VS Code & local dev
Chat and the workbench cover most of the loop, but sometimes you want a real editor. withvibe gives you three ways into an env's code in VS Code, from zero-setup to fully local.
The three ways in
From an env, the Open in VS Code menu offers a browser editor and a desktop tunnel. The CLI adds a third path: a full local clone. Pick by how much you want running on your own machine.
Browser — code-server
Opens a full VS Code in a new browser tab, running against the env. Nothing to install — it starts a code-server for the env and opens it. The env has to be running first.
- Zero setup; works from any machine with a browser.
- Served same-origin through the env, so there's no extra port to expose.
Desktop — dev tunnel
Opens the env in your local VS Code app (or on vscode.dev) over a Microsoft dev tunnel. You edit in your own editor, with your own keybindings and extensions, against the env's files.
The first time, you'll do a one-time GitHub device-code sign-in: withvibe shows a URL and a code, you authorize it, and the tunnel comes up. After that it's remembered. You can sign out of tunnel auth from the same menu to force a fresh login.
Local — full clone via the CLI
For a fully local workflow, withvibe env <envId>downloads the env's bundle, clones its repos onto your laptop, renders the compose and .env locally, writes a .code-workspace file, and opens it in your local VS Code. From there you can docker compose up and run the whole thing on your machine.
This is a different thing from the tunnel: the tunnel edits the env's files where the env runs; the CLI gives you an independent local copy. See Local export for the full flow, including how to push your work back.
Which one
- code-server — quickest; a real editor with nothing installed.
- Dev tunnel — your own VS Code, against the live env.
- CLI local export — a full local clone you own end-to-end.