Positron Code

Version 1.0.0 combines the independent AI fix workflow, live local ROS schema refresh, custom Git dashboard and on-demand development tools. The release is explicitly unsigned; its source version is not proof that all platform packages or desktop tests have completed. See release notes, installation and updates, and build evidence. Source and releases are stored in the private neptunium/Positron repository.

Fix with AI is available directly in diagnostic hovers and the normal Quick Fix menu (Ctrl+.). Choose an API/local model or installed external agent, approve sharing a bounded code snippet, then review any proposed diff. Applying edits changes only the buffer without saving or running code. Changed files invalidate a pending fix. No requests are made merely by hovering, and unchanged replies show the AI's actual explanation.

The optional AI Connections support OpenAI Responses, OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions, Anthropic Messages and Ollama; local credential storage; explicit-context text chat; ACP v1 external-agent conversations; and configurable terminal launch profiles for other installed command-line agents. Open Positron Code: AI Connections from the Command Palette. No connection starts automatically, and no provider account, agent or model is preconfigured. Terminal fallback is broad interoperability, not universal agent certification.

The managed Windows output is build/PositronCode-1.0.0-win32-x64/Positron Code.exe; installed shortcuts use the stable Positron Code Launcher.exe. Other native outputs are described in NATIVE-BUILDS.md. Versioned build reports confirm which outputs have completed verification. Prior versions are preserved. Save your work and close every Positron window before switching; reloading cannot change application binaries. Robot Offline workspaces, Python/ROS analysis, explicit formatting, Git and on-demand tools remain available. No WSL or Copilot integration is introduced. Source compilation and later on-demand packaging are recorded separately. Dated historical test counts below describe their own releases.

A custom desktop editor based on Code - OSS, with the RED//CYBERPUNK theme, an integrated Git dashboard, themed terminals, and on-demand LaTeX, Python and embedded-development workflows.

The on-demand edition keeps Python/PlatformIO and Git ready, but downloads board toolchains, LaTeX and clangd when needed. Version 0.4 also includes a small standalone Python formatter and analysis-only ROS declarations, not a ROS runtime. See BUILD-STATUS.md for current evidence and limitations. The preserved 0.3 release passed 150 Node tests and 63 native/browser checks; those historical counts are not Robot Offline certification.

Historical 0.3 feature introduction

This section records the 0.3 release and its evidence, not the current update-service configuration. Version 0.9 adds the private Forgejo release workflow described in UPDATES.md.

• Manage Development Tools: versions, approximate disk usage, downloads/updates and recoverable removal; choose external storage on D:, E: or another local drive without moving the app's Python/Git bootstrap.
• Check My Setup: diagnostics for storage, tools, locks and serial-port detection, with next steps instead of automatic system changes.
• Build LaTeX with Dependency Repair: ask before searching/installing packages after supported missing-file errors, then retry once; ordinary LaTeX Workshop builds can offer repair with a manual retry.
• Open Microcontroller Dashboard: project/environment/board/port selection, build/upload/monitor, memory output, compilation databases and local serial logs. Upload requires confirmation; no USB drivers are installed.
• New Project from Template: Arduino Uno/AVR, ESP32, STM32 Nucleo F401RE, Python with optional .venv, and LaTeX. Existing folders are never overwritten; dependencies are declared rather than preinstalled.
• External Changes: observed disk changes, conflict-risk comparisons and bounded local checkpoints. This is not comprehensive agent attribution or workspace history; snapshots may contain sensitive source text. Restore is explicit and blocked by unsaved/newer changes.
• Install Local Update / Switch or Roll Back Version (0.3 behavior): import a trusted ZIP plus SHA-256 into a separate versioned directory, preserve the current app and validate before manually switching. That release had no signed feed or automatic download; forced restarts and profile rollback are still not provided.

See ON-DEMAND.md for command names, privacy/retention limits, storage migration, update trust and first-use behavior. The 0.3 package reuses the native 0.2 runtime with guarded compiled JavaScript storage-bootstrap changes and a new workspace extension; it is not a new Electron/native compilation. App-local tool originals, previous app folders and normal user settings are not overwritten. The intended artifact is dist/positron-code-0.3.0-on-demand-source-built-windows-x64.zip; its package report, only after successful packaging, is dist/release-0.3.0-on-demand-report.json.

