VSCodium provides community-built, telemetry-free, MIT-licensed binaries of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code editor, ideal for developers prioritizing privacy and open-source principles.

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🚀 Overview

VSCodium is a community-driven initiative that automates the building and distribution of binaries from Microsoft's open-source VS Code repository. By removing telemetry, Microsoft branding, and proprietary elements like the Visual Studio Marketplace, it delivers a pure FLOSS version of the popular code editor.

The project runs scripts to clone the vscode repo, apply patches, build the binaries, and release them on GitHub—keeping pace with upstream updates without users needing to compile themselves.

• What problem does this project solve? Microsoft's official VS Code binaries include telemetry/tracking and are under a non-FLOSS license, despite the source code being MIT-licensed.
• Who is it built for? Developers, teams, and open-source enthusiasts on Windows, macOS, or Linux who want a privacy-respecting code editor.
• Why did you build it? To make it dead simple to get the latest telemetry-free VS Code binaries, avoiding the hassle of manual builds while upholding FLOSS values.

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✨ Key Features

• Telemetry and all tracking completely disabled by default
• MIT-licensed binaries free of Microsoft branding or restrictive licensing
• Extensions sourced from the open-source Open-VSX Registry (compatible with most VS Code extensions)
• Broad platform support with installers for package managers like Homebrew, apt, Flatpak, Snap, Chocolatey, WinGet, and more
• Optional: Automated daily builds and Insiders (preview) releases for cutting-edge features

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🛠 Tech Stack

• Core editor: Electron, TypeScript, Node.js (inherited from Microsoft/vscode)
• Build scripts: Shell (primary), JavaScript, XSLT
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions workflows
• Dependencies: Node.js, FFmpeg, gulp-atom-electron for packaging
• Formats: deb, rpm, AppImage, Snap, Flatpak, zip, dmg, tar.gz

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👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

• Developers who want to ___ avoid telemetry and proprietary tracking in their daily code editor
• Teams looking for ___ a fully open-source alternative to VS Code
• Indie makers building ___ with privacy-focused, customizable development tools

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📸 Screenshots / Demo

• Live demo: https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/releases/latest (download and install)
• GitHub: https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium

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🔥 Project Status

• 🟢 Actively building

Last updated: 2026-03-24

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❓ FAQ

Is this project free?

Yes — Free/Libre Open Source Software under the MIT license. (Pre-built binaries are provided for convenience; source is fully available.)

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Is the source code available?

Yes — link to repository https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium (build scripts, docs, patches) Built from upstream https://github.com/microsoft/vscode

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Can I contribute?

Yes — Review CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines. Open issues for bugs/feature requests, submit PRs for build fixes, docs, or patches. Linting required for scripts; 129+ contributors already involved.

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📬 Contact & Links

• Website: https://vscodium.com
• GitHub: https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium
• Twitter/X: N/A (community discussions on GitHub issues)
• Email: N/A (use GitHub issues for contact)

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