The 'ext install' command is unavailable after compiling from the sources

[ghost]

I compiled the VSCode as described here. After that I have created the code script with the following content:

(cd /some/path/vscode/src/scripts && ./code.sh)

and made it executable:

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/code

After that when I run the VSCode, hit Ctrl-Shift-p and type ext install I see the 'No extensions found' message, please see the attached file.

When I type the extension I see the only 'Extensions: Show Installed Extensions' message, please see the next attached file.

Expected behaviour: show the 'Extensions: Install Extension' item in the list or suggest to install an extension.
Actual behaviour: empty list or the only one 'Extensions: Show Installed Extensions' item.

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OS: Arch Linux, 64-bit

[bpasero]

The extension feature is only enabled in Microsoft VS Code builds. @egamma I think you documented distributions somewhere?

[bgse]

@bpasero Is this restriction set in stone, or is there a possibility that it might be reviewed at some point?

I'm asking since I can see having vscode readily available across the many different Linux distributions being a lot easier if it is left to the distributor to simply ship the OSS build from their repos, but still in such a case I'd prefer extensions coming from the official marketplace and not making distributing extensions overly complicated where we have to upload our extensions to many different places.

[egamma]

@bgse more background on this topic.

CC @chrisdias

[rezonant]

Could one simply configure their product.json to point to the official extension repositories? Is that allowed? In the analog of Chrome/Chromium, referenced in the split license issue by @chrisdias, Chromium is allowed to install Chrome Web Store extensions. Also, the actual README.md of the vscode repository includes a screenshot of the extension installer UI via F1, so if that's not allowed, I'd recommend the screenshot be changed to show a feature which is available when the repository is actually built.

[chrisdias]

@rezonant yes, you can configure product.json to point to the official marketplace. look in the product.json that is installed with the visual studio code distro for the url.