Preserved 0.2 full-bundle baseline

Version 0.2.0 was built and verified as a Windows x64 application. Its source build, static audit, 68 project tests, 24 native core checks, seven language/tool integration checks, and eight desktop checks passed. Its copied tool bundle also passed LaTeX and all three representative board builds. Historical app and release-package paths:

build/PositronCode-win32-x64/Positron Code.exe
dist/positron-code-0.2.0-source-built-windows-x64.zip

For that baseline, ZIP creation was a separate final step after the app build. Its packager validated required archive contents, excluded personal profiles/build cache state, and wrote an adjacent .sha256 digest. The historical package result belongs to dist/release-report.json, not the current versioned release reports.

The build uses customized Code - OSS 1.139.0 source and locally compiled Windows native modules, with upstream Electron 43.6.0. It has a separate product identity and does not replace your existing editor or migrate its settings. See BUILD-STATUS.md for evidence and limitations.

Launch Positron Code.exe from the complete app folder in a writable location; do not move just the executable. When using a release ZIP, extract the whole folder first. Open a project folder, then use Positron Code: Open Git Dashboard from the command palette. Git actions require a repository. New Windows terminals use Positron Shell and inherit the bundled tool paths.

To carry editor settings with the app, create an empty data folder beside the executable after extraction. Do not redistribute that personal folder. The builder refuses to overwrite an output containing a portable profile. Older development outputs are retained separately and are not the 0.2.0 release.

Included

• The existing RED//CYBERPUNK color and file-icon theme, bundled and selected by default, including its red status bar.
• Git dashboard: repository selection, changes, stage/unstage, staged-only commits, local branches, branch creation, fetch/pull/push, history, and commit patches. The branch graph opens Code - OSS's native Source Control Graph.
• Microsoft authentication extension excluded; Microsoft account onboarding and sync service configuration removed. Optional GitHub authentication and normal extension authentication APIs remain available.
• No bundled Copilot extension or preconfigured AI service. Inherited entitlement/setup registration is disabled independently of saved chat.disableAIFeatures preferences; the separate optional Positron AI Connections panel does not use it. Shared internal APIs, dormant SDK dependencies, and an inert compatibility descriptor remain for compatibility. Cloud accounts/API billing and external-agent authentication are supplied by the user.
• A separate app name, executable, protocol, storage folders, Windows IDs, and custom Positron Code icon.
• App-local interface typography: Aldrich headings, Electrolize labels/menus, and Funnel Display body text. Code and terminal fonts remain monospace; these UI fonts are not installed into Windows.
• Open VSX extension registry. Local VSIX installation also works; extensions must support Code - OSS and their own licenses must permit use. Microsoft Marketplace access and proprietary Remote/WSL extensions are not bundled.
• Themed PowerShell and Bash profiles that resolve their prompt scripts from the extension install directory. No absolute HP/AppData prompt paths or changes to personal shell startup files.

Reference: preserved 0.2 full-bundle tools

The following preload list describes the separate 0.2 full bundle, not the current on-demand package. Versions 0.3/0.4 include Python, PlatformIO Core, esptool/pyserial and Git bootstrap; TinyTeX, clangd and all board compilers/frameworks are deferred downloads. In either edition tool paths affect only the app and its children, not the Windows user/system PATH; existing Python, TeX, Git and PlatformIO installations are not replaced.

Tool	Pinned version	Purpose
TinyTeX-1	2026.09	Portable TeX Live subset, including pdflatex and latexmk
CPython, Astral standalone build	3.12.14 / 20260924	Python interpreter, pip, and virtual environments
PlatformIO Core	6.2.0	Embedded project builds, upload and serial commands
esptool / pyserial	5.4.0 / 3.5	ESP tooling and serial utilities
clangd	22.1.6	C/C++ language server
MinGit	2.55.0.5	Command-line Git; not a Git Bash distribution

Eleven additional extensions are pinned: LaTeX Workshop 10.19.0, PlatformIO IDE 3.3.4, Python 2026.4.0, Python Debugger 2026.6.0, basedpyright 1.40.1, clangd 0.6.0, Cortex-Debug 1.12.1, Debug Tracker 0.0.15, Memory View 0.0.29, RTOS Views 0.0.16, and Peripheral Viewer 1.6.4. The packaged bundled-extensions.json records their exact IDs, origins, hashes, and modifications; tools/bundle-manifest.json and tools/provenance/ record the toolchain inventory and validation evidence.

LaTeX

Open a .tex project and press Ctrl+Alt+B to build with LaTeX Workshop; Ctrl+Alt+V opens its PDF viewer. Automatic builds are disabled. Only LaTeX documents have soft word wrapping enabled by default: this changes display, never inserts line breaks. Python, plain text, and the global wrapping default are unchanged.

