Claude Code Local For Vscode

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Claude Code VS Code -- Dual Mode (Local + Remote)
One extension, two modes: run Claude Code locally for no-internet servers, or remotely just like the official extension -- controlled by a single setting.

Base version: Claude Code VS Code Extension v2.1.71 (Anthropic)
Platforms: macOS ARM64 + Linux x86-64 (dual binary)
Status: Functional -- all core tools verified

Table of Contents

1. Quick Start
2. Two Working Modes
3. Installation
4. Configuration
5. Usage
6. Features
7. Known Limitations
8. FAQ
9. Design Philosophy
10. File Structure
11. Changelog
12. License

1. Quick Start

See Installation for detailed steps and troubleshooting.

2. Two Working Modes

This extension supports both local and remote execution modes, controlled by the claudeCode.forceLocal setting:

2.1 Local Mode (forceLocal: true)

- The CLI's 8 built-in file tools are disabled. 6 replacement MCP tools proxy operations to the remote server via VS Code's remote filesystem APIs.
- No additional software needed on the remote server.
- Set forceLocal: true in Workspace settings for this project.

2.2 Remote Mode (forceLocal: false)

- The extension behaves 100% identically to the official Claude Code extension. All 21 patches are gated by isForceLocalMode() and have zero effect.
- The Linux x64 CLI binary is bundled and auto-selected.
- Set forceLocal: false (or leave as default) in Workspace settings.

2.3 How Mode Switching Works

The extension dynamically manages extensionKind in its package.json:

When you change forceLocal in a remote context, the extension updates extensionKind and prompts a VS Code Reload. After reload, VS Code reads the new extensionKind and runs the extension in the correct location.

For local workspaces (no remote connection), extensionKind is always ["ui",…