Getting Started with The Stratus

Welcome to The Stratus! This guide will help you get up and running in just a few minutes. By the end, you'll be automatically syncing your code to the cloud with every save.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Visual Studio Code or Cursor version 1.85.0 or higher
• A cloud storage account (AWS S3, Google Cloud, Azure, FTP/SFTP, or DigitalOcean Spaces)
• Basic familiarity with VS Code extensions

Step 1: Install The Stratus Extension

There are two ways to install The Stratus:

Option A: Install from VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

1. Open Visual Studio Code or Cursor
2. Click on the Extensions icon in the sidebar (or press Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "The Stratus"
4. Click Install
5. Wait for installation to complete

Option B: Install via Command Palette

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type: ext install thestratus.thestratus
3. Press Enter

Step 2: Configure Your First Cloud Provider

The Stratus uses a simple configuration wizard to set up your cloud providers. Let's configure your first one:

Using the Configuration Wizard

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type and select: Stratus: Add New Server
3. Select your cloud provider:
   • AWS S3
   • Google Cloud Storage (Pro)
   • Azure Blob Storage (Pro)
   • FTP / SFTP
   • DigitalOcean Spaces (Pro)
4. Follow the prompts to enter your credentials
5. Test the connection
6. Give your profile a name (e.g., "production", "staging")

Example: Configuring AWS S3

Here's what the wizard will ask for when configuring AWS S3:

1. AWS Access Key ID: AKIA...
2. AWS Secret Access Key: ********
3. AWS Region: us-east-1
4. S3 Bucket Name: my-website-bucket
5. Path Prefix (optional): public/
6. ACL (optional): public-read
7. Cache Control (optional): max-age=3600

Manual Configuration

Prefer to edit configuration files directly? Create .stratus/config.json in your workspace:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "activeProfile": "production",
  "profiles": {
    "production": {
      "name": "production",
      "provider": "aws-s3",
      "config": {
        "accessKeyId": "AKIA...",
        "secretAccessKey": "********",
        "region": "us-east-1",
        "bucket": "my-website-bucket",
        "prefix": "public/",
        "acl": "public-read",
        "cacheControl": "max-age=3600"
      },
      "uploadOnSave": true,
      "ignorePatterns": [
        "**/node_modules/**",
        "**/.git/**",
        "**/*.log"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Start Syncing!

Once configured, The Stratus works automatically. Here's how to use it:

Automatic Sync (Default)

Simply save any file in your workspace, and The Stratus will automatically upload it to your configured cloud storage. Watch the status bar for real-time progress!

Manual Sync

Want to sync all files at once? Use the manual sync command:

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type and select: Stratus: Sync Now
3. Wait for all files to sync

Test a Single File

To test uploading a specific file:

1. Open the file you want to test
2. Open Command Palette
3. Type and select: Stratus: Test Upload Current File

Understanding Sync Behavior

What Gets Synced?

By default, The Stratus syncs all files in your workspace, except:

• node_modules/ - Dependencies
• .git/ - Git repository data
• .vscode/ - VS Code settings
• .stratus/ - Stratus configuration
• *.log - Log files

Smart Sync (MD5 Comparison)

The Stratus intelligently compares files before uploading:

• Calculates MD5 hash of local file
• Compares with cloud file's MD5
• Only uploads if file has changed
• Saves bandwidth and time!

Common Commands

Here are the most useful commands you'll use regularly:

Next Steps

Now that you're up and running, explore these advanced features:

Need Help?

If you're experiencing issues or have questions:

• Check the Troubleshooting Guide
• Review the Frequently Asked Questions
• Email us at support@thestratus.co