TinyTeX is a practical subset, not every TeX Live package or font. Documents with additional dependencies may require explicit package installation and network access. Build only trusted documents; a TeX toolchain can execute project-supplied build instructions.

Python

New profiles select the bundled interpreter through ${env:POSITRON_TOOLS_DIR}/python/python.exe; explicit user/workspace interpreter choices take precedence. Use Python: Select Interpreter to choose an existing environment instead. The Python extension retains its classic interpreter manager; basedpyright provides analysis and debugpy provides debugging. Pylance and the separate Python Environments extension are not bundled.

For project dependencies, create a virtual environment from a Positron Shell, then select .venv\Scripts\python.exe:

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Use your own requirements file; do not install project dependencies into the bundled tool interpreter, which also runs PlatformIO.

Arduino, ESP32, and STM32 — 0.2 preload reference

Open a folder containing platformio.ini. The old full bundle preloads these representative Arduino-framework targets; the 0.3 templates declare the same choices but download their tools on first build:

Platform pin	Board ID	Representative board
platformio/atmelavr@5.3.0	uno	Arduino Uno
platformio/espressif32@7.1.3	esp32dev	Classic ESP32 development board
platformio/ststm32@20.0.0	nucleo_f401re	STM32 Nucleo F401RE

Use PlatformIO's project tasks or run pio run in Positron Shell. Generate a C/C++ compilation database with pio run -t compiledb so clangd can discover your project's include paths and compiler flags. The PlatformIO extension is patched to remove its proprietary ms-vscode.cpptools dependency and its clangd-conflict warning; clangd is the language-feature replacement, not a replacement for every cpptools debugger. PlatformIO's own debug adapter and Cortex-Debug are included, but debug configuration still depends on the board and probe.

clangd's compiler-query permission is restricted to the six bundled AVR, ARM, and ESP32 GCC/G++ executables. It does not allow arbitrary project compiler paths. If you switch to another trusted toolchain, review and explicitly configure its driver path yourself.

Other boards, ESP32 variants, frameworks, or project libraries can require downloads. The selected ESP32 platform uses the Arduino 2.0.17 line; it is not a promise of every newer Arduino-ESP32 feature. USB/serial/probe drivers are not installed. Uploading, flashing, serial communication, and hardware debugging have not been certified on physical devices. Compile-only tests do not establish hardware compatibility.

The bundled ESP32 Arduino builder includes a Windows compiler-command-length fix for deeply nested app/project paths. It moves long include arguments into a project-local response file while retaining include order and dependency tracking. Normal firmware builds and compiledb output are tested; compilation databases retain explicit include arguments for clangd. The original builder, helper source, and modification hashes are recorded in tools/provenance/local-patches.json.

External agents editing files

Codex, Claude Code, Openclaude, and other processes can edit the same ordinary project files. This requires no agent-specific UI, protocol, or account inside Positron Code. Native Code - OSS filesystem watching remains intact. files.saveConflictResolution defaults to askUser, auto-save defaults to off, and Git refresh is enabled.

Clean open files should reload after an external change, including an atomic replacement. An unsaved editor buffer is preserved and the normal save-conflict workflow remains available. Simultaneous edits to the same file still require conflict resolution; the editor does not invent an automatic merge or silently overwrite either side. Agent-created files are visible unless excluded by your own Explorer settings or .gitignore.

There are no watchers that stage, commit, push, format, or rewrite workspace files automatically. The 0.3 review feature writes bounded snapshots into private local extension storage and restores workspace files only after explicit review and confirmation. Git dashboard commits include only staged files. If an agent is changing a file while you stage it, normal Git snapshot semantics apply; review the staged diff before committing.

Compile a new Windows x64 runtime from source

Run from the project root in a normal network-enabled PowerShell terminal. The recipe acquires app-local tools/extensions, builds the editor, checks it, and packages the complete folder. It does not replace an existing editor, register file associations, or install machine-wide prerequisites.

Prerequisites: Git, the full Node.js distribution (including npm) matching the pinned source's .nvmrc, Python, and Visual Studio 2022 C++ build tools with Windows 11 SDK 26100 and Spectre runtime/ATL/MFC libraries. The build script downloads Code - OSS tag 1.139.0 to build/vscode and checks its requested Node version before installing dependencies. A verified portable Node 24.18.0 with npm is already available locally under build/tools. Run scripts/doctor.ps1 to inspect prerequisites without installing anything.

