How to Run VS Code Server in the Browser

ASD includes a built-in VS Code Server powered by code-server. It gives you the full VS Code experience in your browser — extensions, integrated terminal, Git, settings sync — accessible from any device. With ASD tunnels, you can code on your server from anywhere.

What you get

• Full VS Code experience in the browser
• Extension support via Open VSX marketplace
• Integrated terminal and Git
• Settings sync across sessions
• Remote access via ASD tunnels

Prerequisites

• ASD CLI installed (asd init to set up your workspace)
• The code-server binary (auto-downloaded during asd init)

Step 1: Start code-server

asd code start

To see status and access URLs:

asd code

Step 2: Access it

Method	URL Format	Use Case
Local	http://localhost:<port>/	Same machine
Caddy	http://asd.localhost/asde/codeserver/	Local network
Tunnel	https://hub-xxx.cicd.eu1.asd.engineer/asde/codeserver/	Anywhere

Step 3: Configure authentication

For local-only access (no password):

ASD_CODESERVER_AUTH=none

For remote access (with password):

ASD_CODESERVER_AUTH=password
ASD_CODESERVER_PASSWORD=your-secure-password

Remote access via tunnel

To code from anywhere:

# Enable password auth in .env
ASD_CODESERVER_AUTH=password
ASD_CODESERVER_PASSWORD=your-secure-password

# Start code-server
asd code start

# Enable tunnel
asd net apply --tunnel

# Get the URL
asd code
# Look for "Tunnel:" URL in the menu

Configuration options

Variable	Required	Default	Description
ASD_CODESERVER_PORT	No	(auto)	Port number
ASD_CODESERVER_AUTH	No	none	Auth mode: none or password
ASD_CODESERVER_PASSWORD	If auth=password	—	Login password
ASD_CODESERVER_WORKSPACE	No	project root	Folder to open
ASD_CODESERVER_ADDR	No	127.0.0.1:<port>	Full bind address

Extensions

code-server uses the Open VSX marketplace instead of Microsoft's marketplace.

Most popular extensions are available:

• ESLint, Prettier, GitLens
• Language support (Python, Go, Rust, etc.)
• Themes and icon packs

Some Microsoft-specific extensions are not available:

• GitHub Copilot (use alternatives like Continue or Codeium)
• Remote Development extensions (you're already remote)
• Live Share

Security considerations

code-server provides code editing AND terminal access:

• Always use password auth for any remote access
• Use strong passwords (12+ characters)
• Project-level basic auth in asd.yaml adds another layer
• Stop when not actively developing: asd code stop

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"Can't install extension"	Check Open VSX — the extension may not be available
"Port in use"	asd code stop or kill the process
"Auth failing"	Verify ASD_CODESERVER_AUTH and password in .env
"Slow/laggy"	Close unused tabs; check network connection
"Extensions not loading"	Clear cache: remove .asd/workspace/code/data/extensions

What's next

• Web Terminal with ttyd — standalone terminal access
• Database GUI with DbGate — visual database management
• Configure asd.yaml — full project configuration