VSCode Shell Commands not retaining install status in $PATH after restart

[tragicdog]

• VSCode Version: Code 1.19.1 (0759f77, 2017-12-19T09:35:14.671Z)
• OS Version: Darwin x64 17.3.0
• Extensions:

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
vscode-markdownlint	Dav	0.12.1
PowerShell	ms-	1.5.1
markdown-pdf	yza	0.1.7

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Steps to Reproduce:

1. install shell command from VSCode.
2. restart computer
3. open terminal and type "code".

I launch most of my files from Terminal, I recently got a new laptop with 10.13.2 installed on it. Installed VSCode, and then installed shell commands through VSCodes command palette. Every time I restart my computer the 'code' command is not found. I have to launch VSCode from applications and then reinstall the shell commands.

[joaomoreno]

After you install it from Code, does it exist in /usr/local/bin/code? After you restart, is it still there?

[yerffejytnac]

Same issue for me/after restart code was missing from /usr/local/bin.

This seems to work for now:

To manually add VS Code to your path:

cat << EOF >> ~/.bash_profile
# Add Visual Studio Code (code)
export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin"
EOF

[joaomoreno]

There must be something in your system removing the shortcut from /usr/local/bin. You should try to find out what that is.

[vscodebot]

This issue has been closed automatically because it needs more information and has not had recent activity. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!

[sherlockwang]

I have a clean install macOS 10.13.3, and have the same issue. Is that a common issue on the latest macOS?

[dassennato]

Same issue here.
I have to install the code command every time I restart my new macbook, macOS 10.13.4

[loriculberson]

Hope this helps you @sherlockwang @dassennato:
NOTE: This is slightly different from the path listed in the vs code documentation. The path listed below has:

1. removed preceding \
2. removed quotes " "
3. added \ to escape the spaces in the path

export PATH=$PATH:/Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin

Shout out to @nathanfu88 for the help solving this issue!

[benday]

I've been having this problem on my machine and I think I might have figured it out.

It looks like I've been running VS Code from ~/Downloads instead of from /Applications. Once I did that, the "code ." works just by editing .bash_profile.

Maybe this is a problem with the installer?

[illyay2017]

^ benday, THANK YOU for this comment. I realized this is exactly what I was doing too.

[dassennato]

@benday @illyay2017 Damn! same here. I moved the app to /Applications and it got fixed. Thanks!

[sublimeye]

@benday Thanks ... 🤦‍♂️

[danielnmai]

@benday OMG I did not know this until today.... thank you. BUT the installer should have taken care of it (moving the app to the Applications folder).

[autodonncha]

Give @benday a job on the VSCode team.

[gebigoma]

Nope, still doesn't work for me. I've tried all the above steps. Any other ideas?

[danielnmai]

@gebigoma I use MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6 and VS Code 1.26.1. Can you update yours to latest version, see if it works? After I updated VS Code, the problem went away (of course after I moved VS Code into Application folder).

[gebigoma]

@danielnmai It's all updated, same MacOS version as yours but my VS code is 1.27.1, so even newer than your version.

[danielnmai]

There could be something with your terminal setup. I use iTerm2 and zsh shell, if this helps.

[cailinpitt]

Thanks, @benday. Same issue with me, was always running from Downloads instead of Applications. Moving Code to the Applications fixed it for me!

[theAndrewCline]

@benday Thanks so much, moving the application to the correct folder fixed it for me as well.

[sahni619]

Thanks @benday . You are my saviour :)

[sunali1]

Thanks @benday!! Same with me

[matangover]

I was having the same problem, but unlike @benday, I was running VS Code from /Applications (not from ~/Downloads). Turns out I still had the quarantine attribute set on VS Code -- probably because I had moved it from ~/Downloads to /Applications using mv instead of Finder. Only moving it using Finder removes the quarantine attribute.

To fix the issue, I followed the instructions in #48124 (comment) and ran:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app

IMO since this seems to cause confusion, VS Code should show a warning if "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH" is invoked when running from a read-only file system, as in Squirrel/Squirrel.Mac#186. Even better would be to offer the user to fix it for them.

[kevincai79]

Thanks @benday!!!

[kepi0809]

I've been having this problem on my machine and I think I might have figured it out.

It looks like I've been running VS Code from ~/Downloads instead of from /Applications. Once I did that, the "code ." works just by editing .bash_profile.

Maybe this is a problem with the installer?

thanks man, you saved me a lot of headaches 🙇

[sudo-ping-pong]

Thanks a ton @benday .

[ElPablo010]

@loriculberson That works for me, thanks!

[hackroid]

@matangover Thx! It works.
My vscode is located at /Applications but still act like starting from another weird place like ~/Downloads.

[ChristopherDalziel]

I've been having this problem on my machine and I think I might have figured it out.

It looks like I've been running VS Code from ~/Downloads instead of from /Applications. Once I did that, the "code ." works just by editing .bash_profile.

Maybe this is a problem with the installer?

THANK YOU MY GOD, I WAS SOMEHOW RUNNING MINE FROM THE TRASH.