Vscode: Can I put the extensionsGallery on my vscode fork?

Created on 21 Jul 2017 · 20Comments · Source: microsoft/vscode

By default the https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode does not come with key:

"extensionsGallery": {
    "serviceUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery",
    "cacheUrl": "https://vscode.blob.core.windows.net/gallery/index",
    "itemUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items"
}

on its https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/product.json file. That entry is required to install extensions from the marketplace as showed on:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37143536/no-extensions-found-when-running-visual-studio-code-from-source

Also there is this commits, where their developer putted the key:

But sequentially removed it justifying:

Revert inadvertant change to product.json

Why they are removing it? Seems they are using it while developing, as we may see he let slip the line to the upper stream. Can I put it on my fork? Or I can only use it locally as they seem to be doing?

Related issues:

https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/60 Command "Extensions: Install Extension" missing when running vscode from source
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/2647 Command "Extensions: Install Extension" missing when running vscode from source
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/28253 Can't see extensions or load via command line
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/23831 How do I enable extensions in the extensions dir in OSS Dev mode
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-wiki/pull/30 Add marketplace extension installation details

extensions license

Source

evandrocoan

👍31

Most helpful comment

Since b00945f was committed under the MIT license, I would argue that you _can_ redistribute any changes from it under a MIT compatible license.

While you cannot copy from the product.json included in the proprietary VS Code product, I would maintain that the following text has been released under MIT and therefore can be redistributed within your fork.

"extensionsGallery": {
    "serviceUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery",
    "cacheUrl": "https://vscode.blob.core.windows.net/gallery/index",
    "itemUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items"
}

_Being new to the project and conscious of Free Software licenses, I have never downloaded the propitiatory product, agreed to the license nor read any of the propitiatory code. My only knowledge of the above code comes through b00945f and this issue._

_I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice._

MattSturgeon on 24 Jul 2017

👍22 ❤21 😄6 🎉3

All 20 comments

cc @chrisdias @chrmarti

joaomoreno on 21 Jul 2017

Since b00945f was committed under the MIT license, I would argue that you _can_ redistribute any changes from it under a MIT compatible license.

"extensionsGallery": {
    "serviceUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery",
    "cacheUrl": "https://vscode.blob.core.windows.net/gallery/index",
    "itemUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items"
}

_I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice._

MattSturgeon on 24 Jul 2017

👍22 ❤21 😄6 🎉3

A question on the cacheURL: https://vscode.blob.core.windows.net/gallery/index

It looks like it hasn't been updated since March 2017. The most recent "lastUpdated" date is 2017-03.
It there anyway to get this fixed or to get working URL?

kenijo on 16 Dec 2017

Based on this comment, the answer is yes?

dtinth on 6 Aug 2018

❤1 👍1

Even if it wasn't licensed, the code in question is so tiny and generic (it's literally a few labels and web addresses) that I would question whether it's even copyrightable in the first place.

chris-kahn on 3 Sep 2018

👍4 ❤1

@chrisdias any legal update?

jens1o on 3 Oct 2018

Acknowledging some public URLs and copying them into the settings file of your own product isn't a copyright infringement _at all_.

ivanfilhoz on 15 May 2019

👍2

@ivanslf its not just about copying the lines, the terms of use for the vs code marketplace state that it can only be used with visual studio products. It's not clear whether that includes forks.

nhooyr on 4 Jun 2019

👍4

This exists now
https://projects.eclipse.org/proposals/eclipse-open-vsx-registry
https://devclass.com/2020/03/31/eclipses-theia-sees-1-0-declared-not-your-parents-ide/

http://open-vsx.org/ Extensions for VS Code Compatible Editors

Sven Efftinge, co-founder of both Gitpod and TypeFox... continued, “Microsoft prohibits non-Visual Studio products from installing any binaries downloaded from their marketplace.”

So, “We encourage VS Code extension developers to push their extensions to Open VSX in addition to Microsoft’s marketplace.” Open VSX is “an open-source implementation of a VS Code extension registry that we have developed under the umbrella of the Eclipse Foundation”.

rrmckinley on 31 Mar 2020

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@nhooyr @rrmckinley I wasn't aware of that, thanks.

For ethical reasons, I'm uninstalling VSCode immediately in favor of Theia.

Vendor Neutral
The Theia project is hosted at the Eclipse Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation, and is developed by a diverse community.
Unlike other "open-source" projects, projects hosted at an Open-Source Foundation are protected against single-vendor decisions against the interest of the diverse community. Learn more here.

ivanfilhoz on 31 Mar 2020

👍6

@ivanfilhoz It was announced today so very few people were aware.

https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/issues/7072
https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/commit/73bd544d99a1f93159cc83cedd9769e627033811

If you get the chance, I'd love to hear your first impressions of Theia 1.0, thanks

I've created a feature request for the VSCodium project which would allow this on plain Code and not just Theia https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/issues/372

rrmckinley on 31 Mar 2020

👍3

For ethical reasons, I'm uninstalling VSCode immediately in favor of Theia.

@ivanfilhoz Theia is not an editor/IDE, but a _framework_ for building IDEs. There's no generic Theia-based application that you could download at the moment. But of course anyone is free to start a new project using Theia to build an Electron app that mimics VS Code.

spoenemann on 18 May 2020

The current ToS for Visual Studio Marketplace say (emphasis mine):

[...] Microsoft Visual Studio, Visual Studio for Mac, Visual Studio Code, Azure DevOps, Team Foundation Server and successor Microsoft products and services (collectively, the “Visual Studio Products and Services”)
[...]
Marketplace Offerings are intended for use only with Visual Studio Products and Services and you may only install and use Marketplace Offerings with Visual Studio Products and Services.

IANAL, not legal advice etc but in my opinion this means that VS Code forks cannot use the Marketplace directly. A fork of VS Code is not VS Code.

rolodato on 28 Jul 2020

The current ToS for Visual Studio Marketplace say

Perhaps, but that's only relevant if you've agreed to the ToS.

MattSturgeon on 28 Jul 2020

The terms also say:

By accessing or using the Marketplace, you represent and warrant to us that you have the authority to accept this Agreement, and you agree to be bound by its terms.

rolodato on 28 Jul 2020

The current ToS for Visual Studio Marketplace say (emphasis mine):

[...] Microsoft Visual Studio, Visual Studio for Mac, Visual Studio Code, Azure DevOps, Team Foundation Server and successor Microsoft products and services (collectively, the “Visual Studio Products and Services”)
[...]
Marketplace Offerings are intended for use only with Visual Studio Products and Services and you may only install and use Marketplace Offerings with Visual Studio Products and Services.

IANAL, not legal advice etc but in my opinion this means that VS Code forks cannot use the Marketplace directly. A fork of VS Code is not VS Code.

Why fork it then? Wouldn't it be best to just clone vscode, add the official marketplace and compile that? Assuming you can because I still didn't manage to be fair. It would be nice to have an "official" straight forward and clear answer from Microsoft on this.