Extensions for HPC

Overview

Questions

• What extensions enhance my HPC workflow in VS Code?
• How do I install extensions on the remote cluster?
• What is the difference between local and remote extensions?

Objectives

• Understand local vs. remote extensions
• Install recommended extensions for Python, R, and Jupyter
• Configure language-specific extension settings
• Manage extensions across local and remote environments

Local vs. Remote Extensions

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Callout

Extension Architecture: Where Code Runs Matters

When connected via Remote-SSH, extensions run in two places:

• Local extensions (your laptop): Themes, colors, UI enhancements
• Remote extensions (Sagehen HPC cluster): Code analysis, linting, debugging, language tools

When you install an extension, VS Code tells you which type it is. Language extensions (Python, R, Jupyter) should be installed on the remote side.

Recommended Extensions

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Python (Essential for HPC)

Provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, linting, debugging, and Jupyter notebook support.

1. Click Extensions icon (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search “Python” – find Python by Microsoft
3. Click Install
4. When prompted “Install in SSH: sagehen?” click Yes

R (For statistical computing)

Search “R” by REditorSupport. Install in SSH: sagehen. Provides R syntax highlighting, function documentation, and R console integration.

Jupyter (For notebooks)

Search “Jupyter” by Microsoft. Install in SSH: sagehen. Create .ipynb files and run notebook cells directly on Sagehen HPC’s compute resources.

GitLens (Version control)

Search “GitLens.” Shows blame annotations, commit history, and repository navigation. Can be installed locally, remotely, or both.

Markdown Preview Enhanced

Search “Markdown Preview Enhanced.” Install locally for rich Markdown preview and export to PDF.

Essential Extensions Summary

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Extension	Install Location	Purpose
Python	Remote (SSH: sagehen)	Code analysis and debugging
R	Remote	R development
Jupyter	Remote	Interactive notebooks
GitLens	Local or both	Version control
Markdown Preview	Local	Documentation preview

Extension Configuration

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Some extensions benefit from configuration in Settings (Ctrl+,):

JSON

{
    "python.linting.enabled": true,
    "python.linting.pylintEnabled": true,
    "jupyter.interactiveWindow.textEditor.magicCommandsAsComments": true
}

Managing Extensions

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Local vs. remote: the Extensions sidebar separates what’s installed on your machine from what’s installed on Sagehen.

• View installed extensions: Extensions sidebar shows Local and Remote - SSH: sagehen sections
• Extensions installed remotely stay on Sagehen even when disconnected
• Disable problematic extensions: find them in Extensions, click Disable
• Too many extensions can slow VS Code; keep 5-10 active

Challenge

Challenge: Install Python and Test IntelliSense

1. Install the Python extension on the remote cluster
2. Create test_intellisense.py
3. Type import and verify module suggestions appear
4. Type math. and see available functions
5. Hover over math.sqrt to see its documentation

Show me the solution

After typing import, a dropdown lists available modules (math, os, sys). After math., functions like sqrt, pi, ceil appear. Hovering shows the docstring and signature. If no suggestions appear, press Ctrl+Space to trigger manually, or check the status bar for a Python version indicator – the extension may still be loading. Reload with Ctrl+Shift+P > “Reload Window” if needed.

Key Points

• Remote extensions run on Sagehen for language support; local extensions handle UI
• Install Python, R, and Jupyter on the remote side for full language features
• Extensions persist on Sagehen between sessions
• Keep 5-10 extensions active to maintain VS Code performance