Connecting SSH to Visual Studio Code for a Hosted Webserver

Connecting to a Hosted Web Server using SSH in Visual Studio Code

In this article, we will cover the process of connecting to a hosted web server using SSH in Visual Studio Code. We will start with a clean installation of the Remote SSH extension and walk through the steps necessary to create an SSH key and connect to a remote server.

Installing the Remote SSH Extension

To get started, open Visual Studio Code and navigate to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon in the left-hand menu bar. Search for "Remote SSH" and click the "Install" button to install the extension. Once the installation is complete, you should see the Remote SSH icon in the left-hand menu bar.

Creating an SSH Key

Before we can connect to a remote server using SSH, we need to create an SSH key on our local machine. To do this, open a terminal window in Visual Studio Code by clicking on the "View" menu and selecting "Terminal". In the terminal window, enter the following command:

This will create a new SSH key using the provided email address as a label. You will be prompted to enter a file in which to save the key. You can press enter to accept the default location, or specify a different location if you prefer.

Next, you will be prompted to enter a passphrase for the key. This is optional, but recommended for added security. If you choose to use a passphrase, you will be prompted to enter it every time you connect to the remote server.

Adding the SSH Key to the Remote Server

Once the SSH key has been created, we need to add it to the authorized\_keys file on the remote server. To do this, we first need to copy the public key to the clipboard. Enter the following command in the terminal window:

This will display the contents of the public key. Copy the output to the clipboard.

Next, log in to the remote server using SSH. Once you are logged in, navigate to the .ssh directory and open the authorized\_keys file in a text editor. Paste the public key into the file and save it.

Connecting to the Remote Server

Now that the SSH key has been added to the authorized\_keys file on the remote server, we can connect to the server using Visual Studio Code. To do this, click on the Remote SSH icon in the left-hand menu bar and select "Connect to Host...". Enter the hostname or IP address of the remote server and click "Connect".

If everything is set up correctly, you should now be connected to the remote server using SSH in Visual Studio Code. You can now work with files on the remote server as if they were on your local machine.

• Installed the Remote SSH extension in Visual Studio Code
• Created an SSH key on the local machine
• Added the SSH key to the authorized\_keys file on the remote server
• Connected to the remote server using SSH in Visual Studio Code

References

• SSH Remote Development
• How To Set Up SSH Keys
• SSH Key Generation