Grok in Editor
Open the Grok Build TUI as a normal editor tab — next to your files, not in the bottom panel or a sidebar. Fix, explain, or improve code from the command palette, the editor context menu, or the lightbulb.
This extension is unofficial and free. It launches the Grok CLI you already have installed; it does not ship a model or an API key.
Install
- In VS Code, open Extensions (
⌘⇧X / Ctrl+Shift+X).
- Search for Grok in Editor.
- Install Grok in Editor by Thijs Simonis.
Requires Visual Studio Code 1.90 or later (or a compatible editor).
Requirements
Install the Grok CLI on your machine:
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash
If VS Code was launched from the Dock or Finder and cannot see grok, either add ~/.grok/bin to your GUI PATH or set Grok: Cli Path (grok.cliPath) to the absolute binary, for example /Users/you/.grok/bin/grok.
Usage
| Command |
What it does |
| Grok: Open in Editor |
Opens Grok as an editor tab and starts the TUI. A second run opens another Grok tab. |
| Grok: Fix Code |
Saves, then opens a new Grok tab asked to fix the current file, any squiggles, and the selected (or nearby) code. |
| Grok: Explain Code |
Same, but asks Grok to explain the selected (or nearby) code. |
| Grok: Improve Code |
Same, but asks Grok to improve the selected (or nearby) code. |
Also available from:
- The editor title bar (Open in Editor)
- Right-click → Grok (Fix, Explain, Improve)
- The lightbulb / Quick Fix (
⌘. / Ctrl+.) — Fix with Grok when the file has squiggles; Explain with Grok and Improve with Grok when it does not. None of these are marked preferred, so the language server’s own fixes stay first.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Meaning |
grok.cliPath |
"" |
Absolute path to the grok binary. Empty means: PATH, then ~/.grok/bin/grok. |
grok.fixViewColumn |
"active" |
"active" keeps the Fix tab in the same group; "beside" splits. |
grok.extraArgs |
[] |
Extra CLI args before the optional prompt (for example ["--minimal"]). -p / --single / --always-approve are ignored. |
How it launches Grok
The extension starts the grok process as the terminal’s shell, in the editor area. Open in Editor uses no prompt. Fix, Explain, and Improve pass the prompt as a positional argument so Grok stays interactive — they do not use grok -p, which would run headless and exit.
Because Grok is the process, login-shell rc files do not run. The tab also opts out of other extensions’ terminal auto-activation (Python venv source activate, conda, direnv, and similar) so those commands are not typed into the TUI.
Troubleshooting
“Grok CLI not found.” Install the CLI with the command above, or set grok.cliPath to the binary.
“Open a folder or file so Grok has a working directory.” Open a workspace folder or a saved file first.
“Save the file before using Grok.” Untitled buffers must be saved before Fix / Explain / Improve.
License
MIT © Thijs Simonis
There is no issue tracker. Changes go in as pull requests.
Developers: see DEVELOPMENT.md.
