VS Code is probably the most popular lightweight editor among programmers. What makes it hard to replace is exactly its flexibility. Yet that same lightweight, flexible design means quite a few things have to be configured by hand when you actually want to develop with it. It’s not like its bloated sibling Visual Studio—though the only things VS Code and Visual Studio really have in common are the name and the fact that Microsoft made both of them—which turns a lot of operations into foolproof click-click-next stuff. For beginners, that kind of foolproof workflow is obviously convenient. But once the setup process disappears, a lot of people can write code that runs in Visual Studio and still have no idea how a program goes from compiling to linking to running. The official VS Code docs explain how to set up all kinds of languages in plenty of detail. For C/C++ development on Windows, they give three options: Microsoft C++, GCC on Windows, and GCC inside the WSL Linux subsystem built into Windows 10. Here I’ll only use the latter two as examples. ## 1. Preparation - After installing Visual Studio Code, the first thing you need for C/C++ development is the C/C++ extension. ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode1-1024x294.png) - Create an empty folder, then create the demo project files inside it. If you do it from the command line, the sequence looks like this: ```bash mkdir projects cd projects mkdir helloworld cd helloworld code . ``` The last line, `code .`, quickly opens the current folder in VS Code from the command line. It’s very handy in real use. - Add a `helloworld.cpp` file in the folder—you can create it directly in VS Code—and put in the following content. The code comes from the VS Code official site. ```cpp #include #include #include using namespace std; int main() { vector msg {"Hello", "C++", "World", "from", "VS Code", "and the C++ extension!"}; for (const string& word : msg) { cout << word << " "; } cout << endl; } ``` ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode2-1024x619.png) ## 2. Install GCC on Windows and develop in C++ Following the official guide, if you want the open-source GCC compiler on Windows, you need MinGW-w64, which is the Windows port of GCC. On the MinGW-w64 site you can find different distributions. Normally, installing the official `mingw-w64` package directly is recommended. But because of the network environment in China, installing it directly can be painfully slow, or just fail in a very stubborn way. So here I’m using an MSYS2-based distribution of mingw-w64 instead, and speeding it up with the Tsinghua University open-source mirror. ### 2.1 Install MSYS2 Follow the instructions on the Tsinghua mirror site—or the USTC mirror. In the `MSYS2` folder on that site, go into the `distrib/` directory, download the appropriate installer named something like `msys2-**-**.exe`, and install it. Usually it’s best to install it directly to `C:/msys2`. After installation, find and edit the following files under that directory so MSYS2 uses the Tsinghua mirror instead of the default overseas repositories. Edit `/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.mingw32` and add this at the top: ```text Server = https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/msys2/mingw/i686 ``` Edit `/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.mingw64` and add this at the top: ```text Server = https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/msys2/mingw/x86_64 ``` Edit `/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.msys` and add this at the top: ```text Server = https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/msys2/msys/$arch ``` Then open `msys2.exe` and run `pacman -Sy` in the terminal to refresh the package database. `pacman` is Arch Linux’s package manager, similar to `yum` on CentOS or `apt` on Ubuntu. If you want to search for and install Linux-compatible packages in MSYS2, you do it through `pacman`. ### 2.2 Install packages with pacman Some commonly used `pacman` commands are: ```bash pacman -Sy update package database pacman -R package-name remove package pacman -S package-name install package pacman -Syu update everything pacman -Ss xx search for package xx ``` Install `gcc` and `gdb`. You can choose either 32-bit or 64-bit versions as needed. If you want 32-bit packages, run: ```bash pacman -S mingw32/mingw-w64-i686-gcc pacman -S mingw32/mingw-w64-i686-gdb ``` If you want 64-bit packages, change those to `mingw64/mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc` and so on. You can also replace `gcc` with `toolchain` to install the whole toolchain in one shot. ### 2.3 Set environment variables After installation, add either `C:/msys2/mingw32/bin` or `C:/msys2/mingw64/bin` to the Windows `Path` environment variable. Here’s how: Press `Win + R`, type `control`, and open Control Panel → System → Advanced system settings. In the popup window, choose Advanced → Environment Variables. In the lower section, find `Path` under System Variables and double-click it. Click New and enter the path above—the MSYS2 installation path that matches the packages you installed. ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode3-1024x641.png) Open a command prompt and run the following commands. If you can see version information, the installation and path setup worked. ```text C:\Users\weizy>g++ --version g++ (Rev1, Built by MSYS2 project) 9.3.0 Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. C:\Users\weizy>gdb --version GNU gdb (GDB) 9.1 Copyright (C) 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. ``` ### 2.4 Configure `tasks.json` Go back to the folder containing `helloworld.cpp`, open it in VS Code, then choose Terminal → Configure Default Build Task. Select `C/C++: g++.exe build active file`, and VS Code will create a new `tasks.json` file. Edit it like this, based on the official example: ```json { "version": "2.0.0", "tasks": [ { "type": "shell", "label": "g++.exe build active file", "command": "C:\\msys2\\mingw32\\bin\\g++.exe", "args": ["-g", "${file}", "-o", "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe"], "options": { "cwd": "C:\\msys2\\mingw32\\bin" }, "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"], "group": { "kind": "build", "isDefault": true } } ] } ``` - This config file uses built-in VS Code variables to make it more flexible. `${fileBasenameNoExtension}` means the filename without its extension. Add `.exe` after it and the compiled output becomes an `.exe` file—in this example, `helloworld.exe`. `${fileDirname}` means the directory containing the file. The VS Code docs list all available variables. - The folders in `command` and `cwd` need to match your actual installation path, and Windows paths need double backslashes. - Since this config is fairly reusable, you can save it and keep using it in future projects. ### 2.5 Compile Close `tasks.json` and switch back to `helloworld.cpp`. Otherwise VS Code will think the file you want to compile is `tasks.json`, which would be a pretty impressive mistake, just not a useful one. Choose Terminal → Tasks: Run Build Task, or press `Ctrl + Shift + B`. That shortcut conflicts with my input method’s emoji shortcut, so I had to change it. If everything is set up correctly, compilation finishes quickly and generates `helloworld.exe` in the same directory. Run `./helloworld.exe` in the terminal and you’ll see the output. ## 3. Configure C++ development with GCC inside WSL on Windows ### 3.1 Install the Ubuntu Linux subsystem You can follow Microsoft’s official WSL installation guide and install it either from the Microsoft Store or from the command line. Windows Server can also download, extract, and install it manually. Here I searched for and installed Ubuntu 18.04 from the Windows Store. Two common installation errors and their fixes are below: - Installation fails with error `0x80070003`: *The Windows Subsystem for Linux only runs on your system drive (usually C:).* Make sure the distribution is stored on the system drive. - Open Settings → Storage → More storage settings: Change where new content is saved. - `WslRegisterDistribution` fails with error `0x8007019e`: *The Windows Subsystem for Linux optional component is not enabled.* - Open Control Panel → Programs and Features → Turn Windows features on or off → check **Windows Subsystem for Linux**. - Or open Windows PowerShell and run: ```powershell Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux ``` After installation, search for Ubuntu in the Start menu to open the Ubuntu environment inside WSL. You can also type `bash` at the command line to enter Ubuntu Bash directly. The first time you enter WSL, it will ask you to set a username and password for the Linux subsystem. To improve access speed, I again replaced the default Ubuntu repositories with the Tsinghua mirror. Edit `/etc/apt/sources.list` in Ubuntu—back it up first if you want to play it safe—replace its contents with the following, save the file, then run `sudo apt-get update`. ```text # Source package mirrors are commented out by default to speed up apt update. Uncomment if needed. deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse # deb-src https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse # deb-src https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse # deb-src https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse # deb-src https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse # Pre-release repositories, not recommended # deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-proposed main restricted universe multiverse # deb-src https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/ubuntu/ bionic-proposed main restricted universe multiverse ``` ### 3.2 Install the build environment Run the following command inside WSL to install the build environment: ```bash sudo apt-get install build-essential gdb ``` After installation, you can check whether it worked with: ```bash whereis g++ whereis gdb ``` ### 3.3 Open WSL in VS Code and configure C++ compilation After installing the VS Code `Remote - WSL` extension, you can open the WSL subsystem in VS Code like this: ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode4-1024x693.png) Once VS Code is connected to WSL, you still