VSCodium: The Open Source Foundation for Modern Devs

2026-02-02 tooling 2 min read

Why VSCodium?

Most developers use VSCode, but few realize it comes with proprietary tracking. VSCodium is the community-driven, telemetry-free binary of the same editor. It’s faster, cleaner, and respects your privacy. If you want to build open-source software, start with an open-source tool.

1. Installation: The Clean Slate

Installing VSCodium is straightforward, but for power users, the command line is king. Once installed, you can launch your editor directly from your project folders.

bash

# Launch VSCodium from your terminal
codium .               # Open current directory
codium somefile.js     # Open a specific file

# Tip: If you are moving from VSCode, 'code .' usually works too 
# if you've set up the alias!

2. The Workspace: Building Your Environment

Before you npm install anything, you need a Workspace. A workspace allows you to save specific settings (like fonts and tab sizes) that apply only to this project. This is crucial when jumping between different frameworks.

json

{
  "folders": [
    { "path": "." },
    { "path": "../../life-notes" }
  ],
  "settings": {
    "editor.fontFamily": "Lato, Consolas, monospace",
    "editor.fontSize": 16,
    "editor.lineHeight": 2,
    "markdown.preview.fontSize": 16
  }
}

3. Mastering the Keyboard (Efficiency)

To code at the speed of thought, you must stop reaching for the mouse. Here are the 'essential' shortcuts filtered from years of experience:

Quick Search: CTRL + P (Type @ to find functions, # to find variables across files).
Multi-line Magic: Alt + Click to write on multiple lines; Alt + Up/Down to move lines.
Deep Edits: CTRL + SHIFT + L selects all occurrences of a word.
Instant Directories: When creating a file, type src/scss/parts/main.scss—VSCodium will create all those folders for you automatically.

Rendering diagram...

4. Automating with Tasks

Don't type npm run build a thousand times. Use the Task Runner. Type >task in the command palette to configure automatic builds that run in the background while you code.

5. The Essential Extension Stack

VSCodium uses the Open VSX Registry. To make it framework-ready, I recommend starting with these heavy hitters:

Error Checking: dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
Formatting: esbenp.prettier-vscode
Git Mastery: eamodio.gitlens
Pathing: ionutvmi.path-autocomplete

Pro Tip: Use CTRL + X without selecting anything to cut the entire line your cursor is on. It's the fastest way to reorganize code on the fly.

VSCodium is the best way to ensure your development environment is as open and flexible as the code you write. Setting up your workspace correctly today saves hours of configuration tomorrow.

Happy Coding! 🛠️💻

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