Install the VS Code Extension

The Patchwire extension turns any VS Code-based editor into a bidirectional Claude session against your remote machine. Your laptop edits and the remote’s edits stay byte-identical, automatically (the extension uses Mutagen for live sync, unlike the CLI’s one-way rsync model).

import { Badge, LinkButton } from ‘@astrojs/starlight/components’;

Install in one click

Install in VS Code

This opens VS Code on the Patchwire extension page, where you click Install. The extension is on the Marketplace and Open VSX, so if the button doesn’t open VS Code, use one of the links below.

• Marketplace page: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=patchwire.patchwire-vscode
• Cursor / VSCodium / Windsurf (Open VSX): https://open-vsx.org/extension/patchwire/patchwire-vscode

Download the .vsix (works today)

Download latest `.vsix`

The latest release page has a patchwire-vscode-X.Y.Z.vsix file attached. Grab it and install via one of the methods below.

Install in VS Code

Option 1: command palette (recommended)

1. Open VS Code.
2. Cmd+Shift+P (or Ctrl+Shift+P on Linux/Windows), then Extensions: Install from VSIX…
3. Pick the downloaded .vsix file.
4. Reload the window when prompted.

Option 2: drag and drop

Drag the .vsix file onto the Extensions panel in VS Code.

Option 3: command line

code --install-extension ~/Downloads/patchwire-vscode-0.3.0.vsix

If code isn’t on your PATH, run Cmd+Shift+P, then Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH once and try again.

Install in Antigravity

Antigravity is a VS Code fork, so the same .vsix file works. The CLI command is antigravity instead of code:

antigravity --install-extension ~/Downloads/patchwire-vscode-0.3.0.vsix

You can also use the command palette in Antigravity (it has the same Extensions: Install from VSIX… action).

Install in Cursor

Same flow. Cursor also accepts .vsix files via the command palette, or:

cursor --install-extension ~/Downloads/patchwire-vscode-0.3.0.vsix

What you need on your machine first

The extension shells out to a few binaries:

Binary	Why	Install
patchwire (the CLI)	Bootstraps the project on the remote	npm i -g @rebink/patchwire
mutagen	Two-way file sync between laptop and remote	brew install mutagen-io/mutagen/mutagen
ssh	Transport	Built into macOS
rsync	Initial bootstrap	macOS ships openrsync, but brew rsync 3.x is more reliable: brew install rsync

On the remote machine you need:

• An SSH user account. The wizard sets up key-based auth for you: it runs ssh-copy-id in a terminal where you enter your password once. (No sshpass, no extra install.)
• claude (the Anthropic CLI): npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code.

Mutagen deploys its own agent binary to the remote automatically the first time it connects.

After install

1. Click the Patchwire icon in the activity bar.
2. The setup wizard opens automatically if no patchwire.yml exists in your workspace.
3. Walk through the four steps:
   1. Pick your remote (IP, username, and port).
   2. Install your key: click Open terminal & install key, enter your password once when ssh-copy-id prompts, then Verify & continue.
   3. Bootstrap the remote: pick a sync profile (auto-detected from your project: Flutter, Node, Python, …), push your local folder, and the wizard installs and starts the patchwire-agent on the remote and sets the token for you, with no manual SSH.
   4. Doctor confirms everything (key, sync, and agent) is healthy.
4. The sidebar shows ✓ In sync once Mutagen connects. Click ⎈ Open Claude session to drop into a live REPL on the remote.

Updating

When a new release ships, download the new .vsix and re-run the install. The extension replaces the old version cleanly. Your patchwire.yml, SSH keys, and Mutagen session all survive.

You can also pin to a specific release by downloading from github.com/rebink/remote_claude/releases.