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How to sync settings and extensions between VSCodium devices

By Freedom251 Team · · 11 min read

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The dependable ways to synchronize VSCodium installations are to copy the relevant files yourself or use the Sync Settings extension documented by the VSCodium project. Manual copying gives you the most control; the extension transfers settings, keybindings and extensions through a repository. Microsoft’s built-in Settings Sync is documented for Visual Studio Code, not established by that documentation for VSCodium, so treat it as a separate Visual Studio Code feature rather than assuming it works in VSCodium.

Choose the method that matches your move: copy files for a one-time, carefully reviewed migration; use Sync Settings when you will repeat transfers; and make an independent backup before any download that can overwrite local data.

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Choose the right synchronization method

VSCodium has no single, project-documented cloud switch equivalent to Visual Studio Code’s account-based sync. Its migration guide presents two practical routes: manual file transfer and the Sync Settings extension. A separate extension named Syncing also advertises VSCodium support, but its import operation can replace local settings and alter extensions. The table below separates what each route actually provides.

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Method Setup What it can move Control and risk VSCodium evidence
Manual file transfer Find the source and destination folders, then copy selected files User settings, keybindings and extension files when following the VSCodium migration procedure You choose each file and replacement; mistakes are reversible if you keep a backup Documented by the VSCodium migration guide
Sync Settings extension Install and configure the extension in both editors, upload, then download Settings, keybindings, extensions and additional user data supported by the extension Convenient for repeated transfers; behavior depends on extension configuration and repository contents Named as the VSCodium migration option
Syncing extension Install and connect it to a GitHub Gist User settings, keybindings, extensions, locales and snippets, according to its listing Downloads overwrite local settings and may install, update or remove extensions Marketplace listing claims VSCodium compatibility
Visual Studio Code built-in Settings Sync Sign in with a Microsoft or GitHub account and select categories Settings, shortcuts, snippets, user tasks, MCP configurations, UI state, extensions, profiles and prompt/instruction files in Visual Studio Code Category exclusions and conflict choices are available; remote-window and size limits apply Microsoft documentation covers Visual Studio Code, not VSCodium

For a VSCodium-to-VSCodium move, start with manual copying if you want to inspect every change. For a workflow that you will repeat across several computers, Sync Settings is the route specifically described in VSCodium’s documentation.

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Prepare both VSCodium installations

Close editors before copying files

Exit VSCodium on the source and destination before replacing user files or extension directories. Closing the application prevents a running process from writing an older version of a file over the copy you just made. If you use multiple profiles or portable packages, identify the profile that contains the settings you intend to move rather than copying an unrelated app-data directory.

Create an independent backup

Make a dated copy of the destination’s current User folder and extension directory before importing anything. Store it somewhere outside the destination profile. This gives you a rollback if a JSON file is malformed, an extension is incompatible, or an import removes an extension you still need. The precaution is particularly important for the Syncing extension because its Marketplace listing says a download always overwrites local settings and can install, update or remove extensions.

Decide what “same” means

Settings and keybindings are user-level data. Extensions may also depend on the operating system, CPU architecture, VSCodium release or native libraries. A copied extension directory can contain packages that are unavailable or unusable on the destination platform. Plan to review the Extensions view after the transfer and reinstall any extension that reports an error instead of assuming every binary component is portable.

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Method 1: manually copy files between VSCodium devices

Manual transfer is the most explicit method. You select the user files, copy the extension data, start VSCodium, and verify the result before deleting the backup.

1. Find the user-data locations

For a Visual Studio Code-to-VSCodium migration, the VSCodium guide lists these user folders. They are also useful references when locating equivalent user files between VSCodium installations, but confirm the actual path used by your package and operating system before copying.

Operating system Visual Studio Code User folder Corresponding VSCodium User folder
Windows %APPDATA%CodeUser %APPDATA%VSCodiumUser
macOS $HOME/Library/Application Support/Code/User $HOME/Library/Application Support/VSCodium/User
Linux $HOME/.config/Code/User $HOME/.config/VSCodium/User

The documented files are settings.json and keybindings.json. In VSCodium, you can open the Settings interface, select the JSON view for settings, and copy the contents into the destination’s corresponding settings.json. Copy keybindings.json only if you want the same keyboard shortcuts.

2. Back up the destination files

On the destination, rename or copy the existing settings.json and keybindings.json before replacing them. A name such as settings.json.before-vscodium-move keeps the rollback copy beside the active file without deleting anything.

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3. Copy the settings and keybindings

  1. Close VSCodium on both computers.
  2. Copy the source settings.json into the destination VSCodium User folder.
  3. Copy keybindings.json if required.
  4. Preserve the JSON text exactly; do not add comments, trailing commas or smart quotes while editing.
  5. Start VSCodium and open Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) to confirm that the file loads without a syntax error.