This development machine uses the approved Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools 17.14.41 instance at D:\BuildTools\Redline, with the compiler and Spectre libraries, and the existing Windows SDK 26100. Both the native build and PlatformIO shim build discover a verified VS 2022 instance through scripts/doctor.ps1; that local path is not required on another machine. The existing Visual Studio 2026 installation is retained; the pinned upstream detection does not support it directly. Compiler paths are configured only for the build process.

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\scripts\build-windows.ps1

If the script stops with a Node version mismatch, select the version in build/vscode/.nvmrc and run it again. If it stops with an upstream patch mismatch, review the affected source anchor rather than removing the check. Patches are restricted to the managed build/vscode checkout, preserve upstream notices, and reject later conflicting edits.

A newly compiled full-bundle output uses the current version in brand.json; the historical 0.2 full output above is preserved separately. Expected naming after compilation, static audit and editor smoke tests:

build/PositronCode-win32-x64/Positron Code.exe
dist/positron-code-<brand.version>-source-built-windows-x64.zip

Automatic upstream updates are disabled so they cannot replace the customized app. Positron 0.9 instead checks published releases in the configured private Forgejo repository after the user connects it; downloads and version switching require explicit approval. The guarded publishing scripts and trust boundaries are documented in UPDATES.md. The private beta uses HTTPS, SHA-256 and an explicit unsigned-release warning; a pinned Ed25519 publisher key and Windows Authenticode signing are not configured. Normal/portable profiles are not reverted or automatically merged. Review the pinned upstream version and patches before rebuilding; an active clean-build runner is a separate setup requirement described in CI.md.

Local development and verification

The two project-owned extensions have no runtime npm dependencies; bundled third-party extensions and tools have their own dependencies and licenses. Generate branding/defaults and run the project tests with Node:

node scripts/prepare.mjs
node --test tests/*.test.mjs
node scripts/package-extensions.mjs

For the current derived edition, scripts/refresh-on-demand.mjs refreshes only the generated, unused build/PositronCode-<brand.version>-win32-x64 output from its recorded base; it refuses an installed or personally configured output. Current combined gates are scripts/verify-ai-release.mjs and scripts/verify-agent-git-release.mjs, using newly generated native/browser evidence, followed by packaging and scripts/verify-release-roundtrip.mjs. Their versioned reports are dist/ai-release-<version>-test-report.json, dist/agent-git-release-<version>-test-report.json and the round-trip report described in BUILD-STATUS.md. The older verify-studio-release.mjs, studio-release-test-report.json and embedded-native-test-report.json describe the historical Studio verification path; they do not certify the current release or replace its ZIP extraction/integrity checks.

Run the real-editor smoke test from a terminal allowed to launch desktop applications:

node scripts/verify-build.mjs .\build\PositronCode-win32-x64
node scripts/smoke-test.mjs ".\build\PositronCode-win32-x64\Positron Code.exe"

The smoke test creates a disposable repository and isolated settings under .test/. It checks external-file reload and atomic replacement, dirty-buffer/save-conflict preservation, native Git operations and local-only remotes, dashboard activation, theme and LaTeX wrapping defaults, and Windows prompt startup. Never pass your real project as its test fixture. Diagnostics and the pass report are stored with that disposable profile. Tool compiler tests and provenance are recorded separately; see BUILD-STATUS.md.

Optional browser checks use Playwright and a locally installed Chromium/Edge executable:

node scripts/check-dashboard.mjs <path-to-playwright> "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe"

The dist/*.vsix files are project extensions, not the complete Positron Code app or tool bundle. Installing Positron Code Workspace changes that profile's configuration defaults; use an isolated profile for extension testing and the full build for a separate product identity.

Repository layout

brand.json contains product naming and the upstream pin. config/defaults.json sets editor defaults; config/bundled-extensions.json and config/bundled-toolchains.json pin additional packages. extensions/redline-core contains Git/terminal code plus tools, setup diagnostics, LaTeX repair, microcontroller workflows, templates, external review and local updates; extensions/red-cyberpunk-theme holds the theme snapshot. Internal redline.* command IDs and the neptunium.redline-core extension ID remain stable for compatibility. scripts contains preparation, guarded source/runtime patches, packaging, and checks; tests covers their behavior.

Source references

• Code - OSS and upstream build requirements
• Git extension API
• Tool selection and provenance research

See NOTICE.md and the licenses in each bundled extension.

This is an unsigned development build, not a security-certified release. SECURITY-AUDIT.md records upstream dependency advisories and their reviewed reachability. The source recipe blocks Emmet's vulnerable ICNS image-size parser; common PNG/JPEG/GIF parsing remains available.