Features

• Real-time color updates synced from your wallpaper palette
• Automatic light/dark detection based on background luminance
• Two theme variants: borderless and bordered
• Use your own custom templates, allow for full access to color mappings

Setup

1. Install matugen

2. Copy these templates to your matugen templates folder at ~/.config/matugen/templates:

   vscode-colors

   {{ colors.background.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.error.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.secondary.default.hex | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | saturate: 15.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.primary.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.tertiary.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.secondary_container.default.hex | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.surface_variant.default.hex }}
   {{ colors.error.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}
   {{ colors.secondary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 | saturate: 15.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.primary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}
   {{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}
   {{ colors.primary_container.default.hex | saturate: 10.0, hsl }}
   {{ colors.on_background.default.hex }}
   

   vscode-colors.json

   {
     "checksum": ":)",
     "wallpaper": "{{ image }}",
     "alpha": "100",
     "special": {
       "background": "{{ colors.background.default.hex }}",
       "foreground": "{{ colors.on_background.default.hex }}",
       "cursor": "{{ colors.primary.default.hex }}"
     },
     "colors": {
       "color0": "{{ colors.background.default.hex }}",
       "color1": "{{ colors.error.default.hex }}",
       "color2": "{{ colors.secondary.default.hex | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}",
       "color3": "{{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | saturate: 15.0, hsl }}",
       "color4": "{{ colors.primary.default.hex }}",
       "color5": "{{ colors.tertiary.default.hex }}",
       "color6": "{{ colors.secondary_container.default.hex | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}",
       "color7": "{{ colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex }}",
       "color8": "{{ colors.surface_variant.default.hex }}",
       "color9": "{{ colors.error.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}",
       "color10": "{{ colors.secondary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 | saturate: 20.0, hsl }}",
       "color11": "{{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 | saturate: 15.0, hsl }}",
       "color12": "{{ colors.primary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}",
       "color13": "{{ colors.tertiary.default.hex | auto_lightness: 10.0 }}",
       "color14": "{{ colors.primary_container.default.hex | saturate: 10.0, hsl }}",
       "color15": "{{ colors.on_background.default.hex }}"
     }
   }
   

3. Add the following to your matugen config:

   # VS Code matugen extension
   [templates.vscode-raw]
   input_path = './templates/vscode-colors'
   output_path = '~/.cache/matugen/vscode-colors'
   
   [templates.vscode-json]
   input_path = './templates/vscode-colors.json'
   output_path = '~/.cache/matugen/vscode-colors.json'
   

4. Run matugen.

How It Works

The extension monitors ~/.cache/matugen/vscode-colors and ~/.cache/matugen/vscode-colors.json for changes:

1. File Watcher: Primary detection using chokidar with write stabilization
2. Polling Fallback: Secondary check every 5 seconds using hash comparison
3. Hash-based Caching: Themes only regenerate when the color hash changes
4. Startup Sync: Automatically syncs on VS Code startup if themes are outdated

Extension Commands

Extension Settings

Theme Variants

• Matugen: Clean theme without borders (auto light/dark based on background)
• Matugen Bordered: Theme with subtle borders between panels (auto light/dark based on background)

Troubleshooting

Theme not updating automatically?

1. Check that matugen is generating files to ~/.cache/matugen/
2. Verify the vscode-colors file contains colors mappings
3. Try Matugen Theme: Clear Cache then Matugen Theme: Update Theme
4. Check the Output panel (View → Output → select "Matugen Theme") for errors

Colors look wrong?

1. Ensure your matugen templates match the ones in this repo's examples/matugen-templates/ folder
2. The vscode-colors.json file is optional but provides better background/foreground colors
3. Try regenerating with matugen

Extension not activating?

The extension activates after VS Code startup completes. Check:

1. Extension is enabled in the Extensions panel
2. No errors in Help → Toggle Developer Tools → Console

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and development instructions.

Credits

• Inspired by the excellent work on Wal Theme.
• Thanks to Saatvik333 for pretty much the source code Wallust Theme.
• And incredible work by InioX for Matugen.