Introduction

Using this guide, we are going to access the Oracle Database Service on Oracle Cloud, over SSH, using SQL Developer extension for VSCode.

SQL Developer Desktop already has this option (Picture credits - Benny Vaessen)

However there doesn’t seem to be much traction on getting support of SSH Tunneling as a option to SQL Developer extension for VSCode (another source).

I’m going to provide 2 solutions; one is local tunneling over SSH and the second is a remote installation of VSCode

Prerequisites

• A SSH url/IP address e.g. 3.4.5.6 & port e.g. 22 and user e.g. opc

• A private key for the Oracle Database Service on Oracle Cloud

• VS Code

• DB Connection Details e.g. username, Password, Host, Port, Service Name

Method 1: Local Tunneling

Additional requirements. You must have ssh installed. type SSH at the prompt to see if its installed

C:\Users\pretius>ssh
usage: ssh [-46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy] [-B bind_interface] [-b bind_address]
           [-c cipher_spec] [-D [bind_address:]port] [-E log_file]
           [-e escape_char] [-F configfile] [-I pkcs11] [-i identity_file]
           [-J destination] [-L address] [-l login_name] [-m mac_spec]
           [-O ctl_cmd] [-o option] [-P tag] [-p port] [-Q query_option]
           [-R address] [-S ctl_path] [-W host:port] [-w local_tun[:remote_tun]]
           destination [command [argument ...]]

If not working, then on windows > settings > system > optional features > add a feature > OpenSSH Client

Edit this command

ssh -i <path_to_private_key> -L <local_port>:<remote_host>:<remote_port> <username>@<server_ip> -N -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=3

e.g.

ssh -i /secure/keys/private_key.pem -L 6666:db.example.internal:1521 opc@192.168.1.100 -N -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=3

Credits to Philipp for the below commands

• -N: Prevents the execution of a remote command, useful for port forwarding or tunneling without starting an interactive shell.

• -o ServerAliveInterval=60: Sends a keep-alive packet every 60 seconds to maintain the connection.

• -o ServerAliveCountMax=3: Allows up to 3 unanswered keep-alive packets before disconnecting (180 seconds total).

Now fire up VS Code and run the above line in terminal.

Tip: The -N setting will block your Terminal. However with the ➕ icon in the top-right, you can start a new terminal

When its running, create a new SQL Developer Connection

ENJOY!

Method 2: Remote Installation

Kris Rice made a really good guide about setting up remote environments which has inspired this blog.

This solution will give you a SQL Developer installation on your host called VS Code - Server. Once configured, you’ll have DB access, however for working on files/git, you’ll be working remotely, so all work will be stored on the host.

For git you could use Per-Repository Git Configuration: Each developer should set their Git user configuration on a per-repository basis using:

git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "your.email@example.com"

This ensures that commits are correctly attributed, even if the global configuration is shared. However this isn’t a Git blog.

Guide

1. Follow this guide for a to create a SSH Host. I’m going to refer to my host as dev for this blog

2. Once you’ve opened VS Code in SSH (following the guide above), click Extensions > SQL Developer and click the Install in SSH button

   

3. If you manage to install it, then great - go to the last step! However, if you get something like this:

    ENOSPC: no space left on device, write
   

   or this

    End of central directory record signature not found. Either not a zip file, or file is truncated
   

