📌 Overview
This guide helps you configure VSCode Remote SSH for Magento 2 development on a remote Linux (Red Hat) server.
What You Get
Full VSCode IDE on remote server
IntelliSense & PHP code navigation
Git UI + terminal workflow
GitHub Copilot / AI assistance
No file syncing, no SCP, no FTP
✅ Prerequisites
VSCode installed on Windows
SSH access to remote server
.ppk private key
PuTTYgen (comes with PuTTY / WinSCP)
🔌 Step 1: Install Remote-SSH Extension
Open VSCode
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for Remote – SSH
Install Remote Development (by Microsoft)
🔐 Step 2: Convert PPK to OpenSSH Format
VSCode uses OpenSSH, not .ppk.
✔ Using PuTTYgen (Recommended)
Open PuTTYgen
Click Load
Select your .ppk file
Example:
D:\Docs\yourppk.ppk
Go to Conversions → Export OpenSSH key
Save as:
C:\Users\YourName.ssh\yourppk
Create the .ssh folder if it doesn’t exist.
🔁 Alternative (WSL / Git Bash)
puttygen yourppk.ppk -O private-openssh -o ~/.ssh/id_rsa
🔒 Step 3: Fix SSH Key Permissions (Important)
Open PowerShell as Administrator:
cd $env:USERPROFILE.ssh
icacls yourppk /inheritance:r
icacls yourppk /grant:r "$($env:USERNAME):(R)"
⚙️ Step 4: Create SSH Config File
Create/edit:
C:\Users\YourName.ssh\config
Host
HostName
User
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/yourppk
ServerAliveInterval 60
ServerAliveCountMax 3
🔍 Explanation
Host → Friendly alias
HostName → Server IP
User → SSH username
IdentityFile → OpenSSH key
ServerAlive* → Prevent idle disconnects
🧪 Step 5: Test SSH Connection
ssh -i $env:USERPROFILE.ssh\yourppk username@
If this works → continue.
🔗 Step 6: Connect from VSCode
Press Ctrl+Shift+P
Select Remote-SSH: Connect to Host
Choose
Select Linux
Wait for VSCode Server installation
⏳ First connection may take 2–3 minutes.
📂 Step 7: Open Magento Project
Open Folder
Navigate to Magento root:
/var/www/html/magento
Click OK
🧩 Step 8: Install Extensions on Remote Server
Extensions must be installed again for SSH.
Recommended Magento stack:
PHP Intelephense
GitHub Copilot
GitLens
PHP Debug
Magento 2 Snippets
Click “Install in SSH: r”
🛠 Step 9: Magento VSCode Optimization
Create .vscode/settings.json:
{
"php.suggest.basic": false,
"intelephense.files.exclude": [
"/vendor//Tests/",
"/pub/static/"
],
"files.watcherExclude": {
"/var/": true,
"/generated/": true,
"/pub/static/": true
},
"search.exclude": {
"/var": true,
"/generated": true,
"/pub/static": true
}
}
🚀 Improves performance & IntelliSense accuracy.
🔀 Working with Git in VSCode
🔹 UI Method (Fastest)
Bottom-left → Click branch name → Select branch
🔹 Command Palette
Git: Checkout to...
🔹 Terminal (Power User)
git fetch origin
git checkout develop
git pull origin develop
🌿 Common Git Scenarios
Checkout Remote Branch
git fetch origin
git checkout feature/contact-admin-order
Commit & Push
git add .
git commit -m "Add Google address autocomplete"
git push origin feature/contact-admin-order
🔍 GitLens (Highly Recommended)
Features
Inline blame
File history
Branch comparison
Line-level history
Install → GitLens → Install in SSH
👤 Configure Git Identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
Verify:
git config --list
🧱 Magento-Specific Workflow
After switching branches:
composer install
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:di:compile
php bin/magento cache:flush
🐞 Troubleshooting
❌ SSH Connection Failed
Check IP / firewall
Verify permissions on SSH key
Test via PowerShell SSH
❌ VSCode Server Install Failed
Check disk space (df -h)
Check home directory permissions
View Remote-SSH Output
❌ Git Asking Password
Set SSH key for Git provider:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
🧠 Best Practices
Always git pull before work
Use feature branches
Commit small & often
Clear Magento cache after changes
Use Developer mode
Monitor logs:
tail -f var/log/system.log
⌨️ Useful Shortcuts
Action Shortcut
Command Palette Ctrl+Shift+P
Terminal Ctrl+`
Git Panel Ctrl+Shift+G
Quick File Ctrl+P
Multi Cursor Alt+Click
🎯 Benefits of This Setup
✅ Full IDE on server
✅ AI-assisted Magento coding
✅ Zero file syncing
✅ Faster debugging
✅ Production-ready workflow
🧾 Summary
You now have:
🔗 Secure Remote SSH setup
🧠 IntelliSense & AI Copilot
🌿 Integrated Git workflows
⚡ Magento-optimized VSCode
🛠 Direct terminal access
This is the most efficient way to develop Magento 2 on a remote server.
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