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Connecting to the ‘delta.cs.uwindsor.ca’ Server via SSH through Visual Studio Code

This article was contributed by Avinash Karhana (karhanaa@uwindsor.ca). Thank you!

Prerequisites
  1. **Visual Studio Code (VS Code)** installed. If you don't have it, download and install it from https://code.visualstudio.com. 
  2. **Remote - SSH Extension** for VS Code installed.  
  3. **SSH Client** installed on your local machine:
    • Windows**: Install Git for Windows which comes with Git Bash. You can download it from https://gitforwindows.org.
    • **MacOS**: SSH client is pre-installed.
    • **Linux**: SSH client is pre-installed.
Step-by-Step Guide
  1. Install the Remote - SSH Extension in VS Code
    • Open VS Code.
    • Go to the Extensions view by clicking the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window.
    • Search for "Remote Development" and install the extensions by Microsoft (As given in previous section). 
  2. Add the SSH Host

    • Open the Remote Explorer tab

    • In the Remote Explorer tab, click the `+` button next to `SSH Targets`.

    • In the input dialog that appears, enter: ssh uwinid@delta.cs.uwindsor.ca
                            Replace `uwinid` with your actual username, then hit `Enter`.
            • If you are connecting to a different server, replace the server in the example above with the current server name, which is delta.cs.uwindsor.ca ( it can be gamma.cs.uwindsor.ca ...)
    • Choose whether to save the configuration in the `~/.ssh/config` file or just for this session.
  3. Connect to the Server via VS Code
    • In the Remote Explorer tab, under `SSH Targets`, you should now see `delta.cs.uwindsor.ca`.
    • Click on `delta.cs.uwindsor.ca` to connect. 

    • A new VS Code window will open. When prompted, enter your password for the `delta.cs.uwindsor.ca` server.

  4. Open a Remote Workspace
    • Once connected, you can open a folder on the remote server by clicking on `Open Folder` in the Remote Explorer sidebar. 

    • Navigate to the desired directory on the server and open it.

    • If prompted for your password again, enter it to proceed.

Tips and Troubleshooting
  • If you face issues with the host not being live or timeout, make sure you are either on CS Network  WiFi/Ethernet or connected via Global Protect VPN.
  • If you encounter connection issues, check the SSH output log in VS Code by clicking on the `View` menu, then `Output`, and selecting `Remote - SSH` from the dropdown.
  • Ensure that your user account on the `delta.cs.uwindsor.ca` server is set up to accept SSH connections.
  • If you are having connection issues due to invalid credentials, try authenticating them by going to https://auth.cs.uwindsor.ca; this will sync your credentials across all the CS services.
  • In case you do not want to enter the password every time you connect to SSH, follow the other guide that helps you to set Key based authentication for SSH.
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