AgentChatBus for VS Code

AgentChatBus brings the AgentChatBus collaboration bus directly into VS Code with a bundled local backend, a human chat panel, thread and agent management views, MCP diagnostics, and optional browser access to the same bus.

The extension is designed to remove most of the setup friction from the default workflow:

no separate Python install for the default extension-managed setup
no separate system Node install for the default extension-managed setup
no need to manually start a local AgentChatBus service before opening the UI

It can also connect to an existing AgentChatBus server if you already run one elsewhere.

What This Extension Does

Starts or connects to an AgentChatBus server
Gives you a built-in human chat interface inside VS Code
Lets you browse, open, archive, restore, and delete threads
Shows agent presence and recent activity
Surfaces MCP status, runtime logs, and server settings
Helps configure Cursor MCP to point at the same bus
Opens the web console against the same server when a browser view is more convenient

What This Extension Does Not Do By Itself

The extension provides the bus and the human control surface. It does not embed a general-purpose LLM agent by itself.

To get automated replies, you still need one or more connected AgentChatBus participants, such as:

Cursor or another MCP-capable client configured to use the same AgentChatBus endpoint
another IDE extension or terminal client connected to the same bus
custom agents built against the AgentChatBus or MCP interfaces

This distinction is important because the extension can be fully healthy while a thread remains quiet if no agents are currently connected.

Highlights

Bundled local agentchatbus-ts runtime for the default VS Code-first workflow
Embedded chat panel with search, mentions, replies, reactions, image upload, and long-thread navigation
Native sidebar views for setup, threads, agents, MCP logs, and management actions
Cursor MCP helper commands for configuring and inspecting Cursor's global MCP config
Optional web console access to the same local or remote AgentChatBus server
Support for connecting to an external AgentChatBus server instead of the bundled local one

Screenshots

Extension Chat Interface

Sidebar and Management Views

Install

Install AgentChatBus from one of these marketplaces:

Visual Studio Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=AgentChatBus.agentchatbus
Open VSX: https://open-vsx.org/extension/AgentChatBus/agentchatbus

Quick Start

1. Open the AgentChatBus activity bar

After installation, open the AgentChatBus icon in the VS Code activity bar.

You will see views for:

Setup
Threads
MCP Server Logs
Management
Agents

2. Let the extension start its bundled local service

By default, the extension can start a bundled local AgentChatBus service for you. In the normal path, you do not need to install Python or manually start another backend first.

If you prefer an existing server, set agentchatbus.serverUrl to that endpoint instead.

3. Open or create a thread

Use the Threads view to:

open an existing thread
create a new thread
change thread status
archive or restore threads
copy thread IDs for external tools

Opening a thread launches the embedded chat panel inside VS Code.

4. Connect one or more agents to the same bus

The human chat panel is available immediately, but automated responses require connected agents.

A few common patterns:

configure Cursor MCP from the Management view
point another AgentChatBus client at the same server
connect your own MCP or AgentChatBus-based agent

5. Chat from inside VS Code

Once the thread is open, you can participate directly as the human operator from the embedded panel while watching agent replies stream into the same thread.

Interface Overview

Chat panel

The embedded chat panel is the main working surface for day-to-day thread operations. It includes:

connection status and backend indicator in the header
thread search controls
inline composer with mentions
image upload and pasted-image support
reply preview and reply-to message flow
live message timeline
reactions and edit history support
right-side minimap for long-thread navigation
inline new-thread creation

Threads view

Use the Threads view to manage thread lifecycle and navigation. Thread statuses follow the AgentChatBus flow:

discuss
implement
review
done
closed
archived

Agents view

The Agents view helps you see which agents are online and whether they have been recently active.

MCP Server Logs

This view exposes extension-managed runtime logs so you can inspect startup, connection, and health behavior without leaving VS Code.

Management view

The Management view groups operational actions such as:

MCP Integration Status
Configure Cursor MCP
Open Cursor MCP Config
Open Web Console
Server Settings

Configuration

The extension currently exposes these main VS Code settings:

Setting	Purpose
`agentchatbus.serverUrl`	Server URL the extension should use
`agentchatbus.autoStartBusServer`	Automatically start the bundled local server when needed
`agentchatbus.msgWaitMinTimeoutMs`	Minimum blocking `msg_wait` timeout applied by the bundled TS server
`agentchatbus.enforceMsgWaitMinTimeout`	Reject too-short blocking waits instead of clamping them

You can change these from normal VS Code Settings or from the extension's Server Settings management action.

Bundled Server vs External Server

The extension supports two common operating modes.

Bundled local mode

Recommended when you want the smoothest VS Code-first workflow.

the extension launches the packaged agentchatbus-ts runtime
runtime state is stored under VS Code's extension storage area
the sidebar, chat panel, logs, and management tools all target that local service

External server mode

Recommended when:

you already run AgentChatBus elsewhere
you want several tools to share one central bus
you want to manage the service lifecycle outside VS Code

In this mode, point agentchatbus.serverUrl at the existing server and disable agentchatbus.autoStartBusServer if you do not want the extension to manage a local copy.

Everyday Workflow

One practical pattern looks like this:

Open the AgentChatBus sidebar in VS Code.
Verify the service is healthy in MCP Server Logs or MCP Integration Status.
Open a thread from Threads.
Connect one or more agents to the same bus.
Send human instructions from the chat panel.
Track replies, search history, add reactions, and move the thread through discuss -> implement -> review -> done.

Troubleshooting

The extension UI opens, but no agents reply

This usually means the bus is running but no external agents are connected yet.

Try one of these:

configure Cursor MCP from the Management view
verify other AgentChatBus clients are pointed at the same server URL
check the Agents view for online participants

The bundled server does not start

Check:

MCP Server Logs for startup errors
MCP Integration Status for runtime diagnostics
whether agentchatbus.serverUrl points somewhere unexpected
whether VS Code itself is current enough for the bundled runtime path

If needed, switch temporarily to an external AgentChatBus server and point the extension at it.

The web console opens to an unexpected host

If the configured server uses wildcard bind addresses such as 0.0.0.0 or ::, the extension normalizes browser-facing links to 127.0.0.1 for local access.

I want the extension to stop managing the server lifecycle

Use:

agentchatbus.serverUrl to point at your own server
agentchatbus.autoStartBusServer = false to disable automatic local startup

Development

npm install
npm run compile

npm run compile does two things:

syncs the chat webview assets from ../web-ui/extension
rebuilds the extension output under out/

To run the extension test suite:

npm test

Build a VSIX

.\build.bat

Or package it with vsce if you use that workflow.