Lean VS Code 0.6.0 is a focused Apple Silicon Mac editor for writing code and reviewing local changes. Built-in chat, agent, inline-chat, MCP management, voice, and AI customization panes are removed from the desktop workbench. Extension APIs remain registered, Open VSX and local VSIX installation remain available, and Git indicators now activate after startup in trusted projects. This release also adds Lean VS Code Light, earlier login-shell resolution for Finder and Dock launches, and a Node compile cache for forked processes.
In 30 alternating GUI pairs on an Apple M3 Max, the signed v0.6.0 app completed a first edit saved and verified on disk in 1.468 s median versus 1.959 s for original, same-revision minified Code-OSS: 25% less launch-to-save time. The action after startup was slower in Lean; this is a full-workflow result. The signed app bundle contains 535 MiB of apparent file content versus 1,463 MiB for the matched Code-OSS source package, 63.4% smaller. These are reference-machine measurements, not claims about every Mac or runtime memory. The original comparator is a locally repaired Code-OSS source package, not Microsoft's VS Code distribution. Candidate-only extension-backed and Finder startup results are labeled separately in the detailed notes.
The DMG and update ZIP are Developer ID signed and notarized. The ZIP's SHA-256 and size are recorded in the attached stable update feed. The exact signed app passed editing and saving, file and text search, terminal, local Git diff, and extension-webview smoke checks. At the user's request, further interactive checks were stopped while the Mac was in use; a native v0.5.0-to-v0.6.0 updater trial and a fresh signed-build Open VSX installation remain deferred. The app can be installed from this DMG.
Read the full release notes, changelog, and performance history.