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Using VS Code remote ssh settings

Using the Remote - Tunnel extension

The Remote - Tunnels extension allows you to connect to HPC compute nodes such that higher processing power can be available while still respecting the queuing system resource allocations.

Prerequisites

  1. Allocate a compute node with salloc to obtain an interactive session.
  2. Ensure the code CLI is available on the compute node.
    • code has been installed in /local/cqls/opt/bin to facilitate this. You can skip this step if running code --version produces a result. code is not supported on ppc64le at this time.

Install the VS Code CLI on the compute node

Run the following command on the allocated node to download and extract the VS Code binary:

curl -L 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=cli-alpine-x64' | tar xz

This will create a code executable in the current directory.

Start a tunnel

After the download finishes, start a tunnel to your local machine:

code tunnel

Follow the prompts to authenticate with your Microsoft account (use your ONID credentials).

Once the tunnel is established, install the Remotes - Tunnels extension if you haven't already, and then authenticate with your ONID credentials in VS Code on your local machine - choose the Microsoft account option - (or the web vscode interface) to connect to the compute node, allowing you to edit files, run terminals, and submit jobs.

Submitting jobs from the tunnel

You can use salloc or hqsub as usual within the tunnel session. The VS Code terminal runs on the compute node, so any commands you execute (including salloc, sbatch) will operate on the HPC resources.

Tips

  • Keep the tunnel session active; closing the terminal will terminate the connection.
  • Restarting a code tunnel command on a machine will automatically make it available again in your local VS code or web interface.
  • After you authenticate interactively the first time using salloc, you can then submit a batch job with code tunnel to the same machine to open the tunnel in a non-interactive session.
  • Remember to kill the job with scancel when you no longer need the tunnel open.
  • Use code tunnel --help for additional options such as using a different workspace folder.

Using the Remote - SSH extension

To reduce CPU usage and traffic on the log-in node shell-hpc, we have set up a VM to handle VS Code so that those processes are running on that machine.

We support the Remote - SSH extension as well, but if you need to use R (including installing the R extension on the vscode remote vm), or any other extensions/processes with CPU/Memory reqirements, please use the Remote - Tunnels extension as described above.

Extensions

If you have a local set of extensions, you'll have to re-install your extensions on the remote machine, so don't be dismayed if they are initially missing.

Quickstart guide

If you're familiar with editing your ssh config file as explained in the connecting guide, then getting your vs code connection will be relatively simple. It should look like this when you're done:

Warning

Windows users seem to have issues using the ControlMaster ControlPath and ControlPersist settings. Please remove them if you are having issues.

For others, make sure to run mkdir -p ~/.ssh/sockets first so the directory that keeps the sockets open is present. Also, replace your onid username for ONIDUSER.

~/.ssh/config
Host shell
    HostName shell.hpc.oregonstate.edu
    User ONIDUSER
    ControlMaster auto
    ControlPath ~/.ssh/sockets/%r@%h-%p
    ControlPersist 600
    TCPKeepAlive no
    ServerAliveInterval 30

Host vscode
    HostName vs-gateway.hpc.oregonstate.edu
    User ONIDUSER
    PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes +ssh-rsa
    ProxyJump shell
    TCPKeepAlive no
    ServerAliveInterval 30

Tip

Retry up to three times when you connect to vscode to resolve connection issues, especially after getting disconnected.

Please send a message on the BUG Slack channel if you cannot get the connection working.

Note

We previously maintained separate instructions for connecting through the VPN or on campus, but those instructions are no longer necessary.

Step-by-step tutorial

  1. Install the Remote - SSH
    • i.e. run ext install ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh in the quick open panel (ctrl+p)
  2. Restart extensions
    • i.e. ctrl+shift+x -> Click restart extensions
    • OR open command pane ctrl+shift+p -> Restart extension host; ctrl+shift+p -> Extensions: Refresh
  3. Open the command pane ctrl+shift+p -> Open SSH Configuration File...
    • I had to choose /home/$USERNAME/.ssh/config
    • copy/paste the ~/.ssh/config file contents from above into the file
    • Save the file
  4. Test it out by connecting to host i.e.
    • ctrl+shift+p -> Connect to host -> vscode
    • Alternatively, click on the Open a remote window button in the bottom left corner, then Connect to host or Connect Current Window to Host, then vscode

See this graphic for more info:

VS Code Remote - SSH
Enable and use the Remote - SSH connection method

Submitting jobs from vscode machine

Slurm is enabled on the vs-gateway machine so that you can submit jobs from the node. The terminal window should work as expected. You can duplicate terminals and use salloc to run interactive jobs as well.

Feedback

Please let us know if you run into problems using this method so that we can help you troubleshoot your connection issues.