If you see zsh: command not found: code, VS Code's command line tool isn't in your PATH.

Here's the fix:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Press Command + Shift + P
  3. Type "shell command"
  4. Select "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

Now code works from Terminal.

Test It

code --version
code .              # Opens current folder in VS Code
code file.txt       # Opens a specific file

If VS Code Isn't Installed

Download it from code.visualstudio.com.

After installing, move VS Code to your Applications folder, then run the shell command install from above.

Manual Installation

If the command palette method doesn't work, add VS Code to your PATH manually:

echo 'export PATH="\$PATH:/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Common Uses

Command What it does
code . Open current folder
code file.txt Open a file
code -n . Open in new window
code -r . Open in current window
code --diff file1 file2 Compare two files
code -g file.txt:10 Open file at line 10

Open From Finder

You can also right-click a folder in Finder and select "Open with Code" if you've installed the shell command.

VS Code Insider

If you use VS Code Insiders, the command is code-insiders:

code-insiders .

Install it the same way: Command Palette → "Shell Command: Install 'code-insiders' command in PATH"

If It Stops Working After an Update

Sometimes macOS updates or VS Code updates break the PATH link. Reinstall:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Command + Shift + P
  3. "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

Alternative: Use open

You can always open VS Code with the open command:

open -a "Visual Studio Code" .
open -a "Visual Studio Code" file.txt

This works without any setup but is more typing.

Create an Alias

If the code command keeps breaking, create an alias that always works:

echo 'alias code="open -a \"Visual Studio Code\""' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Now code . uses the open command under the hood.

Check the Installation

which code

Should return something like /usr/local/bin/code.

If it returns nothing, the shell command isn't installed.

Uninstall the Shell Command

If you need to remove it:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/code

Or from VS Code: Command Palette → "Shell Command: Uninstall 'code' command from PATH"

Keep Learning

Opening your editor from Terminal is just one way command line improves your workflow. The free course covers more.

Check it out at Mac Terminal for Humans.