"Extension Not Loading: Claude Code Missing from VS Code"

[seanGSISG]

Bug Description Issue: Claude Code VS Code extension not appearing in VS Code despite being installed

Environment:

• OS: CachyOS (Arch-based Linux)
• Platform: Linux 6.15.1-5-cachyos
• VS Code:

Version: 1.100.3
Commit: 258e40fedc6cb8edf399a463ce3a9d32e7e1f6f3
Date: 2025-06-02T13:30:54.273Z
Electron: 34.5.1
ElectronBuildId: 11369351
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.19.0
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Linux x64 6.15.1-5-cachyos

• Claude Code extension: v1.0.17 (installed at ~/.vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-1.0.17)

Problem:

• Extension files exist in the correct directory but VS Code doesn't recognize it
• Extension doesn't appear in:
  • Extensions panel (@installed view)
  • Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
  • Keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S)
• No Claude Code commands are available
• Ctrl+Esc shortcut conflicts with system performance app

Steps taken:

1. Confirmed extension files exist at ~/.vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-1.0.17
2. Attempted to find extension in VS Code UI
3. Searched command palette and keyboard shortcuts

Expected behavior: Extension should be visible in VS Code and Claude Code commands should be accessible via command palette and keyboard shortcuts.

Environment Info

• Platform: linux
• Terminal: vscode
• Version: 1.0.17
• Feedback ID: eaff8a65-96fc-4102-a089-f01cc4820ee9

Errors

[]

[igorkofman]

Thanks for the report. How did you install the extension? Was it auto-installed by claude code or did you install it manually?

[tlockney]

I'm also running into this (though on MacOS). I installed the extension through the auto-install with Claude Code, but then it suddenly stopped showing up within VSCode (after having worked for some time). I've tried just about everything I could think of for debugging this, including uninstalling and reinstalling from the local npm package using the code CLI.

[apetta]

This just suddenly happened to me as well. The command palette route and the Claude logo/icon route to launch Claude Code have both disappeared.

Originally installed via vscode extensions market.

The output tab does show it's running though:

2025-07-01 16:44:57.584 [info] Claude code extension is now active!
2025-07-01 16:44:57.584 [info] MCP Server running on port 30228 (localhost only)
2025-07-01 16:46:48.177 [info] New WS connection from: /
2025-07-01 16:46:48.178 [info] MCP server connected to transport
2025-07-01 16:46:48.178 [info] [DiagnosticStreamManager] Started streaming diagnostics
2025-07-01 16:46:48.178 [info] [DiagnosticStreamManager] Registered client client_0. Total clients: 1
2025-07-01 16:46:48.178 [info] Registered diagnostic client: client_0
2025-07-01 16:48:01.141 [info] Closing all diff tabs in the editor...
2025-07-01 16:48:01.141 [info] Closed 0 diff tabs.

[igorkofman]

Does it work if you run 'claude' in the terminal? (doe the diffs show up in vscode?) What version of the extension do you see in the extension list?

[s0up4200]

I'm experiencing the same on macOS with Cursor. Claude Code connects successfully, but I'm not getting the Claude window in Cursor.

[apetta]

Does it work if you run 'claude' in the terminal? (doe the diffs show up in vscode?) What version of the extension do you see in the extension list?

Yes, everything else works fine - including diff, file +line highlight context etc.

The dedicated window for CC, the button to launch it, and the comman palette flow are all missing

[tlockney]

I can run Claude fine from the terminal, but it acts just like a standalone instance outside of VSCode. There's seemingly no awareness that it's running inside of the editor's terminal instance. If I run /ide it shows 'No available IDEs detected.'

Running code --list-extensions --show-versions, I get [email protected]. I don't see it in the in editor extension list, but that was the case before this started happening, so I'm assuming it's still expected.

[igorkofman]

@tlockney - what happens if you go to the app store and install Claude Code for VSCode extension? Are you doing local dev or remote? @apetta - sounds like a setting turned off the button and the actions. I'd try un-installing and re-installing CC extension from VSCode marketplace and failing that look through your user and global settings in VS Code

[tlockney]

Oh, interesting, I hadn't seen that it was finally available through the marketplace so was still using the install method where it loaded by running the CLI in the terminal. Interestingly, on my machine where it was still working as expected, I did not have the extension from the Marketplace loaded. Somehow it WAS loaded on the machine where I was having problems (was the an auto-update at some point that would have pulled in the Marketplace extension?). So I uninstalled and then reinstalled and now it looks like things are working as expected.

[apetta]

@tlockney - what happens if you go to the app store and install Claude Code for VSCode extension? Are you doing local dev or remote? @apetta - sounds like a setting turned off the button and the actions. I'd try un-installing and re-installing CC extension from VSCode marketplace and failing that look through your user and global settings in VS Code

Hmm, I tried that but no luck. And I cannot find any relevant setting in either the user or default vscode settings json file.

[igorkofman]

Strange! You are seeing one of the pluging actions - just not "run claude".

