🧠 VS Code Environment Cloner

A cross-platform tool to backup and restore your complete VS Code environment so that VS Code on another machine (or even another OS) feels exactly the same.

Works across:

• ✅ Windows → Windows
• ✅ Linux → Linux
• ✅ Windows ↔ Linux

No manual setup. No missing extensions. No lost settings.

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✨ What this tool preserves

This tool performs true environment cloning, not just settings sync.

It preserves:

• settings.json
• keybindings.json
• snippets
• VS Code profiles
• Extension global state (globalStorage)
• Extensions list (reinstalled cleanly during restore)

⚠️ It intentionally does NOT copy:

• workspaceStorage (cache, auto rebuilt)
• Extension binaries (.vscode/extensions)

This keeps backup fast, reliable, and correct.

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🪟 Windows Version (GUI Application)

File:

VSCode_Clone_Tool.exe

Features:

• GUI wizard
• Checkbox selection for backup
• Progress bar during restore
• About dialog
• Proper close confirmation
• No PowerShell required to run

Backup

1. Open the EXE
2. Select what to include
3. Click "Backup VS Code"
4. Zip file is created in:

Documents/VSCode_Backups

Restore

1. Open the EXE
2. Click "Restore VS Code"
3. Select the backup zip
4. Wait for extensions to reinstall
5. Open VS Code — it will feel identical

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🐧 Linux / Ubuntu Version (CLI Wizard)

File:

vscode_clone_linux.sh

First time setup:

chmod +x vscode_clone_linux.sh

Run:

./vscode_clone_linux.sh

You will get a guided wizard for backup and restore with step-by-step messages.

Backup zips are created in:

~/VSCode_Backups

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🔁 Cross-OS Compatibility

You can:

• Backup on Windows → Restore on Ubuntu
• Backup on Ubuntu → Restore on Windows

The same zip works on both platforms.

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🧩 How extensions are handled

Instead of copying extension files, the tool uses:

code --list-extensions
code --install-extension

This ensures:

• Clean extension install
• No corrupted caches
• Fast restore
• Official VS Code supported method

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⚠️ Important Notes

• Close VS Code before backup or restore
• Internet is required during restore (for extension reinstall)
• First launch after restore may take a few seconds while VS Code rebuilds workspace cache (normal)

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💡Why this tool exists

VS Code Settings Sync does not guarantee:

• Extension state
• Profiles
• Exact environment feel

This tool does.

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🏁 Result

After restore, you open VS Code and feel:

"This is my old machine."

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👤 Author

Bhargav Vadaliya

Built using:

• PowerShell + WinForms + PS2EXE (Windows)
• Bash scripting (Linux)

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📄 License

MIT License