EZ-Homelab/docs/ai-vscode-setup.md

AI-Assisted VS Code Setup

This guide will help you set up VS Code with GitHub Copilot to manage your AI-Homelab using AI assistance.

Prerequisites

• VS Code installed on your local machine
• GitHub Copilot extension installed
• SSH access to your homelab server
• Basic familiarity with VS Code

Step 1: Install Required Extensions

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for and install:
   • GitHub Copilot (by GitHub)
   • Remote SSH (by Microsoft) - for connecting to your server
   • Docker (by Microsoft) - for Docker support
   • YAML (by Red Hat) - for editing compose files

Step 2: Connect to Your Homelab Server

1. In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type "Remote-SSH: Connect to Host..."
3. Enter your server's SSH details: ssh user@your-server-ip
4. Authenticate with your password or SSH key

Step 3: Open the AI-Homelab Repository

1. Once connected to your server, open the terminal in VS Code (Ctrl+`)
2. Navigate to your repository:

   cd ~/AI-Homelab
   

3. Open the folder in VS Code: File > Open Folder and select /home/your-user/AI-Homelab

Step 4: Enable GitHub Copilot

1. Make sure you're signed into GitHub in VS Code
2. GitHub Copilot should activate automatically
3. You can test it by opening a file and typing a comment or code

Step 5: Use AI Assistance for Homelab Management

The AI assistant is configured with comprehensive knowledge of your homelab architecture. You can ask it to:

Common Tasks

• Add new services: "Add a new service to my media stack"
• Modify configurations: "Change the port for my Plex service"
• Troubleshoot issues: "Why isn't my service starting?"
• Update services: "Update all services to latest versions"
• Configure routing: "Add Traefik routing for my new service"

How to Interact

1. Open any relevant file (docker-compose.yml, configuration files)
2. Use comments to describe what you want: # TODO: Add new service here
3. Or use the chat interface: Ask questions in natural language
4. The AI will suggest edits, create new files, or run commands

Example Prompts

• "Create a compose file for a new media service"
• "Help me configure Authelia for a new user"
• "Add VPN routing to my download service"
• "Set up monitoring for my new application"

Step 6: Best Practices

• Always backup before making changes
• Test in isolation - deploy single services first
• Use the AI for complex configurations
• Read the documentation linked in responses
• Validate YAML before deploying: docker compose config

Troubleshooting

Copilot Not Working

• Check your GitHub subscription includes Copilot
• Ensure you're signed into GitHub in VS Code
• Try reloading VS Code window

SSH Connection Issues

• Verify SSH keys are set up correctly
• Check firewall settings on your server
• Ensure SSH service is running

AI Not Understanding Context

• Open the relevant files first
• Provide specific file paths
• Include error messages when troubleshooting

Next Steps

Once set up, you can manage your entire homelab through VS Code:

• Deploy new services
• Modify configurations
• Monitor logs
• Troubleshoot issues
• Scale your infrastructure

The AI assistant follows the same patterns and conventions as your existing setup, ensuring consistency and reliability.