Port Killer VS Code Extension

A simple and intuitive VS Code extension that allows you to kill processes running on specific ports directly from the status bar.

Features

• ⚡ Simple Status Bar UI: Click the lightning bolt icon in the status bar to kill a port
• 🔍 Port Scanning: Discover all active ports and running processes
• 📋 Overlay Port Selection: View ports in a modern overlay panel with interactive selection
• 🔫 Smart Batch Killing: Kill selected ports or all ports with confirmation dialogs
• ✅ Selective Operations: Choose exactly which ports to kill instead of all-or-nothing
• ✅ Input Validation: Ensures you enter a valid port number (1-65535)
• 🌐 Cross-Platform Support: Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows
• 📢 User-Friendly Feedback: Shows progress notifications and success/error messages
• 🎯 Command Palette Integration: Access all features via VS Code command palette
• 🔄 Process Information: View detailed process names, PIDs, and commands

Installation

1. Download the .vsix file from the releases
2. In VS Code, go to Extensions → Install from VSIX...
3. Select the downloaded file
4. Reload VS Code

Usage

Method 1: Quick Port Killing (Status Bar)

1. Look for the ⚡ "Port Killer" icon in the bottom status bar
2. Click on it
3. Enter the port number you want to kill (e.g., 4000)
4. Press Enter

Method 2: Port Scanning & Discovery (Status Bar)

1. Look for the 🔍 "Scan Ports" icon next to the Port Killer icon
2. Click on it to scan all active ports
3. Choose from options:
   • Kill All Ports: Batch kill all active ports
   • Scan Again: Refresh the port list
   • Close: Dismiss the dialog

Method 3: Command Palette

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
2. Type "Port Killer" to see all available commands:
   • Kill Port: Enter a specific port number
   • Scan Active Ports: Interactive port selection
   • Show Active Ports: View all ports with batch options

Method 4: Advanced Port Scanning (Command Palette)

Scan Active Ports

1. Use "Port Killer: Scan Active Ports" command
2. Select from the interactive list showing:
   • Port number
   • Process name and PID
   • Full command details
3. Choose a port to kill directly from the list

View All Active Ports

1. Use "Port Killer: Show Active Ports" command
2. See an overlay panel with all active ports and interactive selection
3. Features:
   • Visual Selection: Click ports to toggle checkboxes (☐/☑) with hover effects
   • Smart Kill Button: Shows "Kill All Ports" initially, changes to "Kill Selected Ports" with count when selections are made
   • Batch Operations: Kill only selected ports or all ports when none selected
   • Real-time Updates: Live count of selected ports and visual feedback
   • Modern UI: Clean, responsive design that matches VS Code theme
   • Scan Again: Refresh the port list at any time

How it Works

The extension uses system commands to find and terminate processes:

• macOS/Linux: Uses lsof to find processes and kill to terminate them
• Windows: Uses netstat to find processes and taskkill to terminate them

Requirements

• VS Code 1.74.0 or higher
• Administrative privileges may be required for killing certain processes