Install Visual Studio Code on Raspberry Pi 4
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code is an excellent development environment, and it is an easy install on a Raspberry Pi 4.
This article will show you how to get Visual Studio Code up and running on your Raspberry Pi 4 computer. In addition, we will cover disabling the Telemetry Reporting as well as disabling the Crash Reporting features to enhance your privacy and security.
Installing Visual Studio Code on Raspberry Pi 4
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code is now available as part of the Raspberry Pi OS apt packages. Simply launch the Raspberry Pi Terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code
This will download and prompt you to install the Microsoft Visual Studio Code software on your Raspberry Pi 4. After installation you will find the Visual Studio Code software under the “Programming” folder in the Raspberry Pi main menu.
Visual Studio Code Pro Tip
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P to access the Command Palette which will speed up looking for and accomplishing any task in Visual Studio Code.
Disable Visual Studio Code Telemetry Reporting
Visual Studio Code collects usage data and sends it back to Microsoft to help improve their products and services. To opt out of this, you can set the telemetry.enableTelemetry user setting to false.
To do so, from the top menu click File > Preferences > Settings
Alternatively, you can just press Ctrl + , (comma) on your keyboard to open the Settings panel.
Next, in the Search settings field at the top enter: telemetry and uncheck Telemetry: Enable Telemetry
Restart Visual Studio Code to apply this change and it will disable all telemetry events when using Visual Studio Code going forward. While you’re there you might also want to disable crash reporting.
NOTE: Visual Studio Code allows you to install third party extensions. These extensions may be collecting their own usage data and are not controlled by the telemetry.enableTelemetry setting. Consult the specific extension’s documentation to learn about its telemetry reporting.
Disable Visual Studio Code Crash Reporting
Visual Studio Code collects data about any crashes that occur and sends it to Microsoft to help improve their products and services. To opt out of this, you can set the telemetry.enableCrashReporter user setting to false.
To do so, from the top menu click File > Preferences > Settings
Alternatively, you can just press CTRL + , (comma) on your keyboard to open the Settings panel.
Next, in the Search settings field at the top enter: telemetry and uncheck Telemetry: Enable Crash Reporter
Restart Visual Studio Code to apply this change and it will disable all program crash reports when using Visual Studio Code going forward.
Disable Visual Studio Code Experiments
Microsoft uses “experiments” within Visual Studio Code to try out new features or progressively roll them out. The experimentation framework calls out to a Microsoft-owned service and is therefore disabled when telemetry is disabled. However, if you want to disable experiments regardless of your telemetry preferences, you may want to also set the workbench.enableExperiments user setting to false.
To do so, from the top menu click File > Preferences > Settings
Alternatively, you can just press CTRL + , (comma) on your keyboard to open the Settings panel.
Next, in the Search settings field at the top enter: experiments and uncheck Workbench: Enable Experiments
Restart Visual Studio Code to apply this change and it will prevent Visual Studio Code from calling out to the service and opt out of any ongoing experiments.
Conclusion
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