VS Code Agents still requires internet — local-backend frustration peaks on r/VSCode

▼ WHAT HAPPENED

A r/VSCode thread questioning why the official VS Code Agents window requires an active internet connection — even with a local-LLM backend configured — hit 800+ upvotes overnight. Top comment: "the whole point of local AI is no network dependency; this is unusable air-gapped." Microsoft has not commented.

▼ OPERATOR ANGLE

This frustration is exactly the gap our /apps directory exists to close. Cline, Continue, Aider, Twinny — all run fully offline against an Ollama instance and ship today. The default VS Code Agents UX is not designed for local-first operators, so the operators self-route to extensions that are. The opportunity for runlocalai.co: a comparison page positioning the offline-capable agent UX vs the MS default. Cross-link to /apps?category=coding-agent&privacy=fully-offline.

[pulse item] · runlocalai.co/pulse/vscode-agents-online-only-friction