# terminal-code Runs a Full VS Code Inside a Terminal

> The tode CLI pipes code-server through a terminal-based browser renderer, giving a full VS Code UI over SSH with no local GUI or forwarded display.

Published: 2026-08-25
URL: https://daniliants.com/insights/terminal-code-runs-vs-code-inside-a-terminal/
Tags: cli-tools, terminal, self-hosting, developer-tools

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## Summary

terminal-code (CLI command `tode`) runs a full VS Code editing experience inside a terminal by combining code-server (VS Code in the browser) with a terminal-based browser renderer. It installs via a one-line curl script and supports opening folders and files, SSH remote editing, diffing, line and column jumps, and importing settings from other VS Code-compatible editors.

## Key Insight

- Architecture is a composition of two existing open-source projects rather than a rebuilt editor: code-server (browser-based VS Code) piped through terminal-browser (a browser rendered inside a terminal). Both components and terminal-code itself are open source.
- Supports SSH-native editing (`tode --ssh <args>`), meaning full VS Code UI and extensions can run against a remote server without a local GUI or forwarded display, useful for headless boxes, a VPS, or dev containers accessed only over SSH.
- Has a migration path for switching from desktop VS Code, Cursor, or other VS Code forks: `tode --import` pulls settings, keybindings, snippets, and extensions from any VS Code-compatible editor, lowering the switching cost to zero manual reconfiguration.
- Ships terminal-specific ergonomics most editors lack: `--split right` for pane-based terminal workflows, `--shortcut-setup` to auto-resolve keybinding conflicts between the editor and the host terminal emulator, and `--goto file:line:col` for jumping straight into a location from scripts or error output.
- `--review` opens directly on the source-control panel, a shortcut aimed at code-review workflows without touching the file tree first.