Installing PlatformIO Extension in Windsurf (VSCode Fork)

PlatformIO IDE
1

Hello,

A brand new VSCode fork (with the Cascade feature) is really helping me speed up figuring out my Arduino projects already, but I have to keep switching back to the Arduino IDE to compile and install.

(Windsurf, a brand new VSCode IDE that came out, has an AI coding assistant that is much, much, much better than Cursor and Github Copilot for my workflows)

This is because it uses open-vsx as the VSCode extensions repository, but PlatformIO does not show up over there unlike the main VSCode.

Is it possible I can manually install PlatformIO into a VSCode fork (Windsurf)?

2

Try

3

That’s what I am using PlatformIO successfully in.

I can use AI extensions like Codeium or Copilot but I don’t like it as much, it is not as useful to me.

The brand new revolutionary dedicated AI IDE’s, based on VSCode forks (such as Cursor IDE or Windsurf IDE), are much better, since the newly released Windsurf IDE “understands” my entire 1-megabyte worth of source code without copypasta. I literally code 2x faster even turning off autocompletes, manually coding code myself, since the AI helped really debug the boring stuff so much faster, and reduced the tedium.

I do have some disdain for the AI writing code but it’s a fantastic assistant / codereviewer / debugging with automatic context aware chain of thought (an upgrade over very plain autocomplete GPT LLMs.)

The Cascade chat panel in the Windsurf IDE even recognizes possible microcontroller frameworks I might be able to benefit from, and even teach you obscure Arduino and Arduino-clone stuff like esoteric microcontroller frameworks, and help me select which frameworks to use). It does seem to know FPGA / HDL / VHDL stuff so it can help with those too, if you dive into more advanced stuff beyond just a microcontroller. That advisory and tutoring help is where the gem is. With zero copy and pasting – AI IDE just scans/knows my project right on the spot and can trace through multiple modules.

That’s why I don’t currently want to use plain ol’ VSCode (at the moment). In fact, Windsurf IDE is suddenly surging in popularity even though it was only released a few weeks ago – it appears to be one of the fastest growths of a new IDE’s known, since it’s one of those rare “wowfeel” factors.

If I could use Windsurf with the PlatformIO extension, that would be a dream.

I might try that workaround at some point.

4

That response text was 99% an advertisement and 1% response to my suggestion.

5

The open-vsx github tracking entry was written in year 2020, which is why I am waving my hands at the software developers of PlatformIO. The pressure is 10x suddenly higher to the emergence of new AI IDEs.

While I may have sidetracked from your response, it is NOT an advertisement.

Google “Windsurf IDE quickly gaining marketshare” to see the early-days buzz. It’s now half as popular as github copilot – in a mere month (despite github copilot being around a long time).

The reply is not targeted to you. You were helpful.

But, with due respect, my reply is intentionally designed to be written to appeal to the product;

(“wake up, wake up, don’t accidentally sleep with the AI freight train” effect).

Not because I want it to help me write code my project, but because it understands queries like “I need help figuring out the Arduino GPIO bug in IncludeFile.h that is affecting FrameworkThree.cpp utilizing the CustomIOLibrary module. Could you help me advise on approaches to debug this?”

And things like “I’m refactoring old 8 bit OldAtmel.c to an ARM32 architecture using Cortex M0 on the ACMEMicrocontroller device for USB HID. I got SkeletonProject.cpp and SkeletonProject.h ready, view them please, please advise me on compatible libraries I can use to make this easy.”

Canary in coal mine;

I have freaking DISDAIN for github copilot, and it writing code for me, and I understand the hate on AI,

Again, my reply is for the creators of PlatformIO, not solely directed at you. I apologize if it sounded like an advertisement, but a pragmatic view on the multiple kinds of new AI work flows that actually now makes great sense.

(Apologies to maxgerhardt, I should have made it clear I was writing as a plea to the creators of PlatformIO of this sudden change to open-vsx pressures)

Is there a code bounty I can pay to help accelerate open-vsx?

6

I’m on @maxgerhardt’s side here. Your posts are, by definition, advertisements. If your goal is to promote a proprietary piece of software instead of getting an answer to your question, you are on the right track. Otherwise I suggest using the community forum for genuine technical discussions / problem-solving and sharing your opinion pieces on your social media instead.

7

Fine, I understand my feet in your shoes. I’ve calmed down somewhat now that the workarounds have been working well;

But, I was genuinely frustrated that I was unable to use PlatformIO for a while, because I had never installed a .vsix file before in my lifetime. Consider that, timing, when transitioning to a different VSCode environment, I could not use.

Please ALSO understand my own feet in my shoes TOO, m’kay?

I know this is a vendor tech support forum, and isn’t social media, and I genuinely needed help, and I rather keep my BlueSky account clean. (Hey, I also run a vendor tech support forum too, so I understand. Apologies, moderators.)

BTW, thank you @maxgerhardt for heads up; I want to express that I thank you for the advice. It did end up easier than I expected and when I finally configured things the way I liked, things are now operating smooth again.

8

To be on-topic again: I think the last thing that was blocking usage in open source VSCode / VSCodium was the hard dependency on Microsoft C/C++ extension, they wanted to replace it with clangd, but there are open problems.

https://github.com/platformio/platformio-vscode-ide/issues/1802#issuecomment-751810455

That’s why apparently people are getting it to work by just installing the Microsoft C/C++ extension and Microsoft Marketplace into their open-source VSCodium (and technically thereby making it non-free again?)

So if there’s work to do it’s likely referenced those issues.

I still can’t shake the feeling that you’re being paid to advertise a product which has paid options.

10

No, I was not paid to advertise this product. (I initially hearted (Liked) your post, until your last sentence.)

I genuinely felt like (for the first time in years) that it was a major upgrade – somethign I don’t feel more often than once every years. Sorry if my enthusaism turned into a feel of an ad. Mea culpa.

I registered a new account here because I did not have an account on this system. I realize very well that “new account + excess enthusiasm” raises red flags. Sorry.

Please consider the sum of (First time PlatformIO user + First time Windsurf user) almost concurrently, at the same time, after eking out years with basic Arduino IDE.

Imagine how happy you were with PlatformIO the first time you used it. But simultaneous enthusaism factors also happened at the same time, and yes, in retrospect I was overenthusaic.

Please consider I was genuinely very frustrated I couldn’t use PlatformIO at first, as I failed on the first try; partially since I had never installed a .vsix extension in my lifetime, and I only learned how to recently – thanks to your help. (I thanked you in the previous message)

It’s a shame the planet has been soiled by overspam that legitimately excited users like me, just get dismissed (sigh) because it blends in with the garbage.

(Moderators, please proceed to delete this thread. The problem is solved, and the feature request got overwhelmed by my once-every-decade level of enthusasm)