To check a file on macOS, first look at VS Code’s remote indicator, then confirm the file’s path and where that path exists. A Dev Container window is connected to a container, but its workspace files may be mounted from your Mac; other container setups store files only in the container. The window indicator tells you the connection context, while the workspace configuration and filesystem checks help establish where the file is stored. VS Code’s Dev Containers tutorial describes both the remote context and a sample project mapped from the local filesystem.

Check the window’s remote indicator

Look at the lower-left corner of the VS Code window. In a Dev Container connection, VS Code shows a remote status bar item. Click it to open commands relevant to that remote context. The indicator is a useful first check: it identifies whether this window is connected to a remote environment, but it does not by itself tell you whether the workspace files are backed by a Mac folder or a container volume. VS Code’s tutorial describes the item as showing whether the current context is local or remote. Dev Containers tutorial

If you do not see the remote indicator, that is not conclusive proof that a particular editor tab refers to a Mac file. You could be looking at an untitled document, a single file opened outside the workspace, or a window connected through a different remote feature. Check the active file and its workspace context before deciding.

Confirm which folder the active file belongs to

In the Explorer, locate the file and note the workspace folder above it. Right-click the file and choose Reveal in Finder when available. VS Code documents this macOS action for navigating to a file or folder in Finder. If Finder reveals the file in your Mac’s directory tree, that confirms a local path. If the file is in a remote window and Reveal in Finder is unavailable or does not identify a Mac copy, do not assume the file is local; continue with the terminal and container configuration checks. VS Code user interface documentation

You can also open the Command Palette with ⇧⌘P and search for Copy Path of Active File. The copied path helps you identify the path VS Code associates with the file. A path such as /workspace/app.js is typical of a Linux container workspace, while a path beginning /Users/ is typical of a Mac home directory—but paths are clues, not proof. A container can mount a Mac folder at /workspace, so the in-container path alone does not say where the data is stored. The command and shortcut are documented in the default keyboard shortcuts reference.

Use the integrated terminal to identify its environment

Open Terminal > New Terminal in the same window and run these read-only commands:

pwd
uname -s

The terminal starts in the workspace folder by default. On macOS, uname -s typically prints Darwin; in a Linux-based development container it typically prints Linux. If the terminal shows Linux while the remote indicator shows a Dev Container context, the shell is running in the container environment. VS Code notes that its integrated terminal uses the shell for the current context and starts at the workspace root. Terminal Basics

These commands identify the terminal’s environment and current directory; they do not prove whether a workspace folder is a bind mount from your Mac or data stored in a container volume. To check that distinction, inspect the project’s .devcontainer/devcontainer.json or Compose configuration for settings such as workspaceMount, workspaceFolder, or volume mounts. VS Code’s remote Docker host guidance documents bind mounts and named volumes as separate ways to provide workspace files. Develop on a remote Docker host

Interpret the result before editing

Use the evidence together. A local VS Code window, a Mac path in Finder, and a Darwin integrated terminal point to local editing. A Dev Container indicator and a Linux terminal show that VS Code is operating in a container context. To decide whether edits are stored on the Mac or in the container, also establish how the workspace is mounted: a bind mount can expose Mac files inside the container, while a named volume can hold files in Docker-managed storage.

If the distinction matters before making a change, check the mount configuration or ask whoever set up the project which storage the workspace uses. Do not infer a Mac backup from a container path, and do not infer container-only storage merely because the terminal is Linux. These checks tell you about the active VS Code window and its workspace; they do not establish whether another copy exists elsewhere.

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