How to run a command in Visual Studio Code with launch.json

Is there a way to execute an ssh command when debugging a project with .vscode/launch.json?

For example: ssh -i xxxxx.

Or is it possible to create a command that you can run from the F1 command palette pop-up? Something like RunCustomCommandxx.

You can define a task in your tasks.json file and specify that as the preLaunchTask in your launch.json and the task will be executed before debugging begins.

Example:

In tasks.json:

For version 0.1.0:

{
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "tasks": [{
        "taskName": "echotest",
        "command": "echo", // Could be any other shell command
        "args": ["test"],
        "isShellCommand": true
    }]
}

For version 2.0.0 (newer and recommended):

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [{
        "label": "echotest",
        "command": "echo", // Could be any other shell command
        "args": ["test"],
        "type": "shell"
    }]
}

In launch.json:

{
    "configurations": [
        {
            // ...
            "preLaunchTask": "echotest", // The name of the task defined above
            // ...
        }
    ]   
}

Tasks documentation: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/tasks

Launch configuration: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/debugging#_launch-configurations

The format changed. Visual Studio Code can create the tasks.json file for you. Inside your launch.json file and inside any configurations object, just define preLaunchTask to force auto-creation of the tasks.json template file:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
      {
        "type": "node",
        "request": "launch",
        "name": "launch program",
        "skipFiles": [ "<node_internals>/**"],
        "preLaunchTask": "myShellCommand",
        "program": "${workspaceFolder}/test.js"
      }
  ]
}

If you do not have file tasks.json configured:

• launch the debugger. Visual Studio Code will inform you: "could not find the task myShellCommand"
• select Configure Task → Create tasks.json file from template → Others

Your tasks.json template file will then be created for you. Add your command to command and the name you put in preLaunchTask to label:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "myShellCommand",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "echo goodfood"
    }
  ]
}

For me, I just needed an environment variable, which is different. You don't want a task for this because (at least for me) it doesn't work when the launcher is run.

Thanks to here, I got it working like this, inside my launcher (launch.json) entry:

"environment": [{
    "name": "ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_NAME",
    "value": "${workspaceFolder}/lib" //Set to whatever value you want.
}],

My version of the configuration allows to just run a defined task and carried on (in my case, the task is to run the currently open Groovy file):

"configurations": [
    {
        "name": "Launch groovy",
        "request": "launch",
        "type": "coreclr",
        "preLaunchTask": "groovy",
        "program": "cmd.exe",
        "args": ["/c"],
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
        "console": "internalConsole",
        "internalConsoleOptions": "neverOpen"
    }
]

And the task:

"tasks": [
    {
        "label": "groovy",
        "type": "shell",
        "command": "groovy ${file}"
    }
]

for flutter developers who is searching how to run flutter build commands. in tasks.json add

"tasks": [
		{
			"type": "flutter",
			"command": "flutter",
			"args": [
				"pub",
				"run",
				"build_runner",
				"build",
				"--delete-conflicting-outputs"
			],
			"problemMatcher": [
				"$dart-build_runner"
			],
			"group": "build",
			"label": "flutter: flutter pub run build_runner build --delete-conflicting-outputs"
		},
]

then from vscode you can try "run task" it will show you flutter: flutter pub run build_runner build --delete-conflicting-outputs

this way you don't need to memorize and type to terminal source code generation/build commands

{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
    {
        "name": "Launch app",
        "program": "lib/main.dart",
        "request": "launch",
        "type": "dart"
    },
    {
        "name": "Build an APK Release",
        "command": "flutter build apk --release",
        "request": "launch",
        "type": "node-terminal"
    },
    {
        "name": "Install an APK on a device",
        "command": "flutter install",
        "request": "launch",
        "type": "node-terminal"
    }
]
}