VS Code doesn’t support “Open Containing Folder” in remote SSH sessions — Remote File Explorer fills that gap with a lightweight, Webview-based file browser that feels just like a desktop file manager.
⚠️ Disclaimer
I’ve never written a line of JavaScript in my life.
Every bit of code you see here was gently whispered into existence by Copilot.
I just clicked Accept Suggestion with conviction.
Key features
Grid and list views for browsing files and folders
Zoom controls (increase/decrease thumbnail size)
Color‑coded file type icons (inline SVGs, no external fonts)
Thumbnails:
Images (jpg, jpeg, png, gif, bmp, webp, svg) shown as live previews
PDFs show a lightweight SVG preview (version + size)
Double-click behavior:
Double-click a folder: opens in the same webview panel
Shift + double-click a folder: opens in a new panel/tab
Back / Forward / Up navigation with history tracking
Open files in the main editor from the webview
Name wrapping (grid view)
File/folder names wrap up to 3 lines and then ellipsis (…) is applied.
List view keeps single‑line names with ellipsis for compactness.
Commands
The primary (and most convenient) way to open the Remote File Explorer is via the Explorer context menu — right-click any file or folder in the VS Code Explorer and choose "Open in Remote File Explorer" (this runs the remoteFileExplorer.openInremoteFileExplorer command for the selected resource).
The extension exposes these commands (use the Command Palette or bind keys):
remoteFileExplorer.openInremoteFileExplorer — Open a specific folder in the Remote File Explorer (prompts for a path if none provided)
remoteFileExplorer.openInRemoteContainingFolder — Open the containing folder of the currently active file
Roadmap
These features are planned for future releases:
High Priority
Better Thumbnailing
True raster thumbnails (e.g., first‑page PDF preview) while staying cross‑platform
Explore canvas or alternative approaches (e.g., pdf.js, WASM image/PDF renderers)
Optional caching aligned with FreeDesktop.org specs (~/.cache/thumbnails/…)
Consider video thumbnails (ffmpeg/wasm based) behind a setting
Notes on current implementation
No native dependencies. Images are served directly via webview URIs.
PDF thumbnails are SVG previews (metadata‑based), not rendered pages—keeps the
extension portable and avoids GLIBC/snap incompatibilities for now.
Nice to Have
Drag and drop support between panels
File/folder creation from context menu
List view columns (size, date modified, etc.)
File type filtering
Search within current folder
Sort by (Date, Name, etc...)
Contributing
Contributions are welcome. Open issues or PRs for bugs and feature requests. Keep changes focused and include tests where relevant.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file at the project root for the full text.