On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 2:22 PM apetta @.***> wrote:

apetta left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#1822) https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/1822#issuecomment-3046559725

@tlockney https://github.com/tlockney - what happens if you go to the app store and install Claude Code for VSCode extension? Are you doing local dev or remote? @apetta https://github.com/apetta - sounds like a setting turned off the button and the actions. I'd try un-installing and re-installing CC extension from VSCode marketplace and failing that look through your user and global settings in VS Code

Hmm, I tried that but no luck. And I cannot find any relevant setting in either the user or default vscode settings json file. image.png (view on web) https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/35a14a70-9818-4a82-800b-d52363f04057

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/1822#issuecomment-3046559725, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AADSWQS2NLV7ICPM2UGNCUL3HLQKLAVCNFSM6AAAAAB633ZZR2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTANBWGU2TSNZSGU . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

[mstockdale-rapidscale]

I was having this same problem (Mac OS), and I was able to "fix" this by unaliasing claude from local install to global.

i.e., I had claude running locally in $HOME

╰─$ which claude
claude: aliased to /Users/mstockdale/.claude/local/claude

Running vs code in this way resulting in the behavior shown by apetta

If I unalias claude, and let it run from homebrew (well, node installed via homebrew), things work as expected.

╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ unalias claude
╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ which claude
/opt/homebrew/bin/claude
╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ open -n /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app

[apetta]

I was having this same problem (Mac OS), and I was able to "fix" this by unaliasing claude from local install to global.

i.e., I had claude running locally in $HOME

╰─$ which claude
claude: aliased to /Users/mstockdale/.claude/local/claude

Running vs code in this way resulting in the behavior shown by apetta

If I unalias claude, and let it run from homebrew (well, node installed via homebrew), things work as expected.

╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ unalias claude
╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ which claude
/opt/homebrew/bin/claude
╭─mstockdale@mac  ~ <none >
╰─$ open -n /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

I originally switched from global to local as claude code was having difficulties with auto-updating (which started working with local installation).

I'll try out global again & update this comment.

---

EDIT - I can confirm switching to a global installation makes everything work again - thanks!

Although, I'm not using it via brew as I can't see that mentioned on the official site. Uncommented the alias and used npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

[Nostromos]

Here's what just worked for me:

1. Uninstall "Claude Code for VSCode" in the vscode extensions marketplace,
2. Open terminal and launch claude code, which will prompt it to check for the vscode extension.

It automatically installed the extension for me and it Cmd + Esc / UI button in VSCode are back.

[kmaximoff]

Running into the same issue, it happened after I followed Anthropic instructions to avoid global installation as SUDO. Extension does not work!

[thorizer]

same here, it disappeared, also shift+enter does not work even though i id /terminal-setup

[mstockdale-rapidscale]

Although, I'm not using it via brew as I can't see that mentioned on the official site. Uncommented the alias and used npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

To be clear, I only installed node through brew, and then when I use npm to install claude as per the documentation, it creates the link in /opt/homebrew/bin.

[hi-reeve]

having the same issues after the update and migrate installation to local and not using npm global. before when i install it using npm global it works fine

[jleclanche]

It seems like claude code doesn't like its own alias (possibly only with certain shell setups - i reproduced with zsh).

Workaround: copy ~/.claude/local/claude (a bash one-liner pass-through) to somewhere in the $PATH. I have ~/bin in my PATH for example so I just put a copy of it there. Adding ~/.claude/local to the PATH also probably would fix it.

[davenovelli]

Adding ~/.claude/local to the PATH also probably would fix it.

This is the only thing I did and it fixed it for me

[apetta]

It would be great to have this working with the local installation. The lack of auto-updates on the global installation is not great.

The path addition/alias solution mentioned above wasn't working well with the VSCode extension for me.

Using pnpm for global installation (pnpm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code) seems to give the best of both worlds for now. Only error in /status is now:

instead of (npm):

Not sure where to update that 'local' config to resolve the remaining warning.

[osfa]

same issue. following. this install scheme is a total mess. " Config install method: local" is what I have to purge maybe?

Claude CLI Diagnostic Currently running: npm-global (1.0.56) Path: /Users/jbe/.nvm/versions/node/v22.12.0/bin/node Invoked: /Users/jbe/.nvm/versions/node/v22.12.0/bin/claude Config install method: local Auto-updates enabled: true Update permissions: Yes

[osfa]

resolved it by purging a folder: rm -r ~/.claude/ide

[seanGSISG]

Thanks for the report. How did you install the extension? Was it auto-installed by claude code or did you install it manually?

This was through the auto installer. Claude works fine inside VSCodes terminal and recognizes the IDE.

I actually prefer to run from the terminal so not a big deal but thought I should submit a bug report. Looks like others have found a workaround.

[apetta]

It would be great to have this working with the local installation. The lack of auto-updates on the global installation is not great.

The path addition/alias solution mentioned above wasn't working well with the VSCode extension for me.

Using pnpm for global installation (pnpm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code) seems to give the best of both worlds for now. Only error in /status is now:

instead of (npm): Not sure where to update that `'local'` config to resolve the remaining warning.

Seems it wasn't actually updating when installed with pnpm.

Anyway, the local installation is working fine with VSCode as of v1.0.61.

[dhollman]

This seems to be resolved for most people in the ~1.0.60 range. Since we are now on 1.0.89, I'm going to close this issue. Please open a new issue if you're still seeing this behavior.

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.