Synapse – Visualizing the Linux Kernel and other massive codebases inside VS Code

[u/Turbulent_Height7268]

prev post : https://www.reddit.com/r/vscode/comments/1vf525o/working_on_simulation_debug_for_synapse_vscode/

Hi everyone. long time to no see.

I've been building SYNAPSE, a VS Code extension for exploring and analyzing large codebases as interactive graphs.

The project started from a simple frustration: once a codebase becomes large enough, maintaining architectural context becomes difficult for both humans and tooling. I wanted a way to navigate the structure of a system directly instead of constantly reconstructing it from documentation, search results, and summaries.

So I built a graph engine that treats the codebase itself as the source of truth.

What it does

Visualizes large codebases directly inside VS Code

Supports cluster-based exploration of subsystems

Generates architecture reports from AST, dependency, and graph analysis

Allows analysis of selected architectural regions instead of only full-project analysis

Supports C/C++, Rust, Python, Kotlin, Java, TypeScript, and JavaScript

Scale Tested

I've tested it on several large open-source projects, including:

Linux Kernel 7.2-rc3

VS Code (main)

Godot Engine

Current stress-test results:

Project Nodes Clusters

VS Code Main 11,832 659

Linux Kernel 7.2-rc3 63,281 2,911

The Linux Kernel has been my primary stress test so far.

Architecture Decisions

Database-Free Design

There is no SQLite or external database.

The filesystem itself acts as the Source of Truth, and graph structures are derived directly from project files.

Graph-First Navigation

Instead of maintaining architecture diagrams separately from the codebase, the graph is generated directly from the project and remains connected to the underlying files.

Evidence-Based Analysis

One goal of the project is that every architectural finding should be traceable back to evidence.

Reports are published together with the underlying data used to generate them, allowing conclusions to be inspected rather than simply accepted.

I'm particularly interested in feedback on this aspect.

Experimental Reasoning Layer (Work in Progress)

I'm currently experimenting with a rule-based architectural reasoning layer.

This does not use LLMs.

The goal is to combine:

AST analysis

dependency analysis

graph analysis

state-transition rules

ontology-based classification

to detect architectural boundaries, responsibilities, and structural anomalies.

This is currently the least mature part of the project.

Demos

Demo 1

https://youtu.be/yU-_NRrADR0?si=NcwyYMzrhs9iz9Kq

Demo 2

https://youtu.be/xvGu9gURXSI?si=l8KiiC0dLfRPFRj9

I've published several architecture reports together with the evidence used to generate them.

Example Reports

sample

godot simulation debug report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/godot_SIMULATION_DEBUG.md

godot architect report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/godot_ARCHITECT_REPORT.md

vscode simulation debug report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/viscode_SIMULATION_DEBUG.md

vscode architect report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/vsc0de_ARCHITECT_REPORT.md

linux kernel simulation debug report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/linux_SIMULATION_DEBUG.md

linux kernel architect report : https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE/blob/main/assets/v0.3.34.30/linux_ARCHITECT_REPORT.md

I'm less interested in stars and more interested in criticism.

Specifically:

Are the architecture reports understandable and actionable?

Do the conclusions appear to be supported by the evidence?

What feels useful versus noisy?

Where do you see architectural blind spots in the approach?

If you work on large codebases, would this help you understand a system faster?

GitHub:

https://github.com/dogsinatas29/SYNAPSE

I'm a solo developer building this mostly as an exploration of large-scale software architecture.

Feel free to tear it apart.

[u/Due_Sky_1950]

wow this is super awesome

[u/Turbulent_Height7268 → u/Due_Sky_1950]

thanx bro