OpenCode Native Sidebar

Use OpenCode from a native VS Code sidebar while keeping the OpenCode CLI, providers, configuration, and sessions underneath.

[!IMPORTANT] OpenCode Native Sidebar is an independent community extension. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or maintained by the OpenCode team.

Watch the 23-second demo

Highlights

• Streaming chat with OpenCode models, agents, variants, questions, and tool activity.
• Current-chat token total, plus expandable model, agent, timing, cost, and per-turn token details.
• Searchable session history with rename, delete, refresh, fork, undo/redo, rolled-back message restore, and native diff review.
• Provider sign-in through /connect, including subscription/OAuth and API-key methods exposed by OpenCode.
• Workspace context plus local text, PDF, image, audio, and video attachments.
• Searchable slash commands, current OpenCode commands and skills, MCP controls, and RTL-aware rendering.
• Approval UI only when OpenCode emits a real pending permission request.

Chat tokens and message history

Use the Chat Tokens button beside History to see one total for the current chat. Native calculates it from the input, output, reasoning, cache-read, and cache-write counters supplied by OpenCode for every model request; it does not estimate tokens locally or show monthly/account usage. Response details also show the model, agent, timing, turn tokens, and cost when OpenCode provides them.

After /undo, a collapsed Rolled-back messages dock appears above the composer. Expand it to restore a selected turn, its saved response, and the earlier rolled-back history through OpenCode's official revert state—without storing a separate conversation copy in the extension.

Install and set up

OpenCode Native ships the VS Code interface only; it does not bundle the CLI. It works with the official OpenCode CLI and does not require a forked Core build or a Native-specific backend patch.

Choose either installation method:

VS Code Marketplace

1. Open Extensions in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
2. Search for OpenCode Native Sidebar, confirm that the publisher is amr-s-elzoghby and the listing links to this repository, then select Install.
3. Run Developer: Reload Window if VS Code asks you to reload.

If you previously installed the GitHub VSIX published as amr-elzoghby.opencode-native, uninstall that package before installing the Marketplace listing. The new Marketplace identity is amr-s-elzoghby.opencode-native-sidebar; keeping both installed can create duplicate commands and views.

GitHub Release

1. Open the latest GitHub release and download its .vsix file.
2. In VS Code, run Extensions: Install from VSIX..., select the file, then run Developer: Reload Window.

After installing with either method:

1. Install the OpenCode CLI where the VS Code Extension Host runs. In WSL, SSH, or a dev container, install it inside that environment.
2. If opencode is not on PATH, open Settings, search for OpenCode Native: Executable Path, and enter its absolute path in that environment.

Open a trusted, filesystem-backed project, then open OpenCode in the Secondary Sidebar. Use /connect to sign in, or reuse a provider already connected in the same OpenCode environment.

Files and context

Use the + menu to add workspace files, the current file, the current selection, or Add file....

Add file... opens the device file picker and adds one file at a time. The picker displays all files, but Native accepts only supported UTF-8 text extensions, PDF, PNG/JPEG/GIF/WebP, and recognized audio/video formats. The selected model must support non-text input.

Per-file limits: 256 KiB for text, 5 MiB for images, and 25 MiB for PDF, audio, or video; attachment-count and total-size caps also apply. Workspace context is restricted to regular, non-symlink files inside the current workspace.

Shortcuts

The Alt shortcuts work while keyboard focus is anywhere inside the OpenCode sidebar—click inside it first. Escape works while the composer is focused and a response is active.

Use Cmd+Esc on macOS or Ctrl+Esc on Windows/Linux to open or focus the OpenCode TUI. Add Shift to start another TUI terminal. The launcher uses the same configured executable.

Slash commands

Type / to open the command list and keep typing—for example, /s—to filter it. Use /help for the supported Native actions.

Common actions include /connect, /sessions, /new, /refresh, /models, /agents, /variants, /mcps, /compact, /fork, /undo, /redo, and /diff. Current OpenCode commands, MCP commands, and skills also appear. TUI-only or conditional actions are labeled unavailable in Native instead of being run incorrectly; unknown slash text is sent as an ordinary prompt.

Native and TUI sessions

Native and the TUI can reuse stored sessions and provider sign-in when they run in the same OpenCode data environment and project folder. Two already-open clients do not update each other live.

• TUI to Native: wait for the response to finish, open the same session, then use Refresh, Alt+R, or /refresh in Native.
• Native to TUI: reopen or resume the session in the TUI. /refresh is Native-only.

Avoid writing to the same session from both clients at the same time.

Security and limits

• OpenCode Native does not operate a publisher backend or include publisher telemetry. Prompts, files, and tool context are handled by the local OpenCode Core and may be sent to the provider or integration you select; see the Privacy Policy.
• The Extension Host owns the authenticated loopback OpenCode server. Provider credentials and the server password are not exposed to the Webview.
• /connect sends credentials from VS Code host inputs to OpenCode Core; the sidebar never receives those secrets.
• After explicit selection, the Webview reads the device file and sends its basename, MIME hint, and bounded content to the Extension Host; the full local path is not sent. The host revalidates the payload, detects an allowed type, and checks size and model support before submission.
• OpenCode agents may read or modify workspace files and run terminal commands according to OpenCode Core configuration and permissions.
• Native does not decide which actions require approval. It shows only real pending requests from OpenCode Core and returns Allow once or Deny. Routine reads, searches, directory inspection, and informational commands remain silent whenever Core allows them; Native has no command-name risk engine.
• Native Review uses OpenCode's official session.diff snapshot data and does not require custom file-change-record APIs. Agent edits can still finish when diff data is unavailable, but Review may be unavailable for that turn.
• Live cross-client sync and persistent Always Allow management are not included in this release.

Development

Clone this repository, open its root in VS Code, and install dependencies:

bun install

Then press F5. The included launch task builds the extension and starts an Extension Development Host.

bun run check-types
bun test src/test
bun run lint
bun run package

Issues and license

Report bugs at GitHub Issues.

OpenCode Native is distributed under the MIT License; dependency notices are in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md. OpenCode is a separate MIT-licensed project.