The alternative extension installer

The extension came to life when I was looking for a way to install extensions that were not ready yet to be released to the marketplace. In order to release new updates quickly, without the need to give colleagues/testers/users a new vsix file each time, I decided to create a simple extension installer.

Info: The extension will hourly check for new updates and prompt you to update if there is one.

Usage

Follow the next steps in order to use the extension:

• Install the extension in your VS Code editor
• Open the Command Palette
• Type: User Settings and select it

• Search for Extension installer

• Add a new item to the list (this will need to be provided by the extension author)
• Once you have added the URL(s), run the following command: Extension Installer: Check for updates

The API

The API to retrieve the extension from is something you will need to implement yourself. This can be a simple JSON file, or a REST API. It will need to provide the extension with the following information:

{
  "id": "<publisher>.<name>",
  "displayName": "<displayName>",
  "name": "<extension-name>",
  "download": "<url-to-download-the-extension>"
}

Troubleshooting

In case there are issues with the extension, open the Output view, and check the Extension Installer output.