{vscode-dev-on-db}

VS Code: Attach to a Duckiebot

This guide shows how to attach Visual Studio Code to a running container on your Duckiebot using the Container Tools extension. This lets you edit code and use the VS Code UI directly inside the robot’s container.

What you will need

• VS Code with the Container Tools extension installed

• Network access to the Duckiebot.

What you will get

• An IDE (VSCode) connected to the running devcontainer on the Duckiebot.

Add the Docker Context

1. Create a Docker context that points to your Duckiebot over TCP on port 2375:

docker context create ROBOT_NAME --docker "host=tcp://ROBOT_NAME.local:2375"

1. In VS Code, select this context in the Docker view (next section shows how).

Navigate to the Target Container

1. Open the Docker view from the Activity Bar.

Fig. 142 Click the Docker icon in the Activity Bar to open the Docker view.

1. Expand “Docker Contexts” at the bottom of the panel.

Fig. 143 Expand the Docker Contexts section in the Docker view.

1. Select the context that corresponds to your Duckiebot (e.g., ROBOT_NAME).

Fig. 144 Choose the Duckiebot context so its containers are listed above.

1. Verify the containers list shows your Duckiebot’s containers.

Fig. 145 The containers tree should populate for the selected Duckiebot context.

Attach Visual Studio Code

1. Locate the target container (e.g., dts-run-dt-core). Scroll if needed.

Fig. 146 Scroll through the containers list to locate the target container.

Fig. 147 Focus the container entry so its context actions are available.

1. Right‑click the container and choose “Attach Visual Studio Code”.

Fig. 148 Open the container’s context menu and select “Attach Visual Studio Code”.

Start editing on the Duckiebot

1. A new window opens inside the container. Open your project folder and start editing, running terminals, or using extensions as needed.

Fig. 149 The new VS Code window is attached to the container.

1. Use the integrated terminal inside this window for container-scoped commands.

Fig. 150 Use terminals and extensions as usual, now running inside the container.

Tips

• Terminals: Use the integrated terminal for commands that must run inside the container.

• ROS tools: If the container has ROS installed and is connected to the robot’s ROS network, tools like rostopic work from the terminal.

• Persisting changes: Changes inside a container are automatically synced to your laptop using mutagen.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

SYMPTOM

Cannot see Duckiebot containers in VS Code.

RESOLUTION

Ensure the Docker context is set to the Duckiebot and that containers are running. Switch context from the status bar in the Container tab.

Troubleshooting

SYMPTOM

Attach Visual Studio Code is missing from the menu.

RESOLUTION

Install/update the VS Code Container Tools extension and right‑click directly on a running container.