Distrobox Reveal in File Explorer

This is a Visual Studio Code extension designed for developers working inside Distrobox containers.

It solves a common annoyance: when you use VS Code connected to a Distrobox container, the standard "Reveal in File Explorer" option is often missing or unavailable.

Distrobox Reveal adds this missing functionality back, allowing you to open the current file or folder using your Host OS's file manager seamlessly.

Features

• 📂 Seamless Integration: Open the current file's location directly in your host's default file manager (Nautilus, Dolphin, Thunar, etc.).
• 🖱️ Context Menus: right-click on files in the Explorer sidebar or editor tabs.
• ⌨️ Command Palette: Access the feature via "Reveal in Host Explorer".
• 🐧 Native Feel: Uses distrobox-host-exec to bridge the container gap without complex setup.

Requirements

To use this extension effectively, your environment must meet these criteria:

1. Distrobox: You are running VS Code inside a Distrobox container.
2. distrobox-host-exec: This utility is pre-installed in standard Distrobox containers. It must be obtainable in your $PATH.
3. Host Environment: A Linux host with xdg-open configured (standard on almost all Linux desktops like GNOME, KDE, XFCE).

How to specific usage

The extension provides a new command: "Reveal in Host Explorer".

You can access it via:

• Explorer Context Menu: Right-click any file or folder in the VS Code side bar.
• Editor Tab Context Menu: Right-click the tab of any open file.
• Command Palette: Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P) and type "Reveal in Host Explorer".

How it works under the hood

When triggered, the extension executes the following command in your container:

distrobox-host-exec xdg-open "/absolute/path/to/directory"

If a file is selected, it opens the parent directory. If a directory is selected, it opens that directory directly.

Installation

1. Open VS Code inside your Distrobox.
2. Search for "Distrobox Reveal" in the Extensions view (pending publication).
3. Or install the .vsix manually if building from source.

Building from source

git clone git@github.com:firsttris/vscode-distrobox-reveal.git
cd vscode-distrobox-reveal
npm install
npm run compile

Known Issues

• This extension is specifically for Linux users using Distrobox.
• It assumes the path mapping between host and container is 1:1 (which is the default and recommended way Distrobox works, mounting the home directory). If you are using custom internal paths that do not exist on the host, xdg-open on the host will naturally fail to find them.

Release Notes

0.0.1

Initial release of Distrobox Reveal in File Explorer.