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Getting Started

This guide will walk you through installing and configuring Pike LSP for VS Code.

Requirements​

Before installing Pike LSP, ensure you have:

Installing Pike​

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)​

# Download from Lysator (recommended)
wget https://pike.lysator.liu.se/pub/pike/latest/Pike-v8.0.1116-linux-x64.tar.bz2
tar -xjf Pike-v8.0.1116-linux-x64.tar.bz2
cd Pike-v8.0.1116-linux-x64
sudo ./install.sh

# Or install from repository (may be outdated)
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pike

macOS​

# Using Homebrew
brew install pike

# Or download from https://pike.lysator.liu.se/download/

Windows (WSL)​

Install Pike inside WSL using the Linux instructions above.

Verifying Installation​

pike --version

Expected: Pike v8.0.1116 or later.

Installing the VS Code Extension​

From VS Code Marketplace​

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS)
  3. Search for "Pike Language Support"
  4. Click Install

From VSIX File​

If you have a VSIX file:

code --install-extension pike-lsp.vsix

Build from Source​

For development or the latest features:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/TheSmuks/pike-lsp.git
cd pike-lsp

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Build all packages
bun run build

# Package the VS Code extension
cd packages/vscode-pike
bun run package

Configuration​

Basic Configuration​

Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "Pike":

SettingDescriptionDefault
pike.pikePathPath to Pike executable"pike"
pike.trace.serverLSP trace level"off"

File Associations​

To enable Pike LSP for additional file extensions:

{
  "files.associations": {
    "*.rjs": "pike",
    "*.inc": "pike"
  }
}

Environment Variables (Development)​

For running tests or developing Pike LSP:

export PIKE_SRC=/path/to/Pike-v8.0.1116
export ROXEN_SRC=/path/to/Roxen

Add these to your .bashrc or .zshrc for persistence.

Verification​

After installation:

  1. Open a .pike or .pmod file
  2. Check the VS Code status bar for "Pike LSP" indicator
  3. Try hovering over a function to see type information
  4. Press F12 to navigate to a symbol definition
  5. Press Ctrl+Space for code completion

Troubleshooting​

Pike Not Found​

If you see "Pike executable not found":

  1. Verify Pike is in your PATH: pike --version
  2. Set pike.pikePath in VS Code settings to the full path

Extension Not Activating​

  1. Check the Output panel (View > Output > Pike Language Server)
  2. Ensure the file has a .pike or .pmod extension
  3. Reload VS Code window if needed

Performance Issues​

  • Large workspaces: Initial indexing may take time, but runs in background
  • Check the Troubleshooting page for more solutions

Next Steps​