4. Transfer extensions

The VSCodium migration documentation identifies its extension files under ~/.vscode-oss. For a Visual Studio Code source, it specifically instructs copying the contents of ~/.vscode/extensions into ~/.vscode-oss/extensions. When moving between two VSCodium installations, copy the equivalent contents of the source VSCodium extensions directory into the destination’s VSCodium extensions directory after confirming the package’s actual profile path.

Copy the contents rather than replacing an entire parent directory when you want to retain destination-specific files. If you deliberately want an exact clone, keep the destination backup and then replace its extension contents with the source contents. Start VSCodium only after the copy has completed.

5. Verify the result

  • Open the Extensions view and check that expected extensions appear as installed.
  • Open a representative project and test language support, formatting, debugging and source-control integrations.
  • Check that keyboard shortcuts work and that important settings such as formatter selection, autosave and terminal profile survived.
  • Look for extension warnings that indicate a platform, version or dependency mismatch.

If an extension fails, remove only that extension from the destination and install a compatible build through the extension source available to your VSCodium package. Keep the copied settings and backup while troubleshooting so one failure does not force a complete rollback.

Moving from Visual Studio Code to VSCodium

The same manual process can migrate a Visual Studio Code installation into VSCodium, but the folders are not interchangeable. The VSCodium guide says to copy the contents of ~/.vscode/extensions into ~/.vscode-oss/extensions, then move the user files from the Code User folder to the VSCodium User folder shown above.

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Manual VS Code-to-VSCodium checklist

  1. Close both editors.
  2. Back up the existing VSCodium User folder and extension directory.
  3. From the source operating system’s Code User folder, copy settings.json and, if wanted, keybindings.json.
  4. Paste those files into the matching VSCodium User folder for the same operating system.
  5. Copy the contents of the VS Code extensions directory into VSCodium’s ~/.vscode-oss/extensions location on systems where those paths apply.
  6. Launch VSCodium, inspect the JSON settings, and test extensions one category at a time.

These paths describe the documented migration layout, not a guarantee that every package format or release uses identical directories. If your installation is portable, sandboxed or distributed by a system package, use its own user-data location and copy the equivalent files instead of forcing the paths above.

Method 2: use the Sync Settings extension

VSCodium’s migration page describes Sync Settings as the semi-automatic route. The extension is available through the Visual Studio Marketplace, Open VSX or its GitHub repository; the VSCodium instructions are at github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/blob/master/docs/migration.md.

1. Install it in both editors

Install Sync Settings in the source and destination VSCodium installations. If you are migrating from Visual Studio Code, install it there as well. Wait for installation to finish before moving on. VSCodium’s guide recommends watching the Output panel while extensions install, because progress and errors are reported there.

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2. Configure the same repository

Open the extension’s settings in each editor and configure the same repository. Use a repository that the two installations can access and protect it according to your organization’s policy. Do not assume that a repository is private merely because the extension can reach it; verify its visibility and access controls before uploading personal settings or tokens embedded in configuration files.

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3. Upload from the source editor

In the source editor, open the Command Palette and run Sync Settings: Upload (user -> repository). Allow the command to finish and inspect the Output panel for errors. The upload creates the remote data that the destination will consume; uploading from the wrong computer can replace the repository copy with an unintended configuration.

4. Download on the destination

In the destination VSCodium window, run Sync Settings: Download (repository -> user). Confirm that the configured repository is the one you just uploaded. Watch the Output panel while settings and extensions are installed.

5. Enable progress output and restart at the right time

Set syncSettings.openOutputOnActivity to true if you want the Output panel to open whenever the extension reports activity. Wait until extension installation has completed, then restart VSCodium as the guide recommends. Restarting too early can leave an extension half-installed or make it appear missing until the next launch.

6. Validate and retain the backup

After restarting, verify settings, keybindings and representative extensions. Keep the pre-download backup until you have opened your normal projects and confirmed that terminals, formatters, debuggers and language services behave as expected. If the destination is wrong, stop and restore the backup instead of uploading the incorrect state back to the repository.

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The separate “Syncing” extension: useful coverage, higher overwrite risk

The Marketplace listing for an extension named Syncing says it supports VSCodium and stores configuration in a GitHub Gist. It advertises synchronization of user settings, keybindings, extensions, locales and snippets. This is not the same product as the VSCodium guide’s named Sync Settings extension and is not Microsoft’s built-in Settings Sync.

Its documented behavior requires extra care: downloading always overwrites local settings and may install, update or remove extensions. Before selecting its download command:

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  • Export or copy the destination settings and keybindings.
  • Record extensions that must remain installed, including locally packaged or policy-managed extensions.
  • Confirm the selected Gist and account; importing the wrong Gist can replace a working profile.
  • Read the extension’s current listing and permissions before granting access.

