The nRF Connect for VS Code extension can work with different versions of the nRF Connect toolchain and the nRF Connect SDK. You install and manage both the SDK and toolchain from the Welcome View.
The nRF Connect SDK includes the software components for developing nRF Connect SDK applications. It comes with the nRF Connect SDK Bare Metal option, which includes a subset of software components that are optimized for bare metal applications. The toolchain refers to a set of development tools that are required to build nRF Connect SDK samples and applications.
The extension sets the SDK and toolchain separately for each build configuration. When you install the toolchain and the SDK for the first time, the installed versions are automatically selected for your project. As you install more SDK and toolchain versions, the last used version will be automatically selected for new build configurations.
See Extension settings overview for more information about SDK and toolchain versions, including how to add custom toolchain indexes and installations.
Note
The following procedures describe only the extension part of the SDK installation. For the full SDK installation procedure, see Install the nRF Connect SDK or Install the nRF Connect SDK Bare Metal option.