Connect VS Code to PUB400
You have VS Code with the IBM i Development Pack. You have a PUB400 account. Time to connect them.
What to do
Nick Litten, a long-time IBM i developer and writer, maintains an excellent step-by-step guide for this exact workflow: Connecting to PUB400 with VS-Code for IBM i. Follow his instructions — he keeps it current and his screenshots match what you’ll see.
The values you’ll need
When his guide asks for connection values, use these:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Your choice — e.g., PUB400 |
| Host | pub400.com |
| Port | 22 |
| Username | Your PUB400 user profile (from Ch. 2) |
| Password | Your PUB400 password (from Ch. 2) |
A note on authentication
Nick’s guide covers password auth, which works. As you get comfortable, consider switching to SSH key authentication — it’s more secure and means you don’t type your password every connection. The Code for IBM i docs cover the switch when you’re ready.
When you’re done
In the VS Code IBM i sidebar, you can see your PUB400 connection listed. You can expand the User Library List and IFS Browser nodes and see actual content — your libraries and your IFS home directory.
If something’s off, the Code for IBM i troubleshooting docs are the canonical reference.