FAQ
Does OpenFiles send my code anywhere?
Section titled “Does OpenFiles send my code anywhere?”No. It makes no network requests and has no telemetry. It writes under .openfiles/ in your workspace, and to ~/.openfiles/hook.js once you install hooks.
Will it flood me with tabs?
Section titled “Will it flood me with tabs?”It tries hard not to:
- files open in the background;
- it waits while you’re typing;
- it stops after 15 files per session;
- bulk changes (installs, builds, checkouts) are listed, not opened.
If you still prefer no tabs at all, set openfiles.mode to queue.
My agent says it’s done, but the problems list is empty. Is the code clean?
Section titled “My agent says it’s done, but the problems list is empty. Is the code clean?”Maybe. Check three things:
- Is there a linter for that language? Run Doctor tells you.
- Are you in
queuemode? Files that aren’t open usually aren’t checked. - Some language servers need a few seconds on first start.
checkedAtindiagnostics.jsontells you whether the editor has looked yet.
Why Node.js for the hook?
Section titled “Why Node.js for the hook?”The hook has to parse each agent’s JSON, wait for diagnostics, and reply in that agent’s format. Doing that in both sh and PowerShell without extra tools was fragile. Most people running coding agents already have Node. Run Doctor checks it.
Should I commit the hook config?
Section titled “Should I commit the hook config?”Usually not. The command contains your home directory path. For Claude Code, OpenFiles uses .claude/settings.local.json, which is already local. For other agents, either keep the file local or have each teammate run Install Agent Hooks (it’s idempotent). When VS Code isn’t running, a teammate’s hook simply does nothing.
Does it work over Remote SSH, WSL or in Dev Containers?
Section titled “Does it work over Remote SSH, WSL or in Dev Containers?”The extension runs on the remote side (extensionKind: workspace), next to the files and the agents, so it should. File watchers can be unreliable on some network drives; the hook queue is polled as a fallback. Please report issues with the Doctor output.
Does it replace lint in CI?
Section titled “Does it replace lint in CI?”No. Keep CI. OpenFiles moves the feedback earlier, to the moment the agent writes the file.
What happened to profiles?
Section titled “What happened to profiles?”They still work. .openfiles.json profiles open a named set of files. See OpenFiles: Open Profile… and the Profiles view.
Can I use it without an AI agent?
Section titled “Can I use it without an AI agent?”Yes. It flags any file changed outside the editor: a code generator, a script, a teammate’s git stash pop. It’s just most useful with agents.