3.1 VS Code and WSL Configuration

The development environment uses Visual Studio Code with the Remote WSL extension connecting to Ubuntu 22.04 running under Windows Subsystem for Linux. This provides a Linux-native environment for Terraform, Ansible, and Python while maintaining the Windows desktop experience.

Why WSL Instead of Native Windows?

Consideration	Windows Native	WSL Ubuntu
Terraform execution	Works, but path issues with PowerShell	Native Linux paths, seamless
Ansible	Not supported on Windows	Fully supported
Python packages	Some require Visual Studio build tools	Standard pip install
Shell scripts	Requires Git Bash or PowerShell rewrites	Bash scripts work as-is
SSH keys	Separate Windows/Linux key stores	Single ~/.ssh/ directory

Manual Deployment Context

In the manual deployment, Abhavtech engineers used PuTTY and SecureCRT for SSH sessions and browser-based GUIs for DNAC, ISE, and vManage. The automated environment consolidates all tooling into a single VS Code workspace with integrated terminal, syntax highlighting, and Git integration.

WSL Installation and Configuration

Step 1: Install WSL and Ubuntu

From Windows PowerShell (Administrator):

# Install WSL with Ubuntu 22.04
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

# System will reboot

After reboot, Ubuntu terminal launches automatically. Set your username and password:

Enter new UNIX username: abhavtech
New password: ********
Retype new password: ********

Step 2: Update Ubuntu and Install Essential Packages

# Update package lists
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install essential development tools
sudo apt install -y \
  python3 \
  python3-pip \
  python3-venv \
  git \
  curl \
  unzip \
  software-properties-common \
  gnupg2 \
  sshpass \
  jq \
  yamllint \
  tree \
  htop

# Set Python 3 as default
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 1

# Verify
python --version
# Expected: Python 3.10.x or 3.11.x

Step 3: Configure Git

# Set global Git configuration
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@abhavtech.com"

# Set default editor to VS Code (optional)
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Enable credential caching (saves typing password repeatedly)
git config --global credential.helper cache
git config --global credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

# Verify
git config --list

Step 4: Generate SSH Key for Git/Device Access

# Generate Ed25519 SSH key (more secure than RSA)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@abhavtech.com"

# Press Enter to accept default location: /home/username/.ssh/id_ed25519
# Enter passphrase (recommended but optional)

# Display public key
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# Copy this public key to:
# - GitHub/GitLab (for repository access)
# - HashiCorp Vault (for automated device SSH)

VS Code Installation and Configuration

Step 1: Install VS Code on Windows

Download from code.visualstudio.com

Install with default options.

Step 2: Install Required VS Code Extensions

Open VS Code → Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X) → Install:

Extension	Publisher	Purpose
Remote - WSL	Microsoft	Connect to WSL Ubuntu
Python	Microsoft	Python intellisense, debugging
Pylance	Microsoft	Fast Python language server
HashiCorp Terraform	HashiCorp	Terraform syntax, validation
Ansible	Red Hat	Ansible YAML syntax, validation
YAML	Red Hat	YAML syntax highlighting
GitLens	GitKraken	Git commit history, blame
Better Comments	Aaron Bond	Color-coded comment types
Bracket Pair Colorizer 2	CoenraadS	Matching bracket colors
indent-rainbow	oderwat	Indent level visualization
Trailing Spaces	Shardul Mahadik	Highlight trailing whitespace

Step 3: Connect VS Code to WSL

Method 1: From VS Code

1. Press F1 or Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: "WSL: Connect to WSL"
3. VS Code reloads, now running inside WSL

Method 2: From WSL Terminal

# Open VS Code in current directory
code .

# VS Code launches connected to WSL

Step 4: VS Code Settings for Automation

Create .vscode/settings.json in your automation repository:

{
  // Python
  "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
  "python.linting.enabled": true,
  "python.linting.pylintEnabled": true,
  "python.formatting.provider": "black",

  // Terraform
  "terraform.experimentalFeatures.validateOnSave": true,
  "terraform.languageServer.enable": true,

  // Ansible
  "ansible.python.interpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
  "ansible.validation.enabled": true,
  "ansible.validation.lint.enabled": true,

  // YAML
  "yaml.schemas": {
    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible-lint/main/src/ansiblelint/schemas/ansible.json": "playbooks/*.{yml,yaml}",
    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible-lint/main/src/ansiblelint/schemas/vars.json": "vars/*.{yml,yaml}"
  },

  // Git
  "git.autofetch": true,
  "git.confirmSync": false,

  // Editor
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.rulers": [80, 120],
  "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,
  "files.insertFinalNewline": true,

  // Terminal
  "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash",
  "terminal.integrated.fontSize": 14
}

Step 5: Workspace Shortcuts

Create keyboard shortcuts for common tasks:

Press Ctrl+K Ctrl+S → Open Keyboard Shortcuts → Add:

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+t",
    "command": "workbench.action.terminal.new"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+r",
    "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
    "args": "Terraform Plan"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+a",
    "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
    "args": "Ansible Playbook Check"
  }
]

Repository Structure in VS Code

When you open your automation repository in VS Code:

abhavtech-automation/         # Root workspace folder
├── .vscode/
│   ├── settings.json         # VS Code workspace settings
│   └── tasks.json            # Task definitions (terraform plan, ansible-playbook)
├── terraform/
│   ├── dnac/
│   ├── ise/
│   ├── sdwan/
│   └── webex/
├── ansible/
│   ├── inventory/
│   ├── playbooks/
│   └── templates/
├── scripts/
│   ├── python/
│   └── bash/
├── .venv/                    # Python virtual environment
├── .gitignore
└── README.md

Integrated Terminal Workflow

VS Code's integrated terminal runs inside WSL:

# Open terminal: Ctrl+` (backtick)

# Activate Python venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Run Terraform
cd terraform/dnac
terraform plan

# Run Ansible
cd ../../ansible
ansible-playbook -i inventory/lab.yml playbooks/configure-fabric.yaml --check

# Run Python script
cd ../scripts/python
python vault_helper.py --list-secrets

Tasks Configuration

Create .vscode/tasks.json for one-click automation:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Terraform Plan",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "terraform plan",
      "options": {
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/terraform/dnac"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Terraform Apply",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "terraform apply -auto-approve",
      "options": {
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/terraform/dnac"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Ansible Playbook Check",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "ansible-playbook -i inventory/lab.yml playbooks/configure-fabric.yaml --check",
      "options": {
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/ansible"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Ansible Playbook Run",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "ansible-playbook -i inventory/lab.yml playbooks/configure-fabric.yaml",
      "options": {
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/ansible"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    }
  ]
}

Run tasks: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → Select task

Troubleshooting

Issue: VS Code Cannot Connect to WSL

Solution:

# Restart WSL
wsl --shutdown
wsl

# Reinstall VS Code Server in WSL
rm -rf ~/.vscode-server
# Reconnect from VS Code

Issue: Python Extension Not Finding Interpreter

Solution:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: "Python: Select Interpreter"
3. Choose: .venv/bin/python

Issue: Ansible Extension Showing Errors

Solution:

# Install ansible-lint
pip install ansible-lint

# Verify
ansible-lint --version

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Related Sections: - 3.2 Python Virtual Environment - Setting up Python venv - 3.3 Terraform Installation - Installing Terraform in WSL - 3.4 Ansible Cisco Collections - Installing Ansible Galaxy collections