# How to Enable the code . Command for Portable VS Code on Your MacBook

The MacBook Air 2017, while a classic, remains a capable machine for development, especially with a lightweight setup. If you're using a "portable" version of Visual Studio Code to save space or avoid a full installation, you might miss one of the most convenient workflow features: launching the editor from your terminal with the `code .` command.

By default, this command won't work because macOS doesn't know where to find your portable VS Code application. Fortunately, setting this up is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through enabling the `code .` command for your portable VS Code setup.

### **The Goal**

To open any project folder in VS Code directly from your terminal by typing `code .`.

### **The Solution: Creating a Symbolic Link**

The most effective way to solve this is by creating a symbolic link (or "symlink"). A symlink is essentially a powerful shortcut that tells your terminal where to find the VS Code executable file, which is hidden inside the `.app` package.

#### **Step 1: Find the Full Path to Your Portable VS Code**

First, you need the absolute path to where you've stored `Visual Studio` [`Code.app`](http://Code.app). Let's say you've placed it in a folder named `Application` inside your `Documents` folder.

You can get the full path easily:

1. Open your Terminal application.
    
2. Type `cd` (with a space after `cd`).
    
3. Drag the `Visual Studio` [`Code.app`](http://Code.app) file from your Finder window directly into the Terminal window. The full path will appear.
    
4. For this guide, we'll assume the path is `/Users/your-username/Documents/Application/Visual Studio` [`Code.app`](http://Code.app). **Remember to replace this with your actual path.**
    

#### **Step 2: Create the Symbolic Link in** `/usr/local/bin`

`/usr/local/bin` is the standard location on macOS for user-installed command-line tools. By placing our symlink here, the Zsh (or Bash) shell will automatically find it.

1. Open your Terminal.
    
2. Copy and paste the following command, making sure to **replace the example path with your own path** from Step 1. The quotes are important because of the spaces in the file name.
    
    Bash
    
    ```typescript
    ln -s "/Users/your-username/Documents/Application/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code
    ```
    

**Breaking down the command:**

* `ln -s`: The command to create a symbolic link.
    
* `"/path/to/your/Visual Studio` [`Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code`](http://Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code)`"`: This is the **target**—the actual executable file inside your VS Code application. you can check your path with `pwd` in folder vscode app. and you can add \`[`/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code`](http://Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code)\`
    
* `/usr/local/bin/code`: This is the **shortcut** you are creating. When you type `code` in the terminal, it will point to the target file.
    

#### **Step 3: Verify Your Setup**

To ensure the changes take effect, **open a new Terminal window**. This allows the shell to recognize the new command.

Now, test it out:

1. Navigate to any project directory.
    
    Bash
    
    ```typescript
    cd ~/Desktop/my-project
    ```
    
2. Run the command.
    
    Bash
    
    ```typescript
    code .
    ```
    

Visual Studio Code should launch instantly, with the `my-project` folder opened in the editor.

### **Troubleshooting Common Issues**

If you encounter an error, it's likely one of two things:

1\. Error: zsh: command not found: code

This means /usr/local/bin is not in your system's PATH. You can fix this by adding it to your shell configuration file (.zshrc for Zsh).

Bash

```typescript
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
```

Then, open a new terminal or run `source ~/.zshrc`.

2\. Error: ln: /usr/local/bin/code: No such file or directory

This means the /usr/local/bin directory doesn't exist on your system yet. You can create it with the following command. You will be prompted for your password.

Bash

```typescript
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
```

After creating the directory, run the `ln -s` command from Step 2 again.

### **Conclusion**

You have now successfully integrated your portable VS Code application with your terminal. This simple tweak drastically improves the development workflow on your MacBook Air 2017, proving that you don't need the latest hardware to have an efficient and productive coding environment. Happy coding!