configure dockerhub registry for windows toolbox boot2docker?

I want to connect vscode to manage an arbitrary docker registry with exposed API. I'm running vscode on a windows 10 host with docker windows toolbox (i.e. through docker-machine and boot2docker). the docker registry is running virtual machine.

vscode docker explorer sidebar observations:

- main docker tab is empty.
- docker Images tab is empty.
- only docker Containers contains valid data.
- running Compose Down/Compose up on a compose file is not working (no errors, no actions)
- running Build Image on a docker file is not working (no errors, no actions).

thanks