Visual Studio Code Arm64

Visual Studio Code Arm64 Ubuntu
Visual Studio Code Arm64 Windows

Visual Studio is only supported on devices using a x86 or AMD64/x64 based processor. Visual Studio is built to target processors based on the x86 architecture, and there are no versions of Visual Studio for ARM-based processors. However, Windows provides x86 emulation on ARM, which Visual Studio can run. Visual Studio Code OSS for Ubuntu AArch64 NOTE: You can now get official VSCode downloads for arm64/armhf from Microsoft. Versions from v1.51.1 in the package repository are now the official Microsoft versions. Package Repository for Ubuntu 16.04 / 18.04 / 20.04. Add Repository and Install.

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This topic describes debugging Windows 10 on ARM Processors. For general information about Windows 10 on ARM, seeWindows 10 desktop on ARM64.

In general, developers debugging user mode apps should use the version of the debugger that matches the architecture of the target app. Use the ARM64 version of WinDbg to debug user mode ARM64 applications and use the ARM version of WinDbg to debug user mode ARM32 applications. Use the x86 version of WinDbg to debug user mode x86 applications running on ARM64 processors.

In rare cases where you need to debug system code – such as WOW64 or CHPE – you can use the ARM64 version of WinDbg. If you are debugging the ARM64 kernel from another machine, use the version of WinDbg that matches the architecture of that other machine.

Getting ARM Debugging Tools for Windows

You can get debugging tools for ARM64 by downloading the Windows 10 SDK (version 10.0.16299 or later). During the installation, select the Debugging Tools for Windows box.

The debugging tools are located in the Debuggers folder in the kit installation directory. The x86 tools are under Debuggersx86, the ARM32 tools are under DebuggersARM, and the ARM64 tools are under DebuggersARM64.

Debugging ARM64 Code

ARM64 WinDbg is required to debug ARM64 code. The debugging experience is similar to debugging x86 applications with x86 WinDbg on x86 Windows, except for the following differences.

There are 32 general purpose registers - x0 to x28 and fp, lr, sp.
Program counter register, pc, is not a general purpose register.
All general purpose registers and pc register are 64-bit in width.
At most 2 active data breakpoints for execution and 2 active data breakpoints for read/write memory. For more information, see Processor Breakpoints.

Debugging x86 User Mode Code

In the rare cases that you need to use ARM64 WinDbg to debug your x86 user mode code, you can use the following WinDbg commands to switch between contexts:

.effmach x86: Switch to and see x86 context, simulating the effect of using x86 WinDbg.
.effmach arm64: Switch to and see ARM64 context
.effmach chpe: Switch to and see CHPE context.

For more information about the .effmach, see .effmach (Effective Machine).

When debugging x86 apps in user mode, regardless of which WinDbg version you are using, be aware of these considerations.

If a thread is not being actively debugged (e.g. single-stepped, encountered a breakpoint), not reporting an exception, and not in a system call, the register context may not be up-to-date.
The emulator internally generates Data misaligned, Illegal instruction, In-page I/O error exceptions and handles the ones it generates. When you are using WinDbg, consider configuring these exceptions as Ignored under the Debug / Event Filters… menu item.
If using ARM64 WinDbg in user mode, single-stepping across x86 & CHPE function boundaries is not supported. To work around this, set breakpoints on the target code.

For general information about ARM64 and WOW64 see Running 32-bit Applications in the 64-bit Windows programming guide.

For information on debugging applications running under WOW64, see Debugging WOW64.

Debugging in Visual Studio

For information on debugging ARM in Visual Studio, see Remote Debugging.

#ARM people! It's time to try @code Insiders right now! Nightly builds starting today for Windows 10 on ARM, including background updates!🙋‍♂️I admit, this Surface Pro X is starting to convince me 🖊
👉 Try it now: https://t.co/phkaKAIGzS
📞 Let us know your feedback as always! pic.twitter.com/KFAFQg5mWh

— João Moreno (@joaomoreno) May 28, 2020

It has been a while coming: way back in 2017, it was demanded by programmers as machinery running Windows on Arm hardware began trickling into the market.

However, since Visual Studio Code depends on the Electron framework, support was not forthcoming until the platform itself played nicely with Windows on Arm. Back in 2018, one of the Electron team remarked: 'We're happy to support Electron on Windows on ARM as soon as Chromium does :)'

As 2019 rolled around, Electron 7.0.0 debuted, bringing with it the needed 64-bit Windows on Arm support. Microsoft's crack at showing hardware makers what it actually meant when it said Windows on Arm cropped up as the Surface Pro X shortly after.

Sadly for those developers who took the plunge with the Windows giant's new shiny, native Arm applications from Microsoft were somewhat thin on the ground. Even its own Chromium-based browser was notable by its absence and those wishing to get their kicks in the popular VS Code were forced to use the sluggish x86 emulation mode of the OS.

It took until February for Microsoft to finally release Chromium Edge for its ARM64 users, and in the same month a Windows Insider Fast Ring build added developer-friendly Hyper-V features for the platform. But of the beloved VS Code there remained no sign.

The wait, for VS Code Insiders at least, appears to be over. The code required to add support was merged last month and, after a Surface Pro X was made available for testing, released overnight.

While there remains work left to do to persuade extension authors to port their wares and, being still in the Insider branch, the platform is not quite ready for production yet, the news will bring relief to those developers wondering if that pricey Surface Pro X was really worth all that precious cash. ®