IDE

Index

VS Code Studio - Preferred(Modded)

How to disable MS's Tracking

https://code.visualstudio.com/code.visualstudio.com

Core Differences Between VS Code and VSCodium

1. Telemetry and Tracking:

   • VS Code: By default, it includes telemetry, which means that usage data and some diagnostics are sent back to Microsoft.

   • VSCodium: It's a completely open-source version of VS Code, with all telemetry disabled out of the box.

2. License:

   • VS Code is technically open-source, but the Microsoft binaries are proprietary, meaning that they add branding and telemetry which is not open-source.

   • VSCodium is built directly from the MIT-licensed source code without the Microsoft additions.

3. Marketplace Access:

   • VS Code has access to the Microsoft Extension Marketplace, which includes all the extensions, including Microsoft-specific ones like Remote - WSL.

   • VSCodium does not come with direct access to the official Microsoft Marketplace (although you can tweak it to gain access).

Modifying VS Code to Make It Similar to VSCodium

If you’re comfortable modifying VS Code to achieve the privacy level of VSCodium, you can make VS Code functionally equivalent. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Disable Telemetry and Tracking

To remove telemetry and data collection, update the settings.json file in VS Code to disable tracking features:

1. Open Settings in VS Code:

   • Press Ctrl + , or go to File > Preferences > Settings.

2. Edit settings.json:

   • Click on the Open Settings (JSON) icon in the top-right corner of the settings tab.

   • Add the following lines to completely disable telemetry:

     jsonCopy code{
       "telemetry.enableTelemetry": false,
       "telemetry.enableCrashReporter": false,
       "update.mode": "none"
     }

   • This stops VS Code from sending telemetry data back to Microsoft.

3. Optional Extensions:

   • There are some extensions available that can help block telemetry even more thoroughly:

     • No Telemetry: This extension helps ensure that no telemetry-related services are running.

   • These steps will bring VS Code on par with VSCodium when it comes to telemetry.

2. Use Open-Source Marketplace (Optional)

If you're concerned about privacy related to accessing the Microsoft Marketplace for extensions:

1. Modify Marketplace URL:

   • You can modify the product.json file to switch to an open-source extension marketplace.

   • In VS Code’s installation directory (usually something like C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\resources\app\product.json), replace the Microsoft Marketplace endpoint with an open-source equivalent, such as Open VSX.

   • The product.json file is what directs VS Code to use the proprietary marketplace by default, but it can be altered to use a different URL.

   Here’s an example of changing the URL to Open VSX:

   jsonCopy code"extensionsGallery": {
       "serviceUrl": "https://open-vsx.org/vscode/gallery",
       "itemUrl": "https://open-vsx.org/vscode/item"
   }

   However, if you want access to all Microsoft-created extensions, you should leave the marketplace settings as-is because Open VSX may not include them all.

3. Extensions and Updates

• VSCodium disables automatic updates and only uses open-source components. In VS Code, you might also want to:

  • Disable automatic updates to avoid getting proprietary components back:

    jsonCopy code"update.mode": "none"

Result: Functional Equivalence

If you follow the above modifications, your VS Code installation will be:

• Telemetry-free (just like VSCodium).

• Using the MIT-licensed base, without any proprietary additions that aren’t already in the VS Code source code.

• Able to access all the extensions from Microsoft Marketplace, which might include ones not available in VSCodium by default.

Key Advantages and Differences

• VSCodium Out of the Box: If you use VSCodium, you get all of these modifications automatically without needing to tweak anything.

• Modified VS Code:

  • Functionally Equivalent: Once modified, VS Code behaves exactly like VSCodium in terms of telemetry and privacy.

  • Extension Marketplace Access: If you keep access to the Microsoft Marketplace, you maintain an edge by having access to the full suite of extensions, including ones that might not be readily available in Open VSX.

When to Use Modified VS Code vs. VSCodium?

• Use Modified VS Code if you need to use Microsoft-specific extensions such as Remote - WSL or other extensions that are not always available in the Open VSX marketplace. This is particularly useful for WSL integration and other Microsoft-supported services.

• Use VSCodium if you want a no-hassle solution that comes with telemetry disabled by default and if you are comfortable working without some of the Microsoft-proprietary extensions.

Summary

• You can make VS Code exactly like VSCodium by disabling telemetry, changing the update mode, and optionally modifying the extension marketplace URL.

• VSCodium is a good privacy-first version without Microsoft’s tracking but comes with limited extension availability without further tweaks.

• Modified VS Code will give you all the same features as VSCodium but with the ability to use the full Microsoft Marketplace if you leave that part unmodified.

In your case, since you're looking for WSL support and full functionality, I’d recommend modifying VS Code to disable telemetry and enjoy the privacy aspects without sacrificing important extensions like Remote - WSL. This way, you maintain full support for everything, especially the remote development features.

VS Codium

VSCodium

You can install VS Studio Extensions by downloading them manually from store and importing them - ensuring you're not tracked by microsoft still.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/marketplace.visualstudio.com

Download

Install: