[!IMPORTANT]
🤖 This entire project was written by Claude — Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8 —
working in Claude Code. Every line of source, the build system, the docs, and
this README were authored by the model under human direction. Keep that in mind
when reading, reusing, or auditing the code.
Browse remote folders in the VS Code Explorer over SFTP, resolving hosts from
your ~/.ssh/config. No vscode-server install on the target, no FUSE mount.
Reads ~/.ssh/config — pick a Host alias (for example to connect to your
Le Potato device potato) and it uses the resolved
HostName/User/Port/IdentityFile, exactly like ssh potato.
Shows files in the Explorer — adds the remote path as a workspace folder.
Reboot-safe — it's SFTP over ssh2, not a FUSE mount. A dropped connection
surfaces as an error and reconnects on the next action; it can never wedge the OS
the way sshfs does when a device reboots without unmounting.
Use
Command Palette → SSH Explorer: Open Host…
Pick a host from ~/.ssh/config, accept the folder (default /).
The remote folder appears in the Explorer.
SSH Explorer: Disconnect Host… force-drops a session if one ever gets stuck.
How it compares
Extension
Approach
Needs remote install
Reads ~/.ssh/config
Notes
SSH Explorer (this)
SFTP filesystem in the Explorer
No
Yes, directly
Tiny; zero config; host picker sorted A→Z
Remote - SSH (Microsoft)
Full remote workspace
Yes (vscode-server)
Yes
Heavyweight; can't run on restricted/locked-down hosts
SSH FS (Kelvin)
SFTP filesystem provider
No
Partial (import/hop)
Larger feature set, own config UI, supports SSH hops/ProxyJump
SFTP (Natizyskunk / liximomo)
Upload/download sync
No
No (uses sftp.json)
Edit-locally, sync-on-save; not a live remote filesystem
Key differences of SSH Explorer:
vs Remote - SSH — installs nothing on the target. No vscode-server binary, so it
works on appliances, routers, and locked-down hosts where you can't (or won't) run a server.
vs SSH FS — reads ~/.ssh/config natively (no separate config to maintain) and stays
deliberately minimal. SSH FS is more featureful (config editor, terminals, SSH hops) but heavier.
vs SFTP-sync extensions — files are live over SFTP, not a local copy you sync. There's no
sftp.json, no upload-on-save step, and no risk of local/remote drift.
Reboot-safe by design — it's SFTP over ssh2, not a FUSE mount like sshfs, so a target
rebooting without unmounting can never wedge your OS.
Limitations
ProxyJump is not implemented yet (direct connections only).
File watching is a no-op — refresh a folder to see external changes.
Passwordless / key / agent / none auth work without prompts. Interactive
password entry is not wired up yet.
