VSCode Tunnel Service on Arch Linux

The purpose of this guide is to create a VS Code tunnel using the Code CLI, with an optional service that runs on boot. This allows you to connect to a remote development server through insiders.vscode.dev. This setup is particularly useful on a machine with limited resources, where a local VS Code installation might be too slow.

Last reviewed in September 2026. Check the current VS Code Remote Tunnels documentation before installing because CLI download names and authentication flows can change.

Why Use a VSCode Tunnel?

Running VSCode directly on an older machine like a Pixelbook can be inefficient. The Linux development version of VSCode may run too slowly, making coding a frustrating experience. By using a VSCode tunnel, you can offload the heavy lifting to a remote server and access a smooth, responsive development environment via the insiders.vscode.dev website.

Step 1: Grab the Code Executable

First, grab the code insiders executable using the following command:

curl -fL 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=insider&os=cli-alpine-x64' --output vscode_cli_insiders.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded tarball:

tar -xf vscode_cli_insiders.tar.gz

Note: I extracted it to my home folder for simplicity.

Step 2: Test Out That It Works

Navigate to the extracted folder and test the VSCode tunnel:

./code-insiders tunnel

You will be prompted to log in using Microsoft or GitHub. I chose GitHub. Enter the code that you get in the terminal and test the connection by logging into:

https://insiders.vscode.dev/tunnel/[your-pc]

Replace [your-pc] with your actual PC name provided during the setup.

Step 3: Register the Code Tunnel as a Service

To register the code tunnel as a service, use the command:

./code-insiders tunnel service install

This process works properly with the insiders version. The service will be automatically created and configured.

Step 4: Manage the Service

The service is now installed and can be managed using the following commands:

Service Commands

To uninstall the service:

./code-insiders tunnel service uninstall

To check if the tunnel is running:

./code-insiders tunnel status

Remove a Tunnel Registration

If you want to remove the machine's association with tunneling entirely:

./code-insiders tunnel unregister

You can also remove tunnels from any VS Code client by opening the Remote Explorer view, right-clicking on the machine, and selecting "unregister".

Additional Helpful Aliases

For other helpful things, I alias:

alias ci='code-insiders -r .'

When you are in the VSCode terminal, you can type ci to open the current working directory into the VSCode editor.