Why is vscode not in Manjaro?

[rafaelrafael]

I know that manjaro has code-oss, which a version of vscode. However, the distribution doesn’t include the proprietary version of it. As far as I can tell, I need the proprietary version to get the C++ extension, which is an important one for C++ developers. We can find vscode on AUR and I can install it using snap (I found a blog post about it, which sadly I can’t link to). However, it seems to me it would be nice if I could get it with “pacman -S vscode” or something along those lines. Are there restrictions on vscode’s licence that prevents it from being distributed by manjaro? What’s the reason for that decision?

For the time being, I’m using the snap version, but it’s sort of annoying I have to manage it through an external tool. One of the things I wanted from Manjaro was just a stable dev environment where everything just worked and I didn’t have to tinker too much.

[Aragorn]

Welcome to the forum!

@rafaelrafael

However, it seems to me it would be nice if I could get it with “pacman -S vscode” or something along those lines.

Is…

pamac build visual-studio-code-bin

… not good enough, then?

@rafaelrafael

Are there restrictions on vscode’s licence that prevents it from being distributed by manjaro? What’s the reason for that decision?

We follow Arch as our upstream, and the packages in our repositories are pretty much the same ones as what Arch offers, only with a greater emphasis on testing and stabilization — unlike Arch itself, Manjaro is a curated rolling release.

By consequence, if we were to offer a package that is not already being offered by Arch upstream, then we’d have to maintain the package ourselves. And in the case of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, it would be redundant, since you can get the official version in pre-packaged binary form from the AUR — see the command I gave you higher up.

As for whether the license disallows redistribution by third-parties, I don’t know, and my guess is as good as yours. I presume that a license file will be included if you install it, and given that you already have it installed as a Snap, you can go ahead and read it.

@rafaelrafael

For the time being, I’m using the snap version, but it’s sort of annoying I have to manage it through an external tool.

As I said, it’s available from the AUR in binary form, and it can easily be installed — see the command above — via pamac, which is the ALPM-compatible package manager developed by and for Manjaro.

pamac has a graphical user interface — called “Add/Remove Software” in your system menu — and it can also be used on the command line, just like pacman, but with a few differences…

1. pamac must not be used with sudo or as root, because it uses polkit for authentication, and it will prompt you for a password when needed;

2. pamac supports the AUR, and it also has support — via plugins — for both Snaps and FlatPaks.

In addition to that, as you have noted yourself, we do offer code, and the AUR also contains vscodium, which, if my understanding is correct, would be a lightweight version of Visual Studio Code.

More importantly than that even in my personal opinion — but yours may vary — is the fact that GNU/Linux was never intended as an alternative to Microsoft Windows, but as an alternative to proprietary UNIX. And UNIX-style systems — including GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, et al — have their own tools and applications, which can do the same things, or even more, than that Microsoft-specific IDE. So I would invite you to explore the native GNU/Linux software offering instead.

[Yochanan]

@rafaelrafael

the proprietary version

@Aragorn

the license

That’s why. Simple question, simple answer.

[rafaelrafael]

@Aragorn

Is…

pamac build visual-studio-code-bin

… not good enough, then?

Hm, that seems good. I didn’t know about pamac, nor did it show up in my google queries on how to install vscode on manjaro. I did see a couple people discouraging the usage of anything in AUR, so I assumed that was just not a supported avenue.

@Aragorn

We follow Arch as our upstream, and the packages in our repositories are pretty much the same ones as what Arch offers, only with a greater emphasis on testing and stabilization — unlike Arch itself, Manjaro is a curated rolling release.

By consequence, if we were to offer a package that is not already being offered by Arch upstream, then we’d have to maintain the package ourselves. And in the case of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, it would be redundant, since you can get the official version in pre-packaged binary form from the AUR — see the command I gave you higher up.

As for whether the license disallows redistribution by third-parties, I don’t know, and my guess is as good as yours. I presume that a license file will be included if you install it, and given that you already have it installed as a Snap, you can go ahead and read it.

I see. I thought curated meant that packages could also be added, not only removed (or changed?) But if not adding new packages is part of the philosophy, then my suggestion is a non sequitur.

If that was not the case, I think it would have been a nice addition.

@Aragorn

In addition to that, as you have noted yourself, we do offer code, and the AUR also contains vscodium, which, if my understanding is correct, would be a lightweight version of Visual Studio Code.

More importantly than that even in my personal opinion — but yours may vary — is the fact that GNU/Linux was never intended as an alternative to Microsoft Windows, but as an alternative to proprietary UNIX. And UNIX-style systems — including GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, et al — have their own tools and applications, which can do the same things, or even more, than that Microsoft-specific IDE. So I would invite you to explore the native GNU/Linux software offering instead.

As far as I understand, vscodium is essentially the same thing as vscode, but MS doesn’t provide some of their extensions to it (the C++ one being the main offender). I suspect they do that to avoid cannibalizing on visual studio. But I’m no business analyst.

I never really used Windows all my life. I use linux and mac at work and I’ve always used linux on personal devices (though I’m new to manjaro). So. I believe we are aligned there. vscode is my favorite IDE for C++ projects (i hear visual studio is better, but I never used it). I don’t know many C++ IDEs that are free software. I used CLion a lot, but that’s also proprietary. We may have different views on that, though. Free software is one thing I take into consideration, but it’s not a determinant factor.

Anyway, thank you for the suggestion of using pamac. It seems a better alternative to what I did.

[nikgnomic]

License - Visual Studio Code

SCOPE OF LICENSE. This license applies to the Visual Studio Code product. Source code for Visual Studio Code is available at GitHub - microsoft/vscode: Visual Studio Code under the MIT license agreement. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. You may not

• reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code for the software except and solely to the extent required by third party licensing terms governing use of certain open source components that may be included in the software;
• remove, minimize, block or modify any notices of Microsoft or its suppliers in the software;
• use the software in any way that is against the law;
• share, publish, rent or lease the software, or provide the software as a stand-alone offering for others to use.

[Aragorn]

@rafaelrafael

I thought curated meant that packages could also be added, not only removed (or changed?)

No, it means that we bundle updates together after testing by the community. The packages follow the path as laid out below…

• Manjaro Unstable — roughly equivalent to Arch Stable
• Manjaro Testing — bundled snapshot; subject to individual package version changes during testing
• Manjaro Stable — most curated, and the official release
• Manjaro Summit — immutable root filesystem, upgradable only by installing a new btrfs root filesystem snapshot.

@rafaelrafael

I don’t know many C++ IDEs that are free software.

They are around. kdevelop for instance is a C++ IDE. There are yet others, although the real UNIX gurus would of course tell you that emacs is all you need.