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Sidenai/sidex

A port of VS Code's workbench that swaps Electron for Tauri, using the system webview to cut memory use. Early release.

Open-source alternative to:Visual Studio Code

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Last commit
2 months ago

What is it?

SideX is an early-stage port of Visual Studio Code that replaces Electron with Tauri. The TypeScript workbench, Monaco editor, and layout are kept from VS Code, while the native side (file I/O, terminal PTY, Git, file watching, search indexing, SQLite storage) is implemented in Rust. The app renders through the webview already installed on the OS, such as WKWebView on macOS and WebView2 on Windows, instead of bundling Chromium.

Core editing, the integrated terminal, Git operations, file search, and extension installation from Open VSX are the parts described as working. The extension host and debugger are still in progress, so many VS Code extensions will not yet run. The project also includes an optional built-in AI chat agent backed by a local Go server bound to loopback; it works with user-supplied model provider keys and does not require a SideX account.

The project is MIT licensed and aimed at contributors familiar with VS Code's source. Pre-built binaries are not yet distributed, so building from source requires Rust and Node.js, and the first build takes several minutes.

Key features

  • 01Monaco-based editor with syntax highlighting and basic IntelliSense
  • 02Integrated terminal backed by a Rust PTY
  • 03Git status, diff, commit, branch, and push/pull operations
  • 04Extension installation from the Open VSX registry
  • 05Built-in AI agent that connects to user-supplied model providers

Use cases

  • Trying a lighter-weight VS Code-style editor that uses less memory than Electron-based VS Code
  • Exploring how VS Code's workbench can be ported to Tauri
  • Contributing to an early-stage open-source editor project in Rust and TypeScript

Quick start

  1. 1

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/Sidenai/sidex.git
  2. 2

    Enter the project folder

    cd sidex
  3. 3

    Install dependencies

    npm install
  4. 4

    Run in development mode

    npm run tauri dev

Things to know

  • Early release: the extension host and debugger are still in progress.
  • No pre-built binaries are distributed yet, so you must build from source, which takes 5–10 minutes for the first Rust compile.
  • Memory savings are best verified on macOS; Windows results are more nuanced.

Topics

#code-editor#tauri#rust#typescript#vscode#electron-alternative#monaco-editor#ide#open-source#open-source-project

FAQ

What is sidex?
A port of VS Code's workbench that swaps Electron for Tauri, using the system webview to cut memory use. Early release. SideX is an early-stage port of Visual Studio Code that replaces Electron with Tauri. The TypeScript workbench, Monaco editor, and layout are kept from VS Code, while the native side (file I/O, terminal PTY, Git, file watching, search indexing, SQLite storage) is implemented in Rust. The app renders through the webview already installed on the OS, such as WKWebView on macOS and WebView2 on Windows, instead of bundling Chromium.
Is sidex free to use? What license does it have?
sidex is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is sidex still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to sidex was on Aug 26, 2026.
What can I use sidex for?
Trying a lighter-weight VS Code-style editor that uses less memory than Electron-based VS Code Exploring how VS Code's workbench can be ported to Tauri Contributing to an early-stage open-source editor project in Rust and TypeScript
How do I install sidex?
Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/Sidenai/sidex.git Enter the project folder: cd sidex Install dependencies: npm install Run in development mode: npm run tauri dev
Where can I get sidex?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Sidenai/sidex

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