Basic idea
This walkthrough will help you set up Visual Studio Code, a full-featured IDE with extensions, an integrated terminal, and Git integration, while leveraging your DGX Spark device for development and testing. There are two different approaches for using VS Code:
-
Direct Installation: Install the VS Code development environment directly on your ARM64-based Spark system for local development on the target hardware without remote development overhead.
-
Access with NVIDIA Sync: Set up NVIDIA Sync to remotely connect to Spark over SSH and configure VS Code as one of your development tools.
What you'll accomplish
You will have VS Code set up for development on your DGX Spark device with access to the system's ARM64 architecture and GPU resources. This setup enables direct code development, debugging, and execution.
What to know before starting
You should have basic experience working with the VS Code interface and features; the approach you choose will require some additional understanding:
-
Direct Installation:
- Familiarity with package management on Linux systems
- Understanding of file permissions and authentication on Linux
-
Access with NVIDIA Sync:
- Familiarity with SSH concepts
Prerequisites
Your DGX Spark device is set up. You will also need the following:
-
Direct Installation:
- DGX Spark set up with administrative privileges
- Active internet connection for downloading the VS Code installer
-
Access with NVIDIA Sync:
- VS Code installed on your laptop, downloaded from https://code.visualstudio.com/download.
Time & risk
- Duration: 10-15 minutes
- Risk level: Low - installation uses official packages with standard rollback
- Rollback: Standard package removal via system package manager
- Last Updated: 11/21/2025
- Clarify options and minor copyedits