Shared Remote History
See VS Code Local History across Remote SSH connection aliases in the built-in Timeline view.
VS Code saves remote file snapshots with a resource identity that includes the SSH connection alias. Editing the same file through ssh-remote+myserver and ssh-remote+192.0.2.10 can produce separate Local History groups. This extension displays those existing snapshots together for the same path on a shared remote Linux user account.
Features
- Adds a Shared Remote History source to the existing Explorer Timeline panel.
- Finds VS Code Local History snapshots recorded using different Remote SSH aliases for the same absolute remote file path.
- Allows comparing a saved snapshot with the current file using VS Code's diff editor.
- Reads history files without changing them. No new monitoring daemon, network service, account or backend.
- Automatically refreshes the Timeline periodically (about every 15 seconds) and provides a manual refresh command.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.145 or newer.
- VS Code Remote SSH connected to a Linux host.
- Install in the remote/workspace extension host, not only on your local Windows/macOS/Linux client.
- Files are opened from the same Linux account/home directory and VS Code Server data directory.
Usage
- Install the extension to
SSH: <your host> using the Extensions view or a remote terminal with code --install-extension <file.vsix>.
- Run Developer: Reload Window.
- Open a file that has VS Code Local History entries.
- Expand Explorer > Timeline and enable Shared Remote History in the source filter.
- Click a saved entry to compare it against the current file. If needed, run Shared Remote History: Refresh Timeline or Shared Remote History: Diagnose Current File from the Command Palette.
This is an additional Timeline source, not a modification to the native Local History provider. You may see duplicates when both sources are enabled.
How it works
The extension reads entries.json and snapshot files from the active remote Linux user's default history roots:
~/.vscode-server/data/User/History~/.vscode-server-insiders/data/User/History
It groups the snapshots by normalized absolute file path, rather than the SSH connection alias in the saved resource URL. The extension supports both the file: URIs typically seen by workspace extensions and vscode-remote: URIs. It indexes at most 30,000 history directories on a host and caches unchanged metadata. Non-Remote SSH entries (such as a client's settings file) are ignored.
Limitations and privacy
- The extension does not record new history. It only displays snapshots that VS Code itself already recorded. Changes made using
nano, vim, scripts and external editors are not automatically captured.
- It is not an audit trail and does not identify the editor. SSH aliases are connection names, not personal identities.
- Sharing a Linux login also shares access to that account's local history, which may contain sensitive old file contents. Use distinct Unix user accounts for reliable access controls.
- Only Linux remote hosts using the standard VS Code Server history locations are supported in this release. Nonstandard server data directories and multi-user history across separate home directories are not supported.
- History visibility depends on VS Code Local History settings and retention. Deleted revisions cannot be reconstructed.
- No telemetry, outbound network calls or external service is used by this extension.
Compatibility
VS Code Timeline API: workspace.registerTimelineProvider (VS Code 1.145+). Run it on a remote extension host through Remote SSH.
License
MIT — see LICENSE. Attribution for the original internal prototype is preserved in NOTICE.
