Install VS Code in five minutes, open your first project, and a walkthrough of the five interface zones (sidebar, editor, terminal, bottom panel, status bar).
Download VS Code
Go to code.visualstudio.com/download. The page auto-detects your OS and suggests the right download.
- macOS: download the
.zip, unzip it, drag the app to/Applications. - Linux: pick the
.debpackage (Ubuntu/Debian) or.rpm(Fedora/RHEL), or use snap:sudo snap install code --classic. - Windows: two variants are available. Pick the User Installer (recommended) - it installs into your user profile with no admin rights required. The System Installer is for all users on the machine and needs admin rights.
Install and launch
Run the installer. Accept the default options. An "Add to PATH" checkbox is ticked by default on Windows - keep it. This is what lets you type code . in any terminal to open VS Code from any folder.
On first launch, VS Code opens a Welcome tab with shortcuts to themes, suggested extensions, and built-in tutorials. You can close it or come back to it later.
The five interface zones
| Zone | Description |
|---|---|
| Sidebar | On the left. Icons for Explorer (files), Search, Git, Extensions, and more. |
| Editor | The central area where you code. Supports tabs and side-by-side panels. |
| Integrated Terminal | Bottom area, Terminal tab. Opens your shell directly inside VS Code. |
| Bottom Panel | The bottom zone hosting the terminal, output console, and Problems (errors/warnings). |
| Status Bar | The very bottom strip. Shows the git branch, file language, active errors, and extension indicators. |
Open your first project
Open an existing folder with File > Open Folder, or from your terminal:
This command opens VS Code in the current directory. It is the fastest way to get started.