gguf-coder

VS Code integration for Coder - a first local-based AI coding assistant.

screenshot

Features

Live Diff Preview: See proposed file changes in VS Code's diff viewer before approving them in the CLI
Automatic Connection: Seamlessly connects to the Coder CLI when running with --vscode
Status Bar Integration: Quick connection status and controls from the VS Code status bar
Diagnostics Sharing: VS Code's LSP diagnostics (errors, warnings) are shared with Coder for context

Requirements

Visual Studio Code version 1.104.0 or higher
Coder installed; if not, install it via npm:

npm install -g @gguf/coder

Usage

Starting Coder with `monster` icon

Look for the green monster icon on the top right bar
Click it for openning CLI and connect to Coder at the same time (status bar method, see below)

screenshot

How It Works

Extension connects: Click Coder from status bar then Start CLI to connect VS Code extension to CLI
Or Start the CLI: Run coder --vscode in your project directory (optional)
View diffs: When Coder proposes file changes, a diff view opens in VS Code showing:
- Original content on the left
- Proposed changes on the right
- Syntax highlighting for the file type
Approve/reject in CLI: Use the Coder CLI to approve or reject changes

screenshot

Commands

Access via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Command	Description
`gguf-coder: Connect to Coder`	Manually connect to the running CLI
`gguf-coder: Disconnect from Coder`	Disconnect from the CLI
`gguf-coder: Start Coder CLI`	Open a terminal and run `coder --vscode`
`gguf-coder: Ask Coder about this`	Ask Coder about selected code
`gguf-coder: Explain this code`	Get explanation of selected code
`gguf-coder: Refactor this code`	Request refactoring of selected code
`gguf-coder: Open Coder Terminal`	Open a terminal for Coder CLI

Status Bar

The status bar item shows the current connection state:

$(plug) Coder - Not connected (click to connect)
$(check) Coder - Connected to CLI
$(sync~spin) Connecting... - Connection in progress

Configuration

Configure the extension in VS Code settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,):

Setting	Default	Description
`coder.serverPort`	`51820`	WebSocket server port for communication with Coder CLI
`coder.autoConnect`	`false`	Automatically connect to CLI on VS Code startup
`coder.autoStartCli`	`false`	Automatically start Coder CLI if not running
`coder.showDiffPreview`	`true`	Automatically show diff preview for file changes

Project Structure

gguf-coder/
├── src/
│   ├── extension.ts         # Main extension entry point
│   ├── websocket-client.ts  # WebSocket client implementation
│   ├── diff-manager.ts      # Manages diff previews and file changes
│   └── protocol.ts          # Message protocol definitions
├── vscode-server.ts         # VS Code server for CLI communication
├── protocol.ts              # Shared protocol definitions
├── index.ts                 # Module exports
├── package.json             # Extension metadata and dependencies
└── README.md                # This file

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     WebSocket      ┌──────────────────┐
│   VS Code       │◄──────────────────►│   Coder CLI      │
│   Extension     │    (port 51820)    │   (--vscode)     │
└─────────────────┘                    └──────────────────┘
        │                                       │
        ▼                                       ▼
  • Diff Preview                          • Processing (LLM)
  • Status Bar                            • Tool Execution
  • Diagnostics                           • File Operations

Protocol

The extension and CLI communicate via JSON messages over WebSocket:

CLI → Extension

Message Type	Description
`connection_ack`	Connection acknowledgment with version info
`file_change`	Proposed file modification with diff content
`assistant_message`	AI response (streaming or complete)
`status`	Current model/provider/connection status
`diagnostics_request`	Request LSP diagnostics from VS Code

Extension → CLI

Message Type	Description
`apply_change`	User approved a file change
`reject_change`	User rejected a file change
`context`	Workspace info (open files, active file, diagnostics)
`diagnostics_response`	LSP diagnostics data from VS Code
`get_status`	Request current CLI status

Troubleshooting

Extension not connecting?

Ensure Coder is running with the --vscode flag
Check the gguf coder output channel: View > Output > gguf coder
Verify port 51820 is not blocked or in use by another application
Try manually connecting via Command Palette: "gguf-coder: Connect to Coder"

Diff not showing?

Ensure coder.showDiffPreview is enabled in VS Code settings
Check that the extension is connected (status bar shows checkmark)
The diff appears when a tool proposes file changes, before you approve in the CLI

Connection drops?

This can happen when the CLI restarts
Click the status bar item to reconnect
Opt to enable coder.autoConnect for automatic reconnection on startup (default is manual)

Development

# Watch for changes
npm run watch

# Build for production
npm run build

# Package for distribution
npm exec vsce package --allow-missing-repository --skip-license --no-dependencies

The third command creates a .vsix file in the root directory that can be installed in VS Code.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks Will Lamerton, Nano Collective (MIT License), this extension works with nanocoder as well (share the same port 51820); continue (Apache-2.0), opencode (MIT License), gguf-connector (MIT License), etc., and thanks to all contributors for their hard work.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Release Notes

See CHANGELOG.md for details on recent changes and updates.

gguf coder

gguf

gguf-coder

Features

Requirements

Usage

Starting Coder with monster icon

How It Works

Commands

Status Bar

Configuration

Project Structure

Architecture

Protocol

CLI → Extension

Extension → CLI

Troubleshooting

Extension not connecting?

Diff not showing?

Connection drops?

Development

Contributing

Acknowledgments

License

Release Notes

Starting Coder with `monster` icon