VS Code Extension

The MekongTunnel VS Code Extension lets you start, stop, and manage tunnels without leaving your editor. It automatically uses your reserved subdomain if you're logged in.

Marketplace: KhmerStack.mekong-tunnel (opens in a new tab)

Installation

Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+P / Cmd+P
Paste: ext install KhmerStack.mekong-tunnel
Press Enter

Or search "Mekong Tunnel" in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).

Quick Start

Click the Mekong icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
You'll see the Account panel at the top — log in if you want a reserved subdomain
Enter a port (e.g. 3000) and click Start Tunnel
Your public URL appears instantly — click to copy or open in browser

Account panel (v1.5.0+)

The sidebar now shows your login status at the top of the panel:

Not logged in — shows a Login button. Clicking it opens a mekong login terminal inside VS Code, which launches the browser device flow. Once you approve, the panel updates automatically.
Logged in — shows your email address, plan badge (Free / Pro / Team), and a Logout button.

This means every tunnel you start while logged in will use your reserved subdomain — no extra configuration needed.

# Log in from the terminal if you prefer
mekong login
# → saved to ~/.mekong/config.json
# → VS Code extension reads it automatically

Authentication

The extension looks for a token in this order:

mekong.apiToken VS Code setting (takes priority if set)
MEKONG_TOKEN environment variable
~/.mekong/config.json — written by mekong login in your terminal or the sidebar Login button

Recommended setup: run mekong login once (terminal or sidebar). The extension picks it up automatically and your reserved subdomain is always used.

To set a token directly in VS Code: open Settings (Ctrl+,), search mekong, and paste into Mekong Tunnel → API Token.

Get a token: Dashboard → API Tokens

Features

Feature	Description
Account panel	Shows login status, email, plan — Login/Logout in one click
One-click tunnel	Start/stop from the sidebar panel
Reserved subdomain	Auto-uses your token from `mekong login` or settings
Copy URL	Click to copy public URL to clipboard
Open in browser	Open tunnel URL with one click
Status bar	Shows active tunnel URL in the bottom status bar
Live request log	See incoming HTTP request logs in the Output panel
Live Server	Built-in static file server for HTML projects
Live Server tunnel	Combine Live Server + public tunnel in one click

Configuration

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for mekong:

Setting	Default	Description
`mekong.apiToken`	`""`	API token for reserved subdomain
`mekong.port`	(auto)	Override the auto-detected port
`mekong.expire`	`""`	Tunnel lifetime — e.g. `2h`, `1d`, `1w`
`mekong.binaryPath`	(auto)	Custom path to the mekong binary
`mekong.showQr`	`false`	Show QR code in the Output panel
`mekong.autoStart`	`false`	Start tunnel automatically when workspace opens
`mekong.liveServerPort`	`5500`	Starting port for the built-in Live Server

Command Palette

Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P and search for:

Command	Description
`Mekong: Start Tunnel`	Opens a port prompt and starts the tunnel
`Mekong: Stop Tunnel`	Stops the active tunnel
`Mekong: Copy Public URL`	Copies tunnel URL to clipboard
`Mekong: Open Public URL in Browser`	Opens tunnel URL in browser
`Mekong: Start Live Server`	Starts built-in Live Server
`Mekong: Stop Live Server`	Stops Live Server

Live Server

The extension includes a built-in static file server for HTML projects. Click Start Live Server in the panel, or right-click any HTML file → Open with Mekong Live Server.

HTML file → Live Server (port 5500) → mekong → public HTTPS URL

Click Tunnel in the notification to expose the Live Server publicly.

Settings examples

settings.json:

{
  "mekong.apiToken": "mkt_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "mekong.expire":   "2h",
  "mekong.showQr":   false,
  "mekong.autoStart": false
}

Changelog

Current version: v1.5.0

Added account/login panel to sidebar with email, plan, and Login/Logout buttons
Updated to mekong v1.5.0 binaries
Improved binary detection (searches ~/bin, ~/.local/bin, and system PATH)

See GitHub Releases (opens in a new tab) for the full changelog.

Troubleshooting

Tunnel starts with a random subdomain instead of my reserved one

Make sure you have run mekong login in your terminal or clicked Login in the sidebar
Check mekong whoami in your terminal to confirm you're logged in

"Failed to start tunnel" error

Ensure the mekong binary is installed: Installation
Check that your local server is running on the selected port
View details in View → Output → Mekong Tunnel

Extension not showing in sidebar

Reload VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"

Binary not found

The extension searches ~/bin/mekong, ~/.local/bin/mekong, and PATH automatically
If you installed to a custom location, set mekong.binaryPath in settings

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