   or this in Output > Server

    2025-04-22 12:39:44.481 [info] Getting Manifest... oracle.sql-developer
    2025-04-22 12:39:44.492 [info] Installing extension: oracle.sql-developer {"installPreReleaseVersion":false,"donotVerifySignature":false,"context":{"clientTargetPlatform":"win32-x64"},"isApplicationScoped":false,"profileLocation":{"$mid":1,"fsPath":"/home/opc/.vscode-server/extensions/extensions.json","external":"file:///home/opc/.vscode-server/extensions/extensions.json","path":"/home/opc/.vscode-server/extensions/extensions.json","scheme":"file"},"productVersion":{"version":"1.99.3","date":"2025-04-15T23:18:46.076Z"}}
    2025-04-22 12:39:49.803 [warning] Failed downloading vsix. Unable to write file '/home/opc/.vscode-server/data/CachedExtensionVSIXs/.0bf86609-8779-46d4-8dea-f3bc42b09255' (Unknown (FileSystemError): Error: ENOSPC: no space left on device, write). Retry again... oracle.sql-developer
    2025-04-22 12:39:55.319 [warning] Failed downloading vsix. Unable to write file '/home/opc/.vscode-server/data/CachedExtensionVSIXs/.ca1d476c-2f44-4ee6-b39c-d7b3e3e2ea13' (Unknown (FileSystemError): Error: ENOSPC: no space left on device, write). Retry again... oracle.sql-developer
    2025-04-22 12:40:00.846 [error] Error while installing the extension oracle.sql-developer End of central directory record signature not found. Either not a zip file, or file is truncated. file:///home/opc/.vscode-server/extensions/extensions.json
    2025-04-22 12:40:01.847 [error] Error: End of central directory record signature not found. Either not a zip file, or file is truncated.
        at m6 (file:///home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/out/server-main.js:48:2499)
        at file:///home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/out/server-main.js:48:3827
        at /home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/node_modules/yauzl/index.js:40:7
        at /home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/node_modules/yauzl/index.js:190:5
        at /home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/node_modules/yauzl/index.js:712:5
        at /home/opc/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-17baf841131aa23349f217ca7c570c76ee87b957/server/node_modules/yauzl/fd-slicer.js:33:7
        at FSReqCallback.wrapper [as oncomplete] (node:fs:683:5)
   

   then continue reading

4. In VS Code > Terminal run this

    df -h
   

   You’ll see something like this

    Filesystem                      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
    devtmpfs                        7.7G     0  7.7G   0% /dev
    tmpfs                           7.7G  1.4G  6.4G  17% /dev/shm
    tmpfs                           7.7G  1.1M  7.7G   1% /run
    tmpfs                           7.7G     0  7.7G   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
    /dev/mapper/vg00-root           9.6G  3.8G  5.4G  42% /
    tmpfs                           7.7G   19M  7.7G   1% /tmp
    /dev/mapper/vg00-var            9.6G  1.2G  8.0G  13% /var
    /dev/mapper/vg00-var_tmp        958M   56K  891M   1% /var/tmp
    /dev/sda2                       974M  256M  652M  29% /boot
    /dev/mapper/vg00-home           958M  643M  248M  73% /home
    /dev/mapper/vg00-opt             33G  4.0G   28G  13% /opt
    /dev/mapper/vg00-var_log        3.8G  141M  3.5G   4% /var/log
    /dev/sda1                       128M  5.1M  123M   4% /boot/efi
    /dev/mapper/vg00-var_log_audit  1.9G   33M  1.8G   2% /var/log/audit
    /dev/sdj                        196G   29G  157G  16% /u01
    /dev/asm/commonstore-477        5.0G  282M  4.8G   6% /opt/oracle/dcs/commonstore
    tmpfs                           1.6G     0  1.6G   0% /run/user/102
    tmpfs                           1.6G     0  1.6G   0% /run/user/101
    tmpfs                           1.6G     0  1.6G   0% /run/user/1000
   

   See that /home has got 248M, but SQL Developer needs 500MB. In this case identify somewhere else that has got at least 500MB. I’m going to choose /opt which has 28G free

5. Run these commands (changing /opt to your target mount)

    sudo mkdir -p /opt/vscode
    sudo chown opc:opc /opt/vscode
   

6. Now open user preferences in VS Code. Press F1 and type Pref

   

7. In Search Settings, search for this

    remote.SSH.serverInstallPath
   

8. Now fill in the Item with your host name (exactly the same as you set up for SSH) and set the Value as the folder you created.

   

9. Quit VS Code and open it again (using the host)

10. Attempt to install SQL Developer again from the Extensions side bar.

    

    success!

    

11. Form a DB connection

    

ENJOY!

What’s the picture? Its my daughter’s horse, Wren, at Kirkby Overblow. Kirkby Overblow is known for its historic holy wells, particularly St Helen’s Well, which is located behind the churchyard and is said to have healing power! - Visit Yorkshire!