vsdbg patcher

A VS Code extension that automatically patches libvsdbg.so in the C# extension, enabling vsdbg to work seamlessly with code-oss (open source builds of VS Code) on Linux.

⚠️ Linux Only: This extension is designed for Linux systems only. The patch targets the Linux version of libvsdbg.so.

Features

• Automatic Patching - Detects and patches unpatched libvsdbg.so on startup
• Manual Controls - Commands to patch, restore, and check status when needed
• Safe Operations - Automatic backups and verification
• Silent Operation - Works in the background without interrupting your workflow

The extension automatically locates the C# extension's debugger folder and handles all file operations safely with automatic backups.

Requirements

• Linux operating system (this extension only works on Linux)
• VS Code (or code-oss)
• C# extension (ms-dotnettools.csharp) must be installed

Usage

Automatic Mode (Default)

Simply install the extension and restart VS Code. The extension will:

1. Automatically check if libvsdbg.so needs patching on startup
2. Apply the patch if needed (you'll see a notification)
3. Stay silent if already patched

Manual Commands

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and run:

• vsdbg: Patch libvsdbg.so - Manually apply the patch
• vsdbg: Check Patch Status - View current patch status and backup info
• vsdbg: Restore Original libvsdbg.so - Restore from backup

What does the patch do?

The patch modifies a specific byte sequence in libvsdbg.so to bypass a check that prevents vsdbg from running in non-official VS Code builds:

• Original bytes: 48 89 E7 48 8D 54 24 30 E8 6F BB E9 FF
• Patched bytes: BB 01 00 00 00 90 90 90 E9 7D 00 00 00

A backup (.bak) is automatically created before any modifications.

Safety

• Automatic backup creation before first patch
• Automatic detection and patching on startup
• Status check to verify current state
• Easy restoration from backup
• No manual file editing required
• Silent operation when already patched

Development

To run the extension in development mode:

npm install
npm run compile
# Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host

Known Issues

None currently. Please report issues on the GitHub repository.

Release Notes

0.0.1

Initial release with automatic patching, manual patch/restore commands, and status checking.

Note: This extension modifies binary files from the C# extension. Use at your own risk. The patch enables vsdbg debugging in code-oss environments.