How to Install Visual Studio Code on Windows, macOS, and Linux

· Category: VS Code & Developer Tools

Short answer

Visual Studio Code is a free, cross-platform code editor maintained by Microsoft. You can download the official installer for your operating system, run it, and launch the editor within minutes.

Steps

  1. Visit the official website at code.visualstudio.com.
  2. Click the download button for your platform: Windows, macOS, or Linux.
  3. Run the installer. On Windows, use the .exe. On macOS, drag the app into Applications. On Linux, install the .deb, .rpm, or Snap package.
  4. Open VS Code and install recommended extensions for your programming language.
  5. Optionally, add the code command to your system PATH during installation.

Tips

  • The Insiders build offers the latest features but may be less stable.
  • On macOS, if you see a Gatekeeper warning, right-click and select Open.
  • Linux users can also install via package managers like apt or dnf.

Common issues

  • Terminal cannot find code: restart your terminal or reboot after installation.
  • Permissions errors on Linux: ensure you have write access to the installation directory.