VS Code Settings for Intro to Coding Students

vs-code-debloat.md

A simple VS Code setup for beginners learning:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• Python
• Basic GitHub workflows

The goal is to:

• remove unnecessary distractions
• hide AI and advanced features
• keep the editor simple
• support coding, terminal usage, Live Server, and GitHub projects

{
  "editor.minimap.enabled": false,
  "editor.stickyScroll.enabled": false,
  "editor.codeLens": false,
  "editor.inlayHints.enabled": "off",

  "terminal.integrated.tabs.enabled": false,
  "terminal.integrated.initialHint": false,

  "workbench.startupEditor": "none",
  "workbench.editor.empty.hint": "hidden",
  "window.commandCenter": false,
  "breadcrumbs.enabled": false,

  "chat.disableAIFeatures": true,
  "chat.agent.enabled": false,
  "chat.commandCenter.enabled": false,
  "chat.experimental.offerSetup": false,
  "chat.setupFromDialog": false,

  "extensions.ignoreRecommendations": true,
  "update.showReleaseNotes": false,

  "editor.lightbulb.enabled": "off",

  "explorer.confirmDelete": true,
  "explorer.confirmDragAndDrop": true,

  "liveServer.settings.donotShowInfoMsg": true,

  "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": false,

  "git.autofetch": false,
  "git.countBadge": "off",
  "git.openRepositoryInParentFolders": "never",
  "scm.showHistoryGraph": false,

  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": false
  }
}

Configuration notes

• editor.minimap.enabled: hides the code overview panel.
• editor.stickyScroll.enabled: removes extra scrolling UI.
• editor.inlayHints.enabled: removes inline hints that can confuse beginners.
• terminal.integrated.tabs.enabled: keeps the terminal layout simple.
• workbench.startupEditor: opens directly into the editor instead of showing the welcome page.
• window.commandCenter: removes extra command controls.
• breadcrumbs.enabled: removes additional file navigation UI.
• chat.*: disables AI features and related prompts.
• extensions.ignoreRecommendations: prevents extension recommendation prompts.
• editor.lightbulb.enabled: removes code action suggestions.
• explorer.confirmDelete and explorer.confirmDragAndDrop: prevents accidental file changes.
• liveServer.settings.donotShowInfoMsg: reduces Live Server notification messages.
• python.terminal.activateEnvironment: avoids automatic Python environment activation messages.
• git.autofetch: disables automatic GitHub checks.
• git.countBadge: removes Git status counters.
• git.openRepositoryInParentFolders: prevents unexpected repository detection.
• scm.showHistoryGraph: hides advanced Git history views.
• github.copilot.enable: disables Copilot if installed.