RemoteKit

A toolkit that makes working over Remote-SSH feel native.

When you connect to a remote machine with VS Code's Remote-SSH extension, you open a single working directory — but the rest of the filesystem is still there, and you often need it. RemoteKit gives you first-class tools to browse, preview, and switch between remote folders without leaving your editor or losing your place.

RemoteKit runs on the remote machine and reads its filesystem directly, so there's nothing to configure.

Features

🗂️ Remote File Explorer

A dedicated view in the Explorer sidebar that browses the remote filesystem independently of your opened workspace folder.

• Navigate anywhere the remote root can reach — system folders, other projects, shared mounts — without changing your workspace.
• A clickable breadcrumb path lets you re-root to any ancestor folder in one click.
• Click a folder to expand it, click a file to open it (in preview, keeping focus in the tree). Directory contents load lazily as you expand, so large trees stay responsive.
• Title-bar buttons step up to the parent folder, reset to your working folder, and refresh.
• Right-click a folder and choose Set as Explorer Root (or Set as Files Root) to re-root the view there.

🖼️ Gallery View

Switch the File Explorer into a thumbnail grid to preview assets without copying them locally.

• Three densities — Small, Medium, and Large — toggled from the view's title bar.
• Image files render as thumbnails; other file types fall back to their file-type glyph.
• Click a folder to drill into it; click a file to open it.

⬆️ Uploads

Get local files onto the remote machine straight from the Explorer.

• Paste files, use the upload button in the breadcrumb, or hold ⇧ Shift and drag files in from your OS.
• Name conflicts prompt you to Overwrite, Keep Both, or Skip.

Note: Drag-and-drop requires holding ⇧ Shift — VS Code disables sidebar webviews during ordinary drag operations for security, so the Shift modifier is what lets the drop reach RemoteKit.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.125.0 or newer.
• The Remote - SSH extension, with an active connection to a remote host.

Getting Started

1. Connect to a remote host with Remote-SSH as usual.
2. Open the Explorer sidebar — the Files view appears below your project tree.
3. Browse the remote filesystem, switch to a Gallery view to preview assets, and upload files with ⇧ Shift + drag.

Roadmap

Planned features, not yet available:

• Favourites / Shortcuts — pin folders you visit often and keep them one click away at the top of the view.
• Switch to Folder — reopen your VS Code window rooted at any remote folder, keeping the same SSH connection.
• Improved Folder Selector — replace the stock path-typing prompt when opening a remote folder with a real, browsable picker.

Known Issues

• Very large directories may take a moment to populate while their contents are read over the SSH connection.
• File-type icons follow VS Code's default (Seti) icon set and do not follow a custom file-icon theme you may have installed (a sidebar webview can't read the active icon theme).

Release Notes

0.1.1

Initial public release of RemoteKit:

• Remote File Explorer with breadcrumb navigation, lazy loading, and re-rootable folders.
• Gallery view with small / medium / large thumbnail densities.
• Uploads via paste, the upload button, and ⇧ Shift + drag.

Enjoy!