in VSCode

for Linux
- follow instructions of official LaTeX Workshop extension
  - I use their recommended configuration i.e., TeX Live
for Mac
- install BasicTeX
- add to path (i.e. in add to .bash_profile)
  - PATH=/usr/local/texlive/<basic_tex_version>
  - PATH=/usr/local/texlive/<basic_tex_version>/bin/<...>/pdflatex #just to be safe
- install latexmk sudo tlmgr install latexmk
- add to path (i.e. in add to .bash_profile)
  - PATH=/Library/TeX/texbin/latexmk
- you might have to change ownership and rights of BasicTeX
  - chown -R <username> <path/to/texlive>
  - cmod 777 -R <path/to/texlive>
restart VSCode (maybe even your machine)
viewing produced pdf: ctrl+alt+V
building pdf ctrl+alt+B

Convenience