[yoyohello13]

My only problem with VSCode is that it's owned by Microsoft. I'm willing to put up with some extra friction if it allows me to escape their ecosystem even a little bit.

My general rule is if I can get at most of what I need from the open source version of something, I use it. Even if it's less user friendly.

[whalesalad]

but vscode is open source: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode

and there are third-party builds from the community that disable things like telemetry: https://vscodium.com/

[screcth]

The problem is that many parts of the ecosystem require that you use the official MS build.

You can't connect to the Marketplace and some extensions outright can't be used with a custom build.

[vorticalbox]

You can however down the extension from the website and install it from the terminal.

codium --install-extension {path to .vsix}

[KETHERCORTEX]

You are able to do so, but is it allowed by the website's terms of service? It may say that you are granted the license to extensions only with Microsoft builds of vscode.

Microsoft isn't a stranger to distribution restrictions and software usage limitations. I remember uploading Visual C# Express 2010 (freely downloaded from Microsoft's website, without license keys) to a local file sharing website to ease the downloading for my local study group and got a letter from Microsoft's lawyer to take it down.

After that our study group transitioned to Mono with Monodevelop.

[Arnavion]

An actual example is that the Python LSP extension on the offical marketplace has some "DRM" that makes it pop up a fatal "You can't use this extension except with the real VSCode" error message. People have been playing whack-a-mole with it by editing the obfuscated JS to remove that check, or by using an older version from before they added the check. https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/discussions/1641

[KETHERCORTEX]

THE PLAN

1. Install the editor version free from proprietary stuff from big corporation

2. Install a proprietary editor extension by big corporation

3. ?????

[n_plus_1_acc]

I don't remember ging to the Website and agreeing to anything. I got vscodium from my package manager.

[whalesalad]

Terms of service? Who cares.

[maccard]

If you're idealogically opposed to Microsoft's editor, that doesn't seem to be a problem to me.

[yencabulator]

If you're ideologically opposed to Microsoft $FOO, you want to avoid putting yourself even further into their embrace.

[yoyohello13]

Sorry, I should have been more specific and said FOSS. VSCode is still encumbered by the weight of a mega corp. It's like saying Chrome is open source. Sure it is, but it still exists to serve the corporation that owns it.

[TiredOfLife]

It's MIT licensed. So it's more FOSS than FOSS

[correct-horse]

It's free software in letter, but not in spirit. True free software doesn't lock out non-official builds for zero technical reasons.

[fragmede]

what about vscodium? for that reason, what was iceweasel?

[janice1999]

vscodium and VSCode forks are legally prevented from using the normal VSCode extension site. They have their own: https://open-vsx.org/

As far as I know Chrome forks are not blocked from using extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

[nicce]

There is some sort of vendor lock-in VSCode. It at least used to be extremely difficult to make GitHub Copilot to work with codium. There is something closed source in VSCode that makes the difference.

It was so difficult to maintain, that I ended up switching to VSCode. So the ”lock-in” worked.

[bigstrat2003]

The software is free, the extension site is not. I agree that's a shitty practice by MS, but it doesn't somehow make VSCode not free software.

[o11c]

It isn't 1860 anymore, "the freedom to take freedom away" no longer counts.

[hollerith]

Tortured analogy.

[novagameco]

In what way is VSCode comparable to enslaving human beings?

[tristan957]

Having the freedom to take away freedom does not make a society more free.

MIT takes freedom away from end users at the expense of the developer's freedom.

[shrimp_emoji]

It uses indentured neural networks to write code for you. You're a neural network! You just have rights because you ain't digital (and way larger and possibly using quantum effects). Smh

[pxc]

It's not F/OSS at all. It's proprietary software with some open-source components, which together comprise VSCodium.

[0cf8612b2e1e]

You mean except for all of the good plugins. Or the ability to use a custom plugin store. Last I read, the open builds struggled with removing all of the MS telemetry and some may still be leaking.

[chx]

https://ghuntley.com/fracture/

[kiitos]

I, too, prefer to cut off my nose to spite my face.

[yoyohello13]

Yes, living by principles is inconvenient sometimes.