need to install the C/C++ extension inside the WSL environment so debugging and the rest work properly. Search for `C` in the Extensions panel and install it. Just like in the previous section, create a `helloworld` folder in WSL and add a `helloworld.cpp` file inside it. Then configure `tasks.json` like this, based on the VS Code docs: ```json { "version": "2.0.0", "tasks": [ { "type": "shell", "label": "g++ build active file", "command": "/usr/bin/g++", "args": ["-g", "${file}", "-o", "${fileDirname}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}"], "options": { "cwd": "/usr/bin" }, "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"], "group": { "kind": "build", "isDefault": true } } ] } ``` A few notes: - On Linux, executability is not determined by filename extension, so an `.exe` suffix is unnecessary. As long as the file has execute permission, it can run. Compile it the same way as in the previous section and you’ll get a `helloworld` file. Run it in the terminal and you can see the output. - Inside WSL, Windows drive letters are mounted under `/mnt`. For example, drive C is `/mnt/c` and drive D is `/mnt/d`. To make file sharing between the two systems easier, I created a `wsl` folder on drive D and linked it into my WSL home directory with a symbolic link. That way files in that folder are easy to access from both systems. The commands are: ```bash mkdir /mnt/d/wsl ln -s /mnt/d/wsl ~/wsl ``` ## 4. Program debugging ### 4.1 Configuration In general, no program is born compiling successfully in one go. Before it compiles, there may be quite a lot of debugging. Just like compilation, debugging also needs configuration in VS Code. Choose Run → Add Configuration, then select `C++ (GDB/LLDB)`. If that option doesn’t appear by default, choose `more` at the bottom and install the required extension. Then choose the compiler you want from the dropdown: - If you’re using GCC on Windows, select `g++.exe build and debug active file` - If you’re using WSL, select `g++ build and debug active file` The screenshots are below: ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode5-1024x232.png) ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/ext-backup/zhihu/4d7f06d6f44525ca.webp) That choice generates different `launch.json` files. For GCC on Windows, the `launch.json` file looks like this—the paths here have been changed to match the real directory: ```json { // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes. // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes. // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387 "version": "0.2.0", "configurations": [ { "name": "g++.exe build and debug active file", "type": "cppdbg", "request": "launch", "program": "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe", "args": [], "stopAtEntry": false, "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}", "environment": [], "externalConsole": false, "MIMode": "gdb", "miDebuggerPath": "C:\\msys2\\mingw32\\bin\\gdb.exe", "setupCommands": [ { "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb", "text": "-enable-pretty-printing", "ignoreFailures": true } ], "preLaunchTask": "g++.exe build active file" } ] } ``` For WSL, the `launch.json` file looks like this: ```json { // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes. // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes. // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387 "version": "0.2.0", "configurations": [ { "name": "g++ build and debug active file", "type": "cppdbg", "request": "launch", "program": "${fileDirname}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}", "args": [], "stopAtEntry": false, "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}", "environment": [], "externalConsole": false, "MIMode": "gdb", "setupCommands": [ { "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb", "text": "-enable-pretty-printing", "ignoreFailures": true } ], "preLaunchTask": "g++ build active file", "miDebuggerPath": "/usr/bin/gdb" } ] } ``` ### 4.2 Debugging the program Go back to `helloworld.cpp`, press `F5`, or choose Run → Start Debugging to begin. If you’ve used Visual Studio or other IDEs before, the similarities are obvious. On the left side of the line numbers, you can click with the mouse to set breakpoints. When the program reaches one of those breakpoints during debugging, it pauses automatically. This is useful all the time. ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/ext-backup/zhihu/5a3e32d206f0a969.webp) Another very useful debugging feature is **Watch**. After debugging starts, a Watch panel appears on the left. In it, you can enter any variable you want to monitor—for example, the variable named `word` in this sample. Double-click the blank area under Watch and enter the variable name. Then when you step through the program using the buttons shown above, you can see that variable’s value changing as execution moves forward. It’s much more convenient and useful than printing variables with `printf` during debugging. ![](https://lxunzzzdnokdqhipbmdf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/wp-backup/2022/10/win10cppvscode7.png)