Tab Keep Alive VSCode Extension

Automatically refreshes a specified tab to maintain remote connections.

Features

• Silent Mode (Default) - Keep tabs alive without focusing them (no visual disruption)
• Visual Mode - Optional mode to see tabs switching during refresh
• Configurable refresh interval with connection-specific recommendations
• Specify remote files to keep alive from visible editors
• Start/Stop commands for manual control
• Status bar indicator with active/inactive/error states
• Detailed logging through output channel
• Error handling with automatic stop after multiple failures
• Race condition protection and memory leak prevention
• Comprehensive test coverage
• Perfect for SSH, WSL, Dev Containers, and Remote Tunnels

Configuration

Quick Setup (Recommended)

1. Open VSCode Command Palette (CMD + Shift + P)
2. Type "Keep Alive: Configure Files and Interval"
3. Configure:
   • Interval: Enter refresh interval in seconds (10+ recommended for remote connections)
   • Mode: Choose "Silent Mode (Recommended)" or "Visual Mode"
   • Files: Select remote files to keep alive from the dropdown list

Manual Configuration

You can also configure through VSCode settings:

{
  "keepAlive.interval": 10, // Refresh interval in seconds
  "keepAlive.silentMode": true, // Enable Silent Mode (recommended)
  "keepAlive.files": [] // Auto-configured remote file URIs
}

Recommended Settings by Connection Type

Connection Type	Interval	Silent Mode
SSH Remote	60-90s	✅ Enable
WSL	30-45s	✅ Enable
Dev Container	45-60s	✅ Enable
Remote Tunnel	90-120s	✅ Enable

Commands

• Keep Alive: Configure Files and Interval - Configure which remote files to keep alive and set the interval
• Keep Alive: Start - Start the keep-alive process
• Keep Alive: Stop - Stop the keep-alive process
• Keep Alive: Toggle Status - Toggle between start and stop states

Silent Mode vs Visual Mode

Silent Mode (Default - Recommended)

• ✅ No visual disruption - tabs stay unfocused during refresh
• ✅ Uninterrupted workflow - continue coding/reading without distraction
• ✅ Background operation - works invisibly to keep connections alive
• ✅ Perfect for productivity - no tab switching every few seconds

Visual Mode (Original Behavior)

• ⚠️ Visible tab switching - you'll see each tab focus during refresh
• ⚠️ Workflow interruption - current focus changes every refresh cycle
• ✅ Visual confirmation - you can see the extension working
• ⚠️ Only recommended if you need to see refresh activity

Status Bar

The extension provides a status bar item that shows:

• Active state (green) - Keep-alive is running (shows "Silent Mode" or "Visual Mode")
• Inactive state - Keep-alive is stopped
• Error state (red) - Issues detected during operation

Click the status bar item to toggle between start/stop states.

Quick Start

1. Connect to your remote environment (SSH, WSL, Dev Container, etc.)
2. Open some remote files you want to keep alive
3. Configure Keep Alive: Cmd+Shift+P → Keep Alive: Configure Files and Interval
   • Set interval to 10+ seconds for stable connections
   • Choose "Silent Mode (Recommended)"
   • Select your remote files
4. Start Keep Alive: Click the status bar item or use Command Palette
5. Work uninterrupted - your remote connection stays alive in the background!

Installation

1. Download from VSCode Extensions
2. Reload VSCode
3. Configure remote files and interval using the Command Palette

Requirements

• VSCode version 1.85.0 or higher
• Active remote files (SSH, WSL, Dev Containers, etc.)

Development

Building

npm run compile

Testing

npm test

Linting

npx eslint src/**/*.ts

Type Checking

npx tsc --noEmit

Change Log

[0.0.3] - 2025-07-04

• NEW: Silent Mode (Default) - Keep tabs alive without focusing them for uninterrupted workflow
• NEW: Visual Mode - Optional mode to see tab switching during refresh
• NEW: Mode Selection - Choose Silent or Visual mode during configuration
• IMPROVED: Configuration UI - Enhanced setup wizard with mode selection
• IMPROVED: Status Messages - Shows current mode (Silent/Visual) in notifications
• IMPROVED: Logging - Separate log messages for Silent vs Visual refreshes
• IMPROVED: User Experience - No more disruptive tab switching by default
• Perfect for remote development workflows (SSH, WSL, Dev Containers)

[0.0.2] - 2025-01-03

• Added status bar indicator with active/inactive/error states
• Improved error handling with automatic stop after 3 failed attempts
• Added detailed logging through output channel
• Enhanced remote file detection and handling
• Added toggle status command
• Improved user feedback and error messages
• Fixed QuickPick disposal memory leaks
• Added race condition protection
• Enhanced TypeScript strict mode compliance
• Added comprehensive test suite
• Updated security dependencies
• Improved code quality and error handling

[0.0.1] - 2023-09-30

• Initial release