How to Install VS Code on Arch Linux

On Arch Linux, the name you install determines the editor build you receive. The official repository package named code is Code – OSS, while the Microsoft-branded Visual Studio Code build is available as visual-studio-code-bin in the Arch User Repository (AUR). Choose the build first, then use the matching command.

Choose the VS Code build before installing it

Code – OSS is the open-source build packaged in Arch’s Extra repository. It installs with pacman and is the least complicated choice when you want an editor from the official repository.

Visual Studio Code is Microsoft’s branded distribution. Its Arch package, visual-studio-code-bin, comes from the AUR, so you need an AUR helper or the standard PKGBUILD build flow. The ArchWiki’s Visual Studio Code page documents the distinction and configuration topics such as extensions and Wayland.

The package name matters when you later install extensions, read troubleshooting notes, or choose a packaging channel. Do not install multiple builds until you have a reason to compare them, because their command names and extension behavior can differ.

Install Code – OSS from the official Arch repository

Use this route when you want the Arch-maintained Code – OSS package. Refresh the system package database and install code in one transaction.

sudo pacman -Syu code

Launch the editor from your desktop menu or open the current directory with the code command. The Arch package record for code is the source to check for the current repository build and its dependencies.

code .

If pacman is new to you, use this Pacman command reference for Arch Linux to search packages, update the system, and remove a package later. Keep system upgrades and editor installation in the same pacman transaction when possible, because partial upgrades are not a supported Arch workflow.

Install Microsoft Visual Studio Code from the AUR

Use visual-studio-code-bin when you specifically need Microsoft’s distribution. An AUR helper automates retrieval of the PKGBUILD, dependency resolution, package build, and installation after it shows you the package details.

paru -S visual-studio-code-bin

Review the package prompt before accepting it. The AUR package page for visual-studio-code-bin shows the maintained PKGBUILD, source URLs, dependencies, and current package version.

If Paru is not installed yet, start with the Paru AUR helper setup and command guide. Pacman cannot install AUR packages directly because the AUR distributes build instructions rather than repository binaries.

Build the AUR package without an AUR helper

The manual route lets you inspect the PKGBUILD before building, then clone the package repository after installing the base-devel group and Git.

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/visual-studio-code-bin.git
cd visual-studio-code-bin
makepkg -si

Read the PKGBUILD and any install prompt before running makepkg, because an AUR installation builds community-maintained instructions rather than installing a package from Arch’s official repositories.

Use Flatpak when you want application sandboxing

Flatpak gives you a separate delivery path with desktop sandboxing and can suit a workstation where you prefer Flathub’s application packaging over an AUR package, although file and tool access can require portal permissions or additional configuration.

flatpak install flathub com.visualstudio.code
flatpak run com.visualstudio.code

Set up the Flatpak runtime and Flathub remote first if the flatpak command is missing, then use the Flatpak setup guide for Linux for the commands that manage installed applications.

Verify the installation and keep the selected build updated

Open a project folder and confirm that the editor starts with the code launcher used by the pacman and AUR packages.

code --version
code .

Update code with the same package manager that installed it: pacman manages the official code package, an AUR helper manages visual-studio-code-bin, and Flatpak manages the Flathub package.

• For Code – OSS, run sudo pacman -Syu.
• For the Microsoft AUR build, run paru -Syu if Paru installed it.
• For Flatpak, run flatpak update.

If you need the wider Linux package options, compare the VS Code installation methods across Linux distributions. If you are setting up a fresh machine before installing an editor, the Arch Linux installation walkthrough covers the base system first.

Which VS Code package should you choose?

Choose code when you want the open-source build maintained in Arch’s repositories. Choose visual-studio-code-bin when you specifically want Microsoft’s distribution and accept the AUR review boundary. Choose Flatpak when desktop sandboxing is the deciding constraint.

After installation, open a project with code ., install only the extension your project needs, and consult the ArchWiki when a desktop, terminal, or remote-development integration needs distribution-specific configuration.