How to install multiple extensions in VSCode using command line - visual-studio-code

Question

How can I install multiple extensions in VSCode using the cli? I tried:
code --install-extension xyz.local-history jock.svg
but it only installs the first extension xyz.local-history.
Installing extensions...
Installing extension 'xyz.local-history' v1.7.0...
(node:10874) [DEP0005] DeprecationWarning: Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability issues. Please use the Buffer.alloc(), Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.
Extension 'xyz.local-history' v1.7.0 was successfully installed.

Answer 1

If you are use Unix/Linux create a bash script with a loop. In this case I want to backup the extensions list and install again:
First create a list of the extensions:
$ code --list-extensions > extensions.txt
Create a bash script for example with the name vscode-extension-install.sh and input the following code:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
cat extensions.txt | while read extension || [[ -n $extension ]];
do
code --install-extension $extension --force
done
Then run:
$ ./vscode-extension-install.sh
Example output:
Installing extensions...
Installing extension 'visualstudioexptteam.vscodeintellicode' v1.2.6...
Extension 'visualstudioexptteam.vscodeintellicode' v1.2.6 was successfully installed.
Installing extensions...
Installing extension 'vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons' v10.0.0...
Extension 'vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons' v10.0.0 was successfully installed.
...
From my gists

Answer 2

Declare a variable, containing the name of all extensions you want to install... after you have it, you can iterate doing the installation one by one...
for extensions in ms-python.python ms-azure-devops.azure-pipelines ms-mssql.mssql
do code --install-extension $extensions
done
Maybe you also have to add your code.cmd path, but if your command is working typring code, this will be enough to do the taks
Happy coding!

Answer 3

If you are on Windows and do not use WSL, try a PowerShell loop.
Put all desired extensions in a text file (as in Linux example above) - say extensions.txt
Iterate over them with:
Get-Content extensions.txt | ForEach-Object {code --install-extension $_}
Note: this would work on every system supporting PowerShell

Answer 4

It's possible to pass the --install-extension argument multiple times and so install several extensions with just one line.
code --install-extension dbaeumer.vscode-eslint --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
The documentation for this can be found in Extension Marketplace. Running this both extensions are installed but Installing extensions... is only found once in the output.

Answer 5

Disclaimer: This is not a command line approach, but rather a graphical way to install existing extensions on a new system using .vsix package, and might help some others with the same.
This method to install extensions on a new system (with reference to an existing system) requires Yeoman VS Code extension generator and vsce (or nodejs to install these).
On the existing machine, generate an extension pack (more details here)
npm install -g yo generator-code
yo code
First command installs Yeoman VS Code generator, second creates the extension pack (choose default options as below. The created package.json contains all extensions in the pack, you can modify that list)
On the existing machine, package the extension pack created above into a .vsix file
npm install -g vsce
vsce package
First command installs vsce, second packages the extension into a .vsix file (run from the root of the extension pack created above)
On the new system, install the .vsix file
code --install-extension extension-pack-0.0.1.vsix
Open VS Code on the new system, access this extension, install all required extensions via GUI

Answer 6

Might be useful to others.
I keep a dump of all extensions in text file for example:
code --install-extension aaron-bond.better-comments
code --install-extension abusaidm.html-snippets
code --install-extension afractal.node-essentials
code --install-extension anseki.vscode-color
code --install-extension be5invis.vscode-icontheme-nomo-dark
....
I would copy all contents of text file and then paste all the contents to PowerShell and then it would install plugins one by one.