Use Syncing only when that overwrite model is acceptable and you have a recovery copy. Do not mix its repository or commands with Sync Settings instructions.

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Why Visual Studio Code’s built-in Settings Sync is different

Microsoft’s current Settings Sync documentation describes a built-in feature for Visual Studio Code. It supports Microsoft and GitHub accounts and lets users choose categories such as user settings, keyboard shortcuts, snippets, user-level tasks, MCP server configurations, UI state, extensions, profiles and prompt or instruction files in the user profile. Users can exclude settings or extensions and resolve conflicts by choosing local data, remote data or a merge when the service reports a conflict.

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Those capabilities are documented for Visual Studio Code. The page does not establish that the built-in service is available in VSCodium, so do not sign into a VSCodium installation expecting the same commands, account flow or conflict UI.

Limits that apply to Visual Studio Code’s feature

  • Extensions do not synchronize to or from remote SSH, development-container or WSL windows. Microsoft states: “VS Code does not synchronize your extensions to or from a remote window, such as when you’re connected to SSH, a development container (devcontainer), or WSL.”
  • Settings, keyboard shortcuts and user tasks each have a 100 KB limit.
  • Up to 20 profiles can synchronize.
  • Local backups are deleted after 30 days; remote backups retain the latest 20 versions per category.

Do not apply these limits or backup-retention rules to VSCodium’s file-copy or extension-based workflows. They belong to Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code implementation.

Resolve common transfer problems

Settings file reports an error

Open the JSON settings file and inspect the line named in the error. Restore the backup if the source file was already malformed, then reapply changes using VSCodium’s Settings interface. Remove trailing commas and replace typographic quotation marks with ordinary JSON quotes. A single syntax error can prevent the editor from loading all user settings.

Extensions appear installed but do not activate

Check the Output panel and the extension’s error message. A native dependency, operating-system mismatch or unsupported VSCodium release can prevent activation even when the extension directory was copied successfully. Remove the failing extension and install a compatible version rather than repeatedly copying the same package.

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Sync Settings commands are missing

Confirm that Sync Settings is installed and enabled in the current editor window, then reload or restart VSCodium. Verify that the extension is installed in both source and destination; installing it in only one editor does not create the upload and download workflow in the other.

Download imported the wrong state

Stop editing the destination, restore the dated backup and verify the repository configuration before trying again. With an extension that overwrites settings, a second download can make recovery harder if it replaces the only good copy.

Only some settings seem to have moved

Check that you copied both settings.json and keybindings.json when those are required, and that you used the active VSCodium profile’s User folder. Extensions can also store state outside those two files, so a manual copy is not guaranteed to reproduce every extension’s private data.

Keep multiple VSCodium devices consistent over time

Use one authoritative source

Choose one machine or repository as the source of truth. Upload only after reviewing recent changes, and download on a new device before customizing it. This avoids accidentally replacing the shared state with a half-configured installation.

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Separate portable preferences from machine-specific settings

Settings that reference a local path, shell executable, certificate, hardware device or operating-system-specific command may need editing on each computer. Keep those values out of a blindly cloned profile or document the per-machine override before importing.

Review changes before replacing files

For manual transfers, compare the source and destination JSON files and copy only the keys you want. For extension workflows, inspect the repository or Gist contents and the extension’s activity log before downloading. A short review prevents an old formatter, terminal path or keybinding set from silently taking over a working setup.

Retain rollback copies until normal work succeeds

Do not delete the backup immediately after the first successful launch. Keep it until you have opened the projects and workflows that matter, then archive or remove it according to your backup policy.

Security and privacy checks

Settings files can contain paths, hostnames, proxy details and, in some setups, tokens or other secrets. Inspect settings.json, snippets and extension configuration before placing them in a shared repository or GitHub Gist. Use private access controls where appropriate, limit who can read the synchronization location, and revoke credentials if you discover that a secret was uploaded.

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A sync tool transfers configuration; it does not make incompatible extensions compatible or guarantee that every extension’s private state is included. Treat the repository or Gist as a configuration backup, not as a substitute for testing and independent backups.

Practical decision guide

  • One-time move, maximum control: copy the User files and extension contents manually, then test each important workflow.
  • Repeated VSCodium-to-VSCodium transfers: use the VSCodium-documented Sync Settings extension with a repository, monitor the Output panel and restart after installation.
  • You specifically need Gist-based synchronization: evaluate the separate Syncing extension, but back up first because downloads overwrite settings and can change extensions.
  • You are staying entirely in Visual Studio Code: Microsoft’s built-in Settings Sync may be appropriate; its account, category, conflict and remote-window behavior are described in the official documentation, not as a VSCodium feature.

For a VSCodium device migration, the safest sequence is backup, manual or extension-assisted transfer, verification in real projects, and only then removal of the rollback copy.

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Developer Toolsextensionssettings syncVisual Studio Code migrationVSCodium

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