctrl+Enter
Run selected lines/chunk	Select code → Shift+Enter
Run a single line	Ctrl+L (select line) → Shift+Enter

For the complete setup including script contents and tasks.json, see the Stata 19 Complete Guide Parts 5-7.

Useful Settings for Linux

Add to ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json:

{
  // Use bash as default terminal
  "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash",

  // Font with good Unicode support (check what's installed on your system)
  "editor.fontFamily": "'Fira Code', 'Droid Sans Mono', 'monospace'",

  // File associations
  "files.associations": {
    "*.do": "stata",
    "*.ado": "stata",
    "*.mata": "stata"
  },

  // Auto-save (optional — some prefer manual save)
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "files.autoSaveDelay": 1000,

  // Trim trailing whitespace on save
  "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,

  // Show hidden files in file explorer
  "files.exclude": {
    "**/.git": true,
    "**/.DS_Store": true
  }
}

Linux-Specific Tips

Opening VS Code from Terminal

# Open current directory
code .

# Open a specific file
code /path/to/file.py

# Open a specific folder
code /path/to/project

# Open VS Code with a new empty window
code -n

Using the Integrated Terminal

Ctrl+` — Toggle the terminal panel
Ctrl+Shift+` — Open a new terminal
The terminal is a real bash shell — you can run any command directly
code filename from the integrated terminal opens the file in a new tab

VS Code and File Permissions

Unlike Windows, Linux files have execute permissions. VS Code respects these:

Scripts (.sh) need chmod +x to be executable
VS Code’s terminal inherits your user permissions
You can run chmod +x filename.sh directly from VS Code’s terminal

What Didn’t Work (and Why)

Approach Tried	Why It Failed
Using `stata.*` keys in VS Code settings.json	These keys only work if a specific Stata extension reads them — most don’t
Passing `${selectedText}` as shell argument for Stata	Bash interprets backticks, comments, and special characters in Stata code
Pasting raw Stata code into Stata’s command bar	Command bar executes one line at a time, doesn’t support block comments
Using Wayland with wmctrl/xdotool automation	These tools only work on X11 — must use Xorg session
Installing VS Code from snap for Stata workflow	Snap sandboxing can interfere with clipboard and window management tools

Stata 19 Complete Guide — Full Stata installation and VS Code integration
Stata 19 MP with Antigravity IDE — Reuse the VS Code-style Stata workflow in Antigravity IDE
Stata Cross-Platform — Making do-files work on Windows + Linux + macOS
Display Server Guide — Why X11 is needed for automation