melashri/vscode-server repository overview

⁠VSCode Server in Docker Container

This project provides a containerized VSCode server environment, allowing you to run VSCode in a web browser. It's designed to be secure, customizable, and easy to set up.

⁠Features

• VSCode server running in a Docker container
• Secure access with password protection and connection token
• Customizable user, workspace, and environment settings
• Persistent storage for VSCode settings and workspace data
• Easy deployment with Docker Compose
• Support for local and remote serve modes
• Support for Github Copilot and Microsoft extensions (i.e remote development)

⁠Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose

⁠Quick Start

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/MohamedElashri/vscode-server-docker.git
   cd vscode-server-docker
   

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2. Copy the example sample.env file and modify it as needed:

   cp sample.env .env
   

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3. Edit the .env file and set the following required variables:

   VSCODE_KEYRING_PASS=your_secure_password
   CONNECTION_TOKEN=your_connection_token
   

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   Replace your_secure_password and your_connection_token with strong, unique values.

4. Build and start the container:

   docker-compose up -d
   

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⁠Accessing the Server

Access VSCode in your web browser at http://localhost:8000/?tkn=YOUR_CONNECTION_TOKEN (replace YOUR_CONNECTION_TOKEN with the value you set in the .env file).

NOTE: This will not work if you are not using localhost or 127.0.0.1. According to this issue⁠, The CLI does not support running serve-web with a TLS certificate, requiring an additional proxy layer like nginx. This is a limitation of browsers.

⁠Configuration

⁠Environment Variables

You can customize the setup by modifying the following variables in the .env file:

• USER: The username for the VSCode user (default: vscode)
• USER_ID: The user ID for the VSCode user (default: 1000)
• GROUP_ID: The group ID for the VSCode user (default: 1000)
• WORKDIR: The name of the workspace directory (default: workspace)
• VSCODE_SERVE_MODE: The serve mode for VSCode (default: local)
• VSCODE_KEYRING_PASS: The password for the VSCode keyring (required, no default)
• VSCODE_SERVER_PORT: The port to access VSCode (default: 8000)
• CONNECTION_TOKEN: A secure token for authenticating access to the VSCode server (required, no default)
• TAG: The tag for the Docker image (default: latest)

⁠Persistent Storage

The Docker Compose configuration uses named volumes to persist data:

• vscode_data: Stores VSCode settings
• vscode_server_data: Stores VSCode server-specific data
• workdir_data: Stores your workspace files

⁠Usage

⁠Starting the Server

docker-compose up -d

⁠Stopping the Server

docker-compose down

⁠Updating the Server

1. Pull the latest changes from the repository:

   git pull origin main
   

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2. Rebuild and restart the container:

   docker-compose up -d --build
   

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⁠Accessing Logs

docker-compose logs

⁠Security Considerations

• Always use strong, unique values for VSCODE_KEYRING_PASS and CONNECTION_TOKEN in the .env file.
• Never share or expose your .env file. Add it to your .gitignore to prevent accidental commits.
• Consider using HTTPS for production deployments.
• Regularly update the Docker image and dependencies.
• The container will fail to start if VSCODE_KEYRING_PASS or CONNECTION_TOKEN are not set, ensuring these critical security measures are in place.

⁠Troubleshooting

• If the container fails to start, check that you've set both VSCODE_KEYRING_PASS and CONNECTION_TOKEN in your .env file.
• Ensure your .env file is in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.

⁠Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

⁠License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE⁠ file for details.