OpenVSX Connect

The missing VS Code UI for your private extension marketplace.

Teams running a self-hosted OpenVSX registry — in air-gapped environments, enterprise networks, or internal developer platforms — can now browse, search, and install their own extensions directly from the VS Code Activity Bar, with the same experience as the public marketplace.

No product.json patching. No admin rights. No command-line tools. Just point it at your registry URL and go.

Who Is This For?

OpenVSX Connect is designed for teams and organizations that:

• Host a private or internal VS Code extension marketplace using OpenVSX Server
• Operate in air-gapped or restricted network environments where the public VS Code Marketplace is unavailable
• Distribute proprietary or internal extensions to developers without manual VSIX installation
• Want a self-service portal inside VS Code so developers can discover and install approved extensions on demand

If your team publishes extensions to a self-hosted OpenVSX instance and wants developers to install them without leaving VS Code, this extension is for you.

Features

Sidebar Panel

• Briefcase icon in the Activity Bar opens the OpenVSX Connect panel
• Real-time search with debounced input across your registry
• All tab — paginated browse and search of every extension on your registry
• Installed tab — tracks extensions installed via OpenVSX Connect, with icon, version, and enabled state

Extension Detail View

Click any extension to open a full detail panel:

• Icon, display name, publisher, description, and download count
• Version selector — switch between any published version
• Install / Uninstall buttons
• Update button when a newer version is available on the registry
• Enable / Disable toggle with fallback guidance
• Auto-update toggle — per-extension automatic update control
• Settings gear dropdown:
  • Extension Settings — opens VS Code settings scoped to that extension
  • Copy Extension ID — copies publisher.name to clipboard
  • Open Homepage / Report Issue (when provided by the publisher)
• Full README rendered inline
• Info sidebar: identifier, version, last updated, VS Code engine requirements, categories, tags, and homepage link

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A running OpenVSX Server instance accessible from your machine
• VS Code ^1.85.0

Setup

1. Install OpenVSX Connect from the VS Code Marketplace (or from your own registry).
2. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) and configure your registry URL:

   openvsxConnect.registryUrl = https://openvsx.example.com
   

   Alternatively, click the gear icon (⚙) in the OpenVSX Connect panel title bar and choose Set Registry URL.
3. The Activity Bar panel will immediately populate with extensions from your registry.
4. Use the Search bar to find extensions, click any result to view details, and hit Install.

Settings

Security

• The registry URL is read exclusively from VS Code settings — no URLs are hardcoded in the extension.
• A warning is shown when a plain http:// (non-TLS) URL is configured.
• SHA-256 checksums are verified against the registry metadata before installation (enabled by default, configurable).
• Downloaded VSIX files are written to the OS temp directory and deleted immediately after installation.
• All outbound network requests go only to the URL you configure — there are no undisclosed external connections.

Requirements

• VS Code ^1.85.0
• A running OpenVSX Server instance (self-hosted)

License

MIT — see LICENSE