https://ruky.me/2022/06/11/im-switching-form-vs-code-to-vs-codium/ Skip to content Rukshan's Blog * About Me * Contact * @justruky * GitHub * My Resume I'm Switching from VS Code to VS Codium Randoms, Web [55c2697a67][55c2697a67] Rukshan June 11, 2022 [image-1][image-1] VS Code has been my primary text editor/ IDE for several years. "Brackets" was my initial IDE for web development, then I moved to "Atom" and ended up with VS Code. Don't get me wrong, VS Code is a good editor. It has improved since its initial release. But starting this month, I'm switching from VS Code to VS Codium. Allow me to explain, VS Codium official website - https://vscodium.com Is VS Code open source? VS Code, released by Microsoft, is not open-source software. Microsoft is following the open-core model for the VS Code editor, just like how Google is following an open-core model for its Chrome browser. In the open core model, the core of the editor gets developed as an open-source project, with the source code for VS Code under the MIT license. However, Microsoft uses this core and modifies it, incorporates its propriety changes, includes telemetry tracking, and releases it as a proprietary version with its own licensing that is not a FOSS license, therefore different from the MIT license. It is similar to the Chrome browser, where the core of the browser is "Chromium", an open-source browser developed and released under a FOSS license. Google then modifies it, incorporates proprietary Google services, and releases Chrome as a separate browser. What is propriety about VS Code? Microsoft modifies VS Code in a way that a non-Microsoft VS Code fork can't use extensions from the official Microsoft VS Code store. Not only that, some of the VS Code extensions developed and released by Microsoft will only work in the VS Code released by Microsoft and won't work on non-Microsoft VS Code forks. There is nothing wrong with an organization following an open-core principal. Microsoft still has to pay for the developers who contribute to VS Code and other bills associated with VS Code and running the extension store. Why I switched to VS Codium? If you want to get the full open-source MIT-licensed VS Code with no telemetry tracking, you will have to download the source code from the repository and build the VS Code on your own. It is difficult for most users to build VS Code from the source. This is where VS Codium comes in, VS Codium is a fully open-source version of the VS Code, without the constraints and tracking that come with Microsoft's VS Code. The VS Codium team builds VS Code from the source and releases the builds for different platforms under the VS Codium name. I wanted to skip all the tracking that comes with VS Code. I was increasingly getting upset about their extension marketplace, where there is an increased number of extensions starting to sell pro versions of the extensions we used for free. My experience with VS Codium Even though I've seen VS Codium before, the only thing that kept me from switching was the lack of availability of all the extensions. Extensions that I've used to customize my VS Code experience. But the extension ecosystem for VS COdium has matured, and almost all the open-source extensions for VS Code are now available for VS Codium under the open-vsx extension marketplace. These extensions are uploaded by the official developers or by the community. Now that the extensions I use are available in VS Codium, I made a smooth transition to VS Codium, and there is nothing to complain about. The only thing I miss is the "Monokai pro" theme, which I used on VS Code, but I have found a new favourite called "Blackboard Pro" (it's free) on Open VSX registry. [image-2][image-2]Open VS Code extension registry. https:// open-vsx.org. You can now download all the popular VS Code extensions from the Open VSX registry How to install VS Codium? The easiest way to install VS Codium is through the package manages, available for your respective operating systems. If you're a Windows user winget install vscodium macOs user brew install --cask vscodium Linux Ubuntu user sudo apt update && sudo apt install codium [image-3][image-3]VS Codium after installation. I've installed the Blackboard pro theme. Performance Performance wise I don't see a noticeable change, maybe it's because my MBP and my Windows machine both has enough specs to run VS Codium and VS Code Smoothly, but I'm sure there is a small performance gain because you don't have telemetry running in the background sending data to Microsoft. If you're a VS Code user, I suggest you to try out VS Codium and see if it works for you as well. codingInternetJavaScriptLifeRants Share on: Join the ConversationLeave a reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment* [ ] Name* [ ] Email* [ ] Website [ ] [ ] Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment [POST COMMENT] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] D[ ] Comments 1. [b4b7beba][b4b7beba] from Jun 12.2022 from not form Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 Oops, I totally messed that one, fixed it. Thank you for pointing that out Reply 2. [15de1d0c][15de1d0c] Andy Jun 12.2022 Typo in title. Also other places. "f you want to get the full open-source MIT-licensed VS Code with no cemetery tracking," Just fyi. Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 Thank you so much for pointing that out, I fixed it. Reply 1. [f9c12fb9][f9c12fb9] Levent Jun 12.2022 It's still there. Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 Fixed it Reply 3. [a2d2c582][a2d2c582] An0n21 Jun 12.2022 Where to get plugins for VS Codium? Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 Hi, It's there in the article. You can get it from the open-source plugin repository https://open-vsx.org Reply 1. [e0a07288][e0a07288] Karl Jun 12.2022 It still lacks a lot of them. I switched to VS Codium first, but when I got fed up with outdated versions and missing extensions, I dumped it for Visual Studio Code. I know Microsoft's telemetry lurks somewhere into it. It does bother me a bit. But it works at last. I keep using VIM for individual files and in a bunch of other cases. Reply 1. [e0a07288][e0a07288] Karl Jun 12.2022 The mobile version of your website capitalizes each word by the way. Reply 2. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 But it has improved a lot since last time I checked it, which made me made the switch. Last time I checked the open-vsx registry, only a handful of extensions were there, which made me reluctant to switch. Reply 4. [6e4a7e53][6e4a7e53] H.Nazmul Hassan Jun 12.2022 So the only reason for changing your IDE is codium is opensource software.. you didn't discuss about its performance. Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 Thank you for the comment, I decided to add some more details about the performance to the post, I didn't see any noticeable performance difference in both, but I'm sure VS Codium should perform better because there is no telemetry running in the background. Personally I don't like tracking and value privacy, and open source software. I've also complained about where the VS Code extension marketplace is becoming a place for paid, pro extensions than the free ones. Reply 5. [a24c45de][a24c45de] Sir Andronicus Jun 12.2022 like others have mentioned, the only reason for your switching seems to be the claim of codium being open source ("claim" because you would have to check all of the sources and compile yourself tp be sure that what you use is what some unknown anonymous people tell you it is). my experience with open source over more than 40 years of active software development been bad for too much of it, so I definitely stick to the "professionals" (not saying that MS devs are particularly good at writing software, just a general statement). now, if codium would offer some really noticeable benefits, I would be tempted, but "open source" (with the caveats mentioned above, you have to trust whoever compiled what you installed) "no, no, never". Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 It's totally up to the end user, if there is a fully open sourced version with no tracking involved, I'd go with that version and not the tracked proprietary version of the same software. Other than that there is no difference between the two. But as I mentioned, the extension marketplace is also a walled garden and you are at the mercy of Microsoft, if Microsoft decided to take their marketplace private and charge users then all your VS Code editors would break as it's fully dependent on the marketplace and can't use third-party marketplaces. But if you use the opensource version, you can easily switch between marketplaces and you are not depended on any entity Reply 6. [792863ea][792863ea] Guy Jun 12.2022 All this mega anti .. is a bit funny. What is good to be off the grid ? You also milk your own cow in the morning fkr coffee ? Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 I'm totally fine with developers releasing Closed source software or making money even from open source software. But if there is a proprietary version and a fully open source version available, I'd definitely prefer the fully open source one. Reply 7. [1539fc26][1539fc26] Chase Jun 12.2022 You should be able to download the .vsix of any extension end "Install from VSIX" for any extension that's not on the open-vsx marketplace yet, or not up to date there yet. Reply 8. [44770e6f][44770e6f] Ortzinator Jun 12.2022 I'll switch when there's an open source alternative to the remote development extensions. Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 What extensions are you exactly missing? You can check out if your are there at open-vsx.org, and if not you can make an issue or ask the developer to publish the extension on the open-vsx.org registry as well. Once published you will be able to use them on VS Codium Reply 2. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 As in the comment mentioned by @Chase You should be able to download the .vsix of any extension end "Install from VSIX" for any extension that's not on the open-vsx marketplace yet, or not up to date there yet. Reply 9. [08537d9a][08537d9a] Marc Jun 12.2022 Thanks for pointing this out. I'm Not using VS Code because I was Always suspicious. Usually advertised as being Open source, and by Microsoft? That doesn't Go well together. Now I know what's behind it. It makes me shiver that Microsoft owns Github, but most people don't seem to see a Problem there. Wait and watch... Reply 10. [93a136f0][93a136f0] Scott Mintz Jun 12.2022 Does it integrate with WSL like Code does? Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 12.2022 Yes it does work with WSL and I didn't notice anything different to Code, I tested it on my Alpine Linux WSL. Reply 11. [6df85a2d][6df85a2d] Balduino Jun 12.2022 I just wonder if GitHub Copilot works fine on codium. Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 Personally not a big fan of GitHub co-pilot so never tested it, but I don't think it will work as it's not in the open-vsx registry. Extensions from the Microsoft VS Code extension marketplace only works on the Microsoft VS Code Reply 12. [37d0806c][37d0806c] luda Jun 12.2022 no cemetery tracking, great! Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 Sorry for the typo, fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out Reply 13. [2b655fa9][2b655fa9] Anthony Jun 13.2022 Lol, I'm sure it's faster cuz telemetry. Reply 14. [5ec83b87][5ec83b87] Carl J Jun 13.2022 Thanks for this. Had no idea that there was a VS Code alternative that's based on VS Code. Will have to check it out. Assuming that is pretty similar, only thing that would prevent me from switching would be the extensions. But I'll have to check their marketplace to see. Noticed a few comments against it being "open source" (one guy says over 40 years of playing with open source, he's had bad experiences). Thing is, this is VS Code under the hood. As mentioned in the post, they've taken VS Code and compiled and released it. It's not like it's some new editor that's trying to be VS Code. Btw, you mentioned "cemetery tracking" under "Why I switched to VS Codium?". Have me a little chuckle Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 Except for the Microsoft's own extensions, almost all the extensions which are open source are there. Thank you for pointing out the typo. I fixed it. Nothing intentional there. Reply 15. [20d127e2][20d127e2] Aindriu Jun 13.2022 Very motivating, I am thinking about doing the same now Reply 1. [55c2697a][55c2697a] Rukshan Jun 13.2022 Give it a try and see, I'm sure you won't feel any difference. Reply WP-Indigo by VitaThemes Loading Comments... Write a